Mark A. Bederow

My name is Kevin. I am the Chair of the Criminal Defense Practice Group at Levene, Gouldin & Thompson, LLP -- a 60 attorney firm with several offices located throughout upstate New York. Mark and I met during our very first day of law school at Syracuse University almost 20 years ago and we've been ...good friends ever since. We didn't have a lot of free time back then but when we did, Mark was the only guy who liked watching Law & Order more than me. I mean, contracts, property, torts and the rest of the curriculum was fine, but for us it was the study of criminal defense that kept law school interesting. In fact, by the the end of our third year Mark and I had completed virtually all of the same advanced trial practice and advanced criminal procedure classes-- a series of elective courses that you could take after the first year and which most of our peers had very little to no interest in. Mark was at the top of the class and he's as sharp now as he was then. In fact, whenever I have a client from upstate who needs help down in the NYC area, Mark is my go to guy. If you're in a jam hire Mark Bederow. You won't be disappointed.

In 2012, the first time in my life, I had to seek legal representation. I was arrested at a checkpoint in Manhattan. The experience is something I will never forget or wish on anyone. I felt a lot of inaccuracies were made during checkpoint that lead to my arrest. I requisite a lawyer that had DA... experience in Manhattan and could provide clear-cut answers to my case; that is when I found Mark. I called and left a message and quickly received a call back from Mark; we spoke briefly of my situation and that same afternoon I was sitting in his office discussing my case. Mark is sincere, honest, straight-forward and above all knowledgeable. Instantly, I could see he loved the law, but also respected. After we shock hands and by the time I reached the elevators - I knew he was the right person to represent me. A case that should have not taken long to try took over 2 years and more than 10 court room appearances. During every step of the process Mark was beyond responsive, communicated truthfully, and never tried to deter me from perusing what I believe to be just. Mark is the reason; today I have clean criminal record that could have tarnished my professional career. Words can never express the gratitude I have for Mr. Bederow. Therefore, I highly recommend Mark Bederow.

Mark is an excellent, dig-in-your heels defense attorney. He provides 'spot on' assessment of cases, and he uses his broad knowledge of the issues to drive strategy at all times. He also has a very upfront communication style, and will get to the point -- while pulling no punches -- whether he's tal...king to the client or the adversary. As his client, I watched his management of the courtroom environment, and had nothing but full confidence in him. Mark is also a great guy. I know that no one wants to need a defense attorney, but I would strongly recommend him if you do.

I had been charged and over prosecuted for gun possession in New York; regarding a legally possessed handgun that I simply forgot was in the glove compartment of my vehicle on a legitimate work trip from my home state of Florida through New York. The gun had remained in the glove box since I put it t...here nearly a year prior; this being legal in Florida. I had a clean criminal record and all of the facts of the case supported the fact that this was just an honest mistake, but never the less; the Queens District attorney thought that two years in a state prison was a fair offer, which could have literally ruined my life and everything I had worked for, including a wedding and family that my new fiancé and I were planning. As I began to research similar cases to my own on line in search of any shred of hope, I stumbled upon Mark through a New York Post article outlining an eerily similar case where Mark had represented another individual all the way through trial, ultimately resulting in an acquittal in only thirty minutes. I called Mark that same day and left a message for him, to which he returned my call immediately. He spent over an hour on the phone with me on just our initial conversation asking pointed, careful questions and learning everything he could about my case...and then attaching each one of my answers to an initial strategy for my defense. I knew within the hour that Mark was absolutely the right man for the job. He had, and continued to have through the entire process, a calm confidence that ultimately gave me the courage to fight for what was right and take the terrifying risk of turning down an unfair offer from the DA, and moving forward to testify before the grand jury as the "defendant." It was Mark's work ethic, meticulous attention to detail, responsiveness, and ability to prepare me as a witness that eventually lead to the grand jury dropping all charges against me and allowing me to go on with my life as a free man with a preserved reputation as a valuable member of society. Mark gave me the counsel and courage to, literally, save my own life…his most overwhelming characteristics being his sincere passion for justice, ability to create rapport, and the fact that he genuinely cared about not only me, but my family as well. I have walked out of the most frightening situation with not only my freedom, but a new found peace and a valued friend.

I was facing Grand Larceny charges! In addition, I work in Finance. Basically I was looking at a career ending charge... Prior to retaining Mark I met with three other lawyers in Manhattan all in the $8-15k retainer range (some included pre-trial, some didn't). Upon initial review of the four lawyers... I met, I liked Mark the least (as a person). The more I thought about my reasons for not liking him, the more I realized he posses all the characteristics of a good lawyer. Mark didn't promise me to move mountains and spin heads, but he was simple, direct, and had a chip on his shoulder (which I ultimately liked). Also, Mark was actually a DA in Manhattan at one time as well... Putting together all the facts, I confided in Mark's ability and relationships (to work the state enough to make them prove their case against me). Mark delivered. I walked away from the case with $12-15k less (retainer, bond, etc), but it was well worth it considering I received no charges or probation. If your considering Mark as your attorney I suggest meeting him and his colleague and going from there.