Profiles
Robert L. Brenna, Jr.
Our firm was founded in 1953 by Robert L. Brenna, Sr. Robert L. Brenna, Jr. joined the firm in 1979. He is Immediate Past President of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, invited into membership of the National Academy of Trial Advocacy, and past president of the GVTLA. His first verdict was against New York, representing a disabled adult.
However, most of his cases are in Supreme Court and Appellate practice. He also obtained the first verdict in the State Court of Claims for a constitutional violation. The firm currently concentrates its practice and serves of counsel to the profession in catastrophic personal injury, Estate Litigation, Estate and Medicaid Planning, Military and Constitutional Law, and General Litigation.
He has been named to Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and has been granted the distinction of achieving Preeminent AV Rating in Martindale Hubbell. He also has been rated "Superb" and received a 10.0/10.0 by AVVO.com. He has been honored with the distinction of being invited into membership in the national Academy of Trial Advocacy and was recently named as one of the top 100 trial lawyers (New York) by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Bob is a member of President's Club of the American Association of Justice, and a Founding Member of the New York State Academy of trial lawyers for public justice. Comments by others can be viewed at such websites.
In addition to being a columnist, Mr. Brenna is about to celebrate his 14th anniversary as host of the "Brenna and Brenna Law Forum" which is a weekly call-in radio show heard on the 50,000 watt Clear Channel AM station WHAM, also heard nationwide on www.wham1180.com. More information regarding his career can be seen at www.brennalaw.com.
Bob has also practiced extensively in the areas of Estate Probate, Administration of Estates, Trusts Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, and End of Life Care Planning and the Necessary Drafting of All Relevant Documentary Directives, and all facets of the practice which relate to such areas of practice. He is also actively involved in the firm’s estate litigation practice.
Upon invitation, he has lectured for decades in the continuing legal education of attorneys, for the New York State Bar Association, the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the Monroe County Bar Association, and has served annually as chair for many of these programs. He has lectured in Estate Practice, Trial Practice, and also numerous programs specifically designed to teach other lawyers the interplay of Estate and Litigation matters in both Surrogates and Trial Courts. He has litigated cases against municipalities, international corporations, and entities of all sizes and permutations. He has devoted his practice to the concept that no Goliath should remain unchallenged or unchecked, and that every David deserves competent representation. He has represented injured workers for claims arising out of labor Law section 240 also known as the "scaffolding law", victims of defective products, including a case that was featured on the front page of the New York Times regarding a products liability case prosecuted against a pharmaceutical company. His litigation career has included successfully representing victims of pharmacy prescription errors, catastrophically injured victims of auto manufacturing defects, as well as representing people who have been harmed by drunken drivers and negligent trucking corporations.
Early in his career, Mr. Brenna successfully litigated the first trial against the state of New York relative to a wrongful death case relating to the Attica prison uprising, and also in the Court of Claims of the state of New York successfully litigated on behalf of an intellectually challenged victim who was in the custody of the State of New York. He also successfully litigated and obtained the first verdict against the state of New York in the Court of Claims based upon a deprivation of constitutional rights, after the Court of Appeals determined that the Court of Claims had jurisdiction over that area of the law. Mr. Brenna's practice has included extensive appellate work, stemming from the fact that even as early as his law school education, he greatly loved appeals, and he has written and argued appeals in both the state and federal appellate system. He has litigated in Federal and State Courts, and continues to consider the practice of law as one of the most noble of all professions.
Sheldon W. Boyce
Mr. Boyce joined the firm in 2007. He graduated with honors from Albany Law School where he was a member of the Law Review and the Justinian Honor Society. After law school, Mr. Boyce was a Confidential Law Assistant to the Justices of the Supreme Court, Appellate Division in Albany. He was then appointed an Assistant District Attorney for Monroe County where he was assigned to the Special Investigations Bureau. Mr. Boyce entered private practice with the Chamberlain D’Amanda firm in Rochester where he chaired the Personal Injury Practice Group. He has lectured other lawyers frequently on trial practice at bar association seminars. Mr. Boyce lives with his family in Mendon where he serves as Town Attorney.
