EDNY

Edwin Camacho

Danbury, CT

Attorney Edwin Camacho has over 32 years of legal experience, specializing in criminal defense, civil, and personal injury litigation. He began his career with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Army. He is fluent in Spanish and is a member of several bar associations.

Christian Coppinger

New York, NY

Christian Coppinger is an attorney who aggressively prosecutes personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, construction accidents (Labor Law 240, 241c), motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, and cases against municipalities. He also has substantial experience representing firefighters and police officers in cases under General Municipal Law 205. With 25 years of experience, he has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. John’s University (1997) and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School (2000). He is admitted to practice law in New York State and the Federal District Courts for the New York Southern and Eastern Districts.

Katherine E. Smith

Brewster, NY

Katherine “Katie” Smith has successfully litigated hundreds of state and federal cases in both the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and in New York State courts. Ms. Smith’s expertise focuses on civil rights litigation, specializing in federal litigation and trial practice. Prior to starting her own practice, Ms. Smith worked for the City of New York’s Office Corporation Counsel in the Special Federal Litigation Division defending civil rights actions against the City and its employees. In the private sector, Ms. Smith has litigated complex class actions, consumer fraud and corporate breach of contract cases, among other practice areas. Presently, Ms. Smith’s practice focuses on prosecuting civil rights actions against municipalities, police, and correction officers. Specifically, Ms. Smith represents clients who have been falsely arrested, maliciously prosecuted, and/or subjected to unreasonable use of force by police officers, as well as other types of law enforcement misconduct. In the corrections context, Ms. Smith prosecutes correction officers for abusing inmates and otherwise failing to protect inmates from abuse. Ms. Smith also represents individuals who are victims of sexual assault. Ms. Smith has secured clients millions of dollars in damages including victories in both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York as a part of several trial teams. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Smith is an adjunct professor at New York Law School, her alma-mater, where she co-developed and co-teaches “Policing the Police” a course concerning law enforcement accountability. Ms. Smith is also a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute, Graduate Architecture and Urban Design where she co-teaches a course focusing on critical discourses on space and the built environment with respect to race, gender, and sexuality. Ms. Smith is a regular contributor to Law & Crime where she offers her expert legal analysis on trials throughout the country.

Brian is an associate in the Labor Relations and Employment Law Group representing public and private sector unions. Brian provides advice and representation to the firm’s union clients on a wide variety of labor issues, including disciplinary matters, employee benefits, labor practices, and grievances. Prior to joining the firm, Brian worked for the Suffolk County Law Department for eighteen years defending the Suffolk County Police and Sheriff’s Departments in Federal Civil Rights lawsuits. He has extensive trial experience in both the Federal and New York State Court systems. Brian has also briefed and argued appeals before the New York State Appellate Division and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before working for the County Brian served as a Principal Legal Advisor to a Suffolk County Court Judge and was an Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney for ten years. Brian started his legal career as a Trial Preparation Assistant in the office Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau. Brian is admitted to practice in the state of New York, the Eastern and Southern Federal Districts of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the EDNY Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Brian is active in his community and has served as the attorney advisor for the East Islip High School Mock Trial Program for the last twenty-two years. He is married with three adult children.

Alex J. Kaminski

Islandia, NY

Alex is an associate in the Labor Relations and Employment Law Group representing public and private sector unions. Alex works closely with the firm’s union clients providing advice and representation on a wide-variety of labor issues including disciplinary matters, employee benefits, labor practices, and grievances. Alex also works on the firm’s Employment Discrimination matters, as well as New York State Disability Retirement, MTA Disability Retirement, Long Term Disability, and Social Security Disability Retirement applications. Prior to joining the firm, both during law school (as a Law Clerk) and since his graduation and admission to the Bar, Alex has concentrated in Labor and Employment Law. Alex has handled a wide-variety of Labor and Employment matters including Employment Discrimination claims (Title VII, § 1983, ADEA, ADA, and New York State Anti-Discrimination Law) before the EEOC, NYS Division of Human Rights, and both NY State and Federal Courts, Wage & Hour Class and Collective Actions, FLSA matters, and matters before the NLRB. Alex has also appeared before numerous federal agencies on behalf of federal employees, including Federal Disability Retirement applications/appeals and numerous disciplinary matters.