Getting justice for the little guy
It's part of what Michael A. Freeman '87 does for a living. Because of some high-profile million-dollar victories, clients and non-clients have been seeking the Harpur graduate's expertise.
 Freeman has served as keynote speaker on environmental law panels. News media, such as the Elmira Star-Gazette, seek his perspectives on environmental cases. In addition, he's parlayed his success into starting his own practice in New York City, which, he says, has thrived for more than three years.
It doesn't hurt when you can show prospective clients that you've taken on the big guns and walked out victorious. Freeman says one example of that is a case against the Long Island Rail Road, in which he won $1.2 million for a client whose property was contaminated by a locomotive that crashed and leaked fuel. An appeals court affirmed that award.
"It was definitely a David-and-Goliath type of situation," Freeman said. "[Fortunately], the spill laws in New York are very favorable to individual property owners. It was very gratifying to go after a large entity like that and deliver great results for my client. [The railroad case] is great for marketing and gives me confidence when speaking to someone. I know I can handle the case from beginning to end."
Another example of handling a case from beginning to end: he recovered millions of dollars in damages on behalf of a gasoline station owner against an environmental remediation firm that tried to cover up its failure to clean underground contamination, which had migrated under a residential neighborhood and elementary school.
The Brooklyn Law School alumnus says he's fortunate that his line of work gives him the chance to make the world safer by enforcing laws that protect the environment. He can be reached at maf@freemanlawyer.com.
|
