SDNY

Patrice Coleman

Brewster, NY

Patrice Coleman graduated from Albany Law School and was admitted to the New York State bar in 1986. She follows two prior generations of lawyers representing injury victims in accident and medical malpractice cases. Over her more than thirty-five years of practice, she has collected tens of millions of dollars for her clients through settlements, mediations, arbitrations and trials and has handled injury cases resulting from automobile accidents, premises liability, police misconduct, medical and nursing malpractice, as well as construction site accidents that involve New York’s Labor Law. Patrice has also successfully argued numerous motions on behalf of her clients in New York’s Trial Courts as well as having argued many appeals before the New York Appellate Courts in the First and Second Departments. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, The New York State Trial Lawyers Association, The New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American Bar Association. She is also admitted to practice law in the Southern District of New York.

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.