Russ Kofman

The saying "You get what you pay for" is definitely true when it comes to attorneys. After being assigned a Legal Aid attorney whose case load was so bloated he could never dedicate any time to actually building a personalized defense, I retained Russ Kofman. He and his team stuck with this case for ...over a year and well over a dozen adjournments during the retainer period, always ensuring that an associate from his office was in court for appearances. When the trial was finally scheduled, Russ clearly invested time and thought into building of a solid defense, one that resulted in not guilty verdicts on all three charges. Don't expect him to be in close or regular communication during the period after the consultation and before the trial, but trust that he knows the law and will construct and argue the best defense for your case. He is tenacious and committed and effective.

Imagine... having your hands forced behind your back. Handcuffs forced on your wrists. Pushed into the back of a police cruised. No rights read. No idea of whats going to happen. The freedoms that you take for granted stripped away from you in an instant. Sitting in a dungeon of a holding fac...ility. Seperated from the outside world, I had to make a phone call and I had to do it quick. I called my best friend and told him to get in touch with Russ Kofman quickly. The charges were bogus...but I knew that the judge wouldnt take my word for it. The cops said I was looking at a felony weapons possession. Real prison time. Russ sprung into action. He knew that each hour I spent in that holding facility was a torturous 60 minutes of uncertainty and fear. Russ knew the ins and outs of the court system better than anyone I had ever met. He was there first thing in the morning and told me not to worry. I was first to see the judge (while others waited indefinitely for a public defendant that couldnt care less). "All charges dismissed. Youre free to go" I wish we lived in a world where the facts spoke for themselves but we don't. You need a trustworthy attorney to communicate those facts for you. A competent lawyer makes the difference between going home to see your family or spending time in a cage. Time in your life that youll never get back. It was an easy decision for me. There is nothing that is worth my money more than my own freedom.

There are countless positive things I can say about Russ Kofman and his NYC law firm, Lebedin Kofman. However, the quality I most want to highlight about him as a lawyer is the personal obligation he assumes for you as soon as you hire him. He makes sure to prioritize you with respect to your needs..., requests and wishes, all the while still maintaining his own professionalism and ethical values. Although I have a list of perpetual compliments I can simply state, I’ll give a telling example instead which made me realize he was the obvious fit for my needs. I contacted Russ directly after having a domestic violence charge filed against me by my girlfriend at the time. For reasons I will not address here, after involving the law, she decided to also involve my school; we both attend a private professional school in NY that governs off-campus allegations of domestic violence as a part of their school policy. Because she was being so vindictive at the time, when divulging all relevant information to Russ during my initial consultation, I told him about how she was extremely petty, and how one week prior to filing these charges, she had requested me to buy her numerous material goods (totaling over 5000$), all of which I had receipts for. I told him in addition to defending me, I would like to be reimbursed for these items as well. After a brief moment of analysis, he told me to cut my losses short and not to respond to petty behavior with more petty behavior, especially since I am the one in question in the eyes of the law and my school. He told me I am facing far bigger losses than 5000$ if things don’t go my way here. I had a great deal of respect for Russ at this moment because I realized he was devising a tactical plan to resolve my situation, that was free from my emotions, subjectivity and naivety. Also, he took the chance of telling me something I did not want to hear at the moment, instead of placating me during the consultation to gain hire. After deliberating for a few days, I hired Russ later that week. Both the criminal and school cases required about 8 month of due process before conclusion, during which time Russ always directly responded to any question or inquiry I had via phone or in-person meetings, arranged to be present for court dates to get me out as soon as possible, and advised me on how to proceed for each step during these processes, all while handling any leg work required in the background. In the end, because of Russ, I ended up with no sanctions separating me from my school and he was able to get me a simple violation in regards to the law; no misdemeanor, no felony. Russ is a true professional who is intelligent, honest with his thoughts and knows how to work with people. And now, after going through the process, I understand these are the things one should seek when procuring a lawyer.