Edward W. McClenathan

The circumstances: My ex was charged with neglecting our child for allowing her abusive ex boyfriend to routinely strike our child and leave marks on his body, including the face. Our child, who routinely visited me on weekends and during the week. Every report to the court was that our child receive...d nothing but outstanding care with me, including providing a living and nurturing environment where our little one was thriving. I have never been charged with a crime, never had CPS trouble, never accused of having done one single thing that would suggest my home was anything other than a better and safer place for our child. The problem: Ed was never prepared for the appearances and lacked a fundamental understanding of the law. He was consistently outperformed by opposing counsel, an assigned public defender, my ex’s free and obviously overburdened attorney. That attorney consistently and effectively made arguments to the judge that received vastly more consideration and respect than Ed was capable of making. Ed’s arguments were largely ignored by the judge, at one point receiving an actual eye roll from the court and comment regarding his mistakes in his interpretations of the issues. There was an instance when Ed would argue facts that were from some other case he was working on and the judge had to reprimand him for unpreparedness. In short, opposing counsel ran circles around him. Further, he always failed to contact me before court appearances and would not return any of my phone calls which were only occasional, about once per week. As a result, he knew nothing about the present circumstances of the case. It was truly amazing… in the worst possible way. RESULT: I retained new counsel who did win my case in the ensuing custody trial. My child lingered in another less suitable environment unnecessarily and that enormous error was only corrected once I retained an obviously superior advocate. USE YOUR MONEY WISELY, HIRE SOMEONE ELSE.

Narcissistic! Is the best way to describe Mr Edward W. McClenathan. There was a red flag at first when I saw that Ed was licensed to practice law in NY state for only the past few years. He is much older then the average college graduate that takes the bar exam. When we met at first he appeared pro...fessional like an attorney from the past wearing suspenders to hold up his trousers. His office at the time was in a store front formerly a drug store and it did not have a professional atmosphere. He had an associate wearing jeans that was suppose to be a lawyer also. He approached me to barter his services for a vehicle that he desperately needed. I agreed reluctantly to pay for services with my vehicle before completion of the documents. He drew up the items we discussed for services on a napkin or similar piece of paper. I was not asked to sign or did not receive a copy of his agreement. I gladly gave him possession of my vehicle for his services of payment. That was the end of it. After filing a complaint with the NY state attorney grievance committee a few months later they issued a "Letter Of Caution" to him.

Ed McClenathan is hands down the best lawyer I have worked with. I hired Ed after I had just finished up a messy divorce that took over two years because I could literally not get a hold of my lawyer for months at a time. When it finally was finalized I found myself with three different summonses o...n my hands immediately for custody, support and even trying to get a restraining order against my own children. All of these were ridiculous but I was worried because I couldn't track down my lawyer to even ask her about the situation. A friend recommended Ed and I had a meeting with him and retained him. Within a month all three cases that my ex had filed against me were literally thrown out of court. Ed took time to listen to what I had to say, looked at the cases and told me what he thought would happen come court day. For each one it was as if he knew exactly what was going to happen. It is apparent that he knows his way around the courtroom and is great at what he does. I think one of the most impressive things about Ed is his reputation among his colleagues. The first day I showed up to court with him the security guard went out of her way to tell me how good my lawyer was. I was a little taken aback because I just wasn't expecting something like that. Then the child advocate that was assigned to my case told me almost the exact same thing. They told me that I had an amazing lawyer. The fact that Ed took, and was engaged in, my case gave me instant credibility because of the reputation he has in his field. The other area that stands out is his responsiveness. I can actually get my lawyer on the phone. Anyone who has dealt with a lawyer for pretty much anything knows how big a deal this is. Even at times where Ed was tied up in court he found time to write me a quick e-mail and assured me he would give me a call or write a response when he got more time later on. When I needed him he was there and in my experience that is not normal for a lawyer. There is no point in having a good lawyer, if you can’t ever get a hold of them. Ed also encouraged me that things were going to get fixed and that I wouldn't have to live with these issues over my head all time. Each phone call or e-mail he told me to hang in there and we would get through this. It meant the world to me that he actually cared about my case. Ed is a rare combination of a bulldog in the courtroom and an actual human outside of it. I can’t thank him enough for how much he has helped me. I still think the legal system needs a whole bunch of work, but at least there are people like Ed who can actually help you navigate it.

Ed provided legal guidance for me when I purchased a rental housing unit. The house had been vacant for a number of years and had gone through various owners. It required extensive remodeling. Ed was very thorough to ensure that I would not be caught by some unforeseen, hidden expense that was att...ached to the property. Ed was available to meet whenever I needed help and never failed to return calls if I left a message. The closing happened on time and went very smoothly. I'd gladly recommend Ed to friends and family if they asked me for the name of a good lawyer.

Ed helped me through an ugly divorce. He has a very strong knowledge of the law and will fight hard for your interest. With every curve thrown at us he came up with a solid response. He was good at breaking down what we were up against and how it had to be handled. I hope to never need his service...s again!!