Leitner Warywoda PLLC

Brett R. Leitner, Esq.

Brett Leitner is a seasoned trial attorney and Senior Partner at Leitner Warywoda, where he has built a reputation as one of New York’s top advocates for victims of medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. Over the course of his career, Brett has recovered more than $250 million for his clients, earning recognition as a relentless courtroom advocate with an unwavering commitment to justice. Consistently named a Top-Rated Medical Malpractice Attorney by New York Metro Super Lawyers (2016–2023) and honored as a Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers, Brett’s accolades also include listings in Best Lawyers in America, the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers, and the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers. His proven record of securing multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements places him among the most respected trial lawyers in New York. Several Leitner Warywoda jury verdicts and settlements have been recognized among the largest personal injury verdicts in both New York State and the United States, and have been prominently featured in Top New York Verdicts as well as the Verdicts and Settlements Hall of Fame publications. In addition to his trial work, Brett has secured significant appellate victories in the First and Second Departments of the Appellate Division of New York as well as the United States Court of Appeals, shaping the law and expanding protections for injured clients. Brett is also a recognized voice in the broader legal community, regularly quoted as a legal commentator in major media publications. Journalists and editors frequently turn to him for his clear, authoritative analysis on high-profile cases and evolving legal issues. With a reputation for meticulous legal writing, aggressive litigation strategy, and unmatched preparation, clients trust him to take on the toughest opponents and deliver the justice they deserve.

Education: Cardozo Law School

Services: Personal Injury Law , Medical Malpractice , Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect , Construction Site Injuries | New York Labor Law , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death , Trials

Justin Varughese, Esq.

Founding Partner and Senior Trial Attorney Justin Varughese has been universally recognized as one of the top trial attorneys both in the State of New York and nationally. Having been consistently selected to the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, SuperLawyers, American Academy of Trial Attorneys Premier 100, America's Top 100 Attorneys and Rue Ratings Best Attorneys in America, to name a few, Mr. Varughese's reputation as a preeminent trial attorney continues to soar. Mr. Varughese was selected to the following: Top Rated Medical Malpractice Attorney by New York Metro Super Lawyers Top Attorneys, Metro New York by The New York Times Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers Premier 100 Trial Attorney by the National Academy of Jurisprudence Best Attorneys of America Top 10 Attorney Award for State of New York Top 100 Settlements in New York Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, American Academy of Attorneys Mr. Varughese focuses his practice on representing victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury cases involving car and truck accidents, construction accidents, and accidents involving negligent property and building owners and managers. He also has extensive expertise in real estate matters, estate planning, and criminal defense. In just the past few years, Mr. Varughese and his firm have facilitated in the recovery of over $200 million on behalf of clients that were injured as a result of car and truck accidents, construction accidents (involving New York State Labor Law violations), slip/trip and falls, and defective pharmaceuticals, including the recovery of over $100 million alone in verdicts and settlements on behalf of the victims of nursing home neglect and abuse and medical malpractice. Several Leitner Varughese Warywoda jury verdicts and settlements have been recognized among the top largest personal injury jury verdicts in New York State and in the United States, and have been featured in the Top New York Verdicts and Verdicts and Settlements Hall of Fame publications. Mr. Varughese is routinely called upon to handle high-profile and newsworthy cases, many of which have been televised or reported on in national and regional news and media outlets, including the New York Law Journal, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Channel 7 Eyewitness News, CBS News, Best of Long Island Press, Newsday, News 12 Long Island, Long Island Herald, and FIOS 1, amongst others. Prior to founding Leitner Varughese Warywoda, Mr. Varughese was a senior trial attorney in the Nursing Home Litigation Unit at a national law firm based in New York. Prior to his success at this national law firm, Mr. Varughese spent seven years at a high volume plaintiff’s boutique personal injury law firm where he obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients in a vast array of general liability case types including motor vehicle accidents, trip/slip and fall injuries, labor law/construction accidents, and various other injury cases. When not in the courtroom, Mr. Varughese enjoys playing the drums and spending time with his family. Bar Admissions Mr. Varughese is admitted to practice in the State of New York, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Education: St. John’s University School of Law , University of Maryland in Government & Politics and Criminal Justice

Nicholas E. Warywoda, Esq.

Nick Warywoda is a prominent New York trial attorney whose verdicts and settlements have consistently ranked among the largest personal injury jury verdicts in New York State and the United States. His results include recognition as a Top 50 Wrongful Death Verdict in the United States and features in Top New York Verdicts and the Verdicts and Settlements Hall of Fame. Recognized as a Top-Rated Personal Injury Attorney by New York Metro Super Lawyers, Nick has secured extensive multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements across a wide range of personal injury matters, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, products liability, and construction accident cases. His work has been widely covered by the media, with features in ABC Eyewitness News, NBC News, CBS New York, New York Daily News, New York Post, Newsday, LI Herald, News 12, and other publications. Nick’s record of success includes some of the largest verdicts and settlements in New York: • $8,500,000 verdict – Medical malpractice and products liability case, recognized as a Top 30 Verdict in New York State. • $7,890,000 verdict – Civil rights and medical malpractice case against a doctor and municipality on behalf of the family of an Iraqi war veteran who committed suicide while in custody; recognized as one of the Top Verdicts in both New York and the United States. • $4,100,000 settlement – Medical malpractice claim involving the failure to diagnose prostate cancer. • $3,800,000 settlement – Medical malpractice action involving a brain injury. • $3,500,000 settlement – Medical malpractice case involving negligent surgical care. • $2,750,000 settlement – Medical malpractice case involving failure to diagnose cardiac disease. • $2,600,000 settlement – Medical malpractice case involving wrongful death. • $2,250,000 settlement – Medical malpractice claim involving negligent obstetrical care. • $2,000,000 settlement – Medical malpractice claim involving surgical malpractice. • $1,937,000 verdict – Medical malpractice case involving failure to diagnose a post-surgical infection. • $1,900,000 settlement – Medical malpractice case involving negligent plastic surgery. • $1,500,000 verdict – Elderly man injured in a motor vehicle accident. • $1,400,000 verdict – Pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle while crossing the street. • $1,250,000 settlement – Medical malpractice involving failure to diagnose cancer. • $1,100,000 settlement – Motor vehicle accident case. Bar Admissions • State of New York • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York Education • B.S., Long Island University – Southampton College • J.D., Brooklyn Law School Professional Associations & Memberships • New York State Trial Lawyers Association • New York City Trial Lawyers Alliance, Board of Directors • American Association for Justice

Services: Trials