Among his honors are:
Listed in Best Lawyers in America
AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, (highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards)
Highest possible rating, AVVO.com
Member (invitation only), American Board of Trial Advocates
Diplomate in Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy
He has previously served as:
Director of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
Officer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Dean of the New York State Trial Lawyers Institute
President of the Genesee Valley Trial Lawyers Association
William J. Brongo
William J. Brongo was former Chief Clerk of the Monroe County Surrogate's Court. He concentrates in estate litigation, probate and estate planning and administration and serves as counsel to the profession as well. He served as Principal Confidential Law Clerk to the Honorable Edmund A. Calvaruso, Surrogate, Matrimonial Referee, Principle Confidential Law Clerk to the Hon. Charles J. Siragusa, JSC; Chief, Special Investigations Bureau, Monroe County District Attorney's Office.
Donald G. Rehkopf, Jr.
Mr. Rehkopf attended Capital University Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate in January 1975. While in law school, Mr. Rehkopf was the Associate Editor for Research for the Law Review, won the 6th Circuit Moot Court competition and was a member of the National Moot Court team. Upon graduation, he was selected for the Judge Advocate Generals Department and served on active duty with the Air Force from 1976 to 1981. He retired from the JAG Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.
From 1981-85, Mr. Rehkopf was in private practice in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where his practice was limited to defending U.S. military personnel before courts-martial and administrative proceedings. From 1985-96, he was a staff attorney in the Violent Felony Offender section of the Monroe County Public Defenders Office in Rochester, New York, an office of over 50 attorneys. His practice concentrated in the areas of complex forensic science and medical issues affecting those accused of serious crimes. He presently concentrates on criminal defense and military law issues. Mr. Rehkopf is a frequent national lecturer on the subjects of military justice, criminal law, criminal trial techniques, and professional ethics. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and in the State of New York. He has tried over 225 cases to a verdict and argued countless appeals.
Mr. Rehkopf is the Co-Chair of the Military Law Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers [NACDL]; a former Vice-President of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers [NYSACDL] and is currently a Director. He was an amicus curiae party as one of the “Experts of the Law of War” at the Supreme Court in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 124 S.Ct. 2633 (2004), while simultaneously representing another amicus curiae, People to Enforce the Geneva Conventions.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Recipient, 2003, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Presidential Commendation.
Recipient, 2003, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Special Presidential Commendation for Padilla v. Rumsfeld.
Recipient, 2004, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Presidential Commendation.
Recipient, 2004, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Hon. Thurgood Marshall, Outstanding Practitioner of the Year, Award.
Recipient, 2005, New York State Assembly, Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Legal Practitioner and Support of Constitutional Rights for All.
Recipient, 2006, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Presidential Commendation.
Recipient, 2007, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Presidential Commendation.
Recipient, 2009, The Daily Record, Leaders in Law Award.
Todd Gustafson
Todd Gustafson joined the firm in 2001, and presently focuses his practice in the areas of personal injury litigation, commercial litigation, and appeals. He additionally devotes a considerable portion of his practice to all areas of Estate Planning, including estate litigation, Medicaid planning, Medicaid Fair Hearings, and guardianship proceedings.
Mr. Gustafson is also a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, serving as a liaison to the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the USAF, wherein he provides governmental oversight, evaluation, and training to the CAP units throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and each of the six New England states.
He previously served as an Active Duty Air Force Instructor Pilot in the KC-135, the in-flight refueling variant of the Boeing-707. A veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, he flew 53 combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait. He was also Chief of Training for all KC-135 crewmembers assigned to Griffiss Air Force Base, in Rome, New York, where he was earlier a Flight Commander.
Following ten years of active military flying, Mr. Gustafson was assigned to Headquarters, Air Mobility Command, where he became the youngest Chief of Regional Operations in the Tanker Airlift Control Center, and was responsible for command and control of transport and tanker aircraft operating throughout the eastern United States, Europe, and western Asia.
He is dedicated to helping our clients through difficult situations, such as assisting families in preserving their assets when a loved one requires nursing home care, or helping our catastrophically injured clients recover funds to pay for their care and comfort.
