
Peter J. Saghir
PartnerPeter has tried and co-tried numerous cases which have resulted in highly favorable verdicts including a $41.5 million verdict for the family of a New York City sanitation worker who was fatally run over by a street sweeper, and a $27.5 million verdict against the New York City Transit Authority in a case involving a pedestrian whose leg was amputated above the knee after she was struck and run over by a bus. He also prepared and co-tried a complex case against the City of New York and a construction company in which it was claimed the defendants negligently failed to warn traffic on the West Side Highway of a construction site in the roadway. This failure to warn resulted in catastrophic injuries to the plaintiff whom the defendants claimed was solely responsible for his accident. Following a lengthy and hotly contested trial, a Manhattan