Peter Gerstenzang

I contacted Peter after being accused of a second DWI offense, which in New York State, is a felony and a certain career-ender, as I am an attorney. I remembered his name from a seminar I attended years ago that he was teaching for attorneys regarding DWI defense. Peter was immediately responsive a...nd advised me of the severity of the situation and my possible options. Moreover, he knew the district attorney and was familiar with all local courts and judges. Essentially, I was looking at possible jail time and likely disbarment. After extensive negotiations, I was afforded the opportunity to plead to a misdemeanor upon certain conditions. Among them was enrollment in the NYC Bar Association's Attorney Assistance Program, which aids lawyers with substance abuse or other problems. In addition, I agreed to wear an alcohol-sensing anklet for a year and attend AA meetings on a daily basis. I completed this program and was able to enter the reduced plea. I mention the above as I believe it was the first time ever that an offender in my situation was able to avoid a felony conviction without jail time, if at all. This I attribute to Peter's knowledge and creativity in suggesting and fashioning such an approach. Peter saved my career. I can fully recommend Peter and his firm (his son Joseph and associate Jim Davis were also of great help). As a final footnote, through Peter's sharp insistence and the Attorney Assistance Program, I was able to put alcohol behind me for good, and am grateful for the freedom that has bestowed upon me.

I called Peter's office on a Saturday afternoon. He met with me the next day, Sunday, and sat with me for at least an hour discussing my situation. I had been arrested for DWI and he completely explained my options and chances. Once we determined a course of action, he instructed me of several st...eps to take pre-trial, that resulted in smooth proceedings. When the court sent two errant tickets related to the incident several months later, I called Peter, who was out of town, and someone else from his practice took care of it immediately. Honest and effective lawyer.

I was charged with a DWI 4 months ago. The severity of this incident intensified due to the fact that I refused the breathalyzer test, there was also property damage and I have a CDL license. Initially, I was referred to an attorney in hopes that he would be able to help with these charges, but I w...as somewhat skeptical about the outcome. I decided to ask around to see if I could find another attorney who deals with similar cases like this (CDL/DWI). Luckily, I was referred to Peter Gerstenzang, Esq. (Super Lawyer) and his firm. I immediately called Mr. Gerstenzang and his reassurance made me feel like I still had a fighting chance! I must also commend his associate, James Davis, Esq., who represented me for my first appearance at the DMV for the refusal part. He was extremely supportive and did an amazing job! He is forever in my heart!! After the first step was complete, I now had to wait for the second part, criminal charges. On August 20th, I received a phone call from Mr. Gerstenzang explaining that the DA had no choice but to dismiss my case and drop all charges due to a loop-hole which was discovered by Mr. Gerstenzang's son, Joseph. (We thank you too)! My family and I cannot thank Mr. Gerstenzang and his team enough for their hard work, professionalism, and dedication throughout this process. I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for this A team. We will be forever grateful for everything you and your amazing team have done for us! Thank you!

Do you ever see those giant books lawyers reference when searching for ways to attack a case? Well these are the guys writing the go to books for New York DWI defense(not an exaggeration). I went to this firm and got a borderline Aggravated DWI completely dismissed. My lawyer from the firm was James ...Davis(I wrote an in depth review under his name) and he and the rest of the staff at Gerstenzang, O'Hern & Hickey are fantastic in every area of the defense game.

I hired Peter and the Gerstenzang Firm recently to represent me for a DWI charge. It is worth mentioning that I am a practicing attorney in New York, and while I do not handle criminal cases, I do have some experience working in the criminal justice system. Peter and his firm's reputation procee...ds itself. For that, and for other reasons, I knew that if I ever found myself in the unfortunate position of having been charged with a DWI, they would get the call. True to the plan, minutes after my arrest, the arresting officer was on the phone with Peter's associate (and son), Joe Gertenzang, who promptly invoked and preserved my rights for me, as I was in no shape to do so myself. He then conspicuously counseled me on my options regarding whether to submit to a breathalyzer, helped arrange for an advanced first appearance date, and actually convinced the arresting officer to drive me home later that night. Keep in mind, this was on a Friday night, well past "close of business." Early the next morning Peter called me personally, and was already fully aware of every pertinent detail of my case. He counseled me not only on my legal case, but also on the state of my health. It became clear at that point that Peter was not only an exceptionally competent attorney, he is a man who cares about the well-being of his clients. Despite my considerable protestation, Peter firmly suggested I "drop everything" and get myself into an inpatient rehab facility immediately, to address my issues with drinking and to demonstrate (to the Court , the DA, my family, etc.) that I was remorseful, taking my situation seriously, and committed to fixing the problem and making sure it wouldn't happen again. When I eventually saw the wisdom in the suggestion, Peter actually called the admissions office of a facility for me. Three weeks later, Peter and his son were both among the first people to reach out to me and see how I was doing. After I gave them the good news of my progress while at the facility, they set out to do what they do best. It also must be mentioned that my arrest involved property damage (my car went off the road in a snow storm) and a high BAC (above the aggravated limit). Shortly after my discharge, the firm had filed their motions with the DA's office and begun talking resolution. To my complete (albeit pleasant!) shock and amazement, within WEEKS the firm had a deal reached. Though I had blown a very high number and caused property damage, I was to plea to a DWAI! I can say unequivocally that probably 95% of DWI lawyers in New York could never have gotten that deal for me. I can also say, unequivocally, that probably 99% of DWI lawyers in New York could not have gotten that deal for me as quickly as they did. With my whole case basically wrapped up in 6 weeks, I was then free to focus on the important things, like getting my health, priorities and family life back on track. This is all because of the work Peter and the Gerstenzang firm put in on my behalf. I won't claim to know how they do what they do. I am certain that it is a combination of hard work, persistence, tireless advocacy, mastery of the subject matter, and making savvy use of a reputation/relationships handcrafted over 40+ years of practice. But there is another ingredient (akin to a magic wand) that I can't and won't bother trying to define. For as long as I practice, I will (without hesitation) refer all DWI cases to this firm.