Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP

Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP is New York’s oldest boutique litigation and appellate firm specializing in medical defense, health care litigation, employment and labor law, general liability, and professional liability. The Firm has provided litigation defense services to members of New York State’s professional community for more than 100 years. The experience and stability shows in its successes and the tenures of MCB’s lead attorneys: Many of the Firm’s partners have practiced at MCB for more than 15 years, and the Firm’s senior partners have all practiced their specialties at the Firm for more than 20 years.

“As by far the oldest firm in New York specializing in the defense of medical malpractice actions, Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP has unrivaled institutional knowledge and experience,” says senior MCB partner Anthony M. Sola, who has been recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2017 New York metro area “Lawyer of the Year” for medical malpractice law – defendants. “Our experience, coupled with the quality and stability of our partnership is why New York’s largest hospital health care systems and its largest professional liability insurer have, for many decades, turned to MCB to handle their most difficult, challenging, and high-profile cases.”

MCB’s clients include some of the country’s leading teaching hospitals, major insurance companies, and individuals. “We have long depended on MCB’s experience and results in complex medical and health care matters and now rely on its expertise in other practice areas,” notes one of the Firms’ clients, an associate general counsel at a major university medical center. Related to medical and health care litigation defense, the Firm provides advice and management of health care crisis situations and has experience in handling mass patient exposures, conduct of impaired professionals, and situations that require immediate management of legal issues, health problems, and media exposure. The Firm’s expanding Labor & Employment practice group, headed by an experienced partner from a national employment firm represents employers of all sizes, in all industries.

Five MCB senior partners have been continuously named to The Best Lawyers in America: John L.A. Lyddane, from 1995 to present; Bruce G. Habian, who was recognized as the New York metro area “Lawyer of the Year” for medical malpractice law – defendants in 2013, from 1995 to present; Anthony M. Sola, from 1999 to present; Peter T. Crean, from 2006 to present; and Kenneth R. Larywon, for 2016 and 2017. Four of these same MCB senior partners—John L.A. Lyddane, Bruce G. Habian, Anthony M. Sola, and Peter T. Crean—have also been elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers. The Firm holds a Tier 1 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” ranking in the New York metro area for legal malpractice law – defendants, medical malpractice law – defendants, and personal injury litigation – defendants. Additionally, 20 MCB partners have attained the Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating of AV Preeminent®, and members of the Firm have additionally been named among the New York’s Super Lawyers and Legal Leaders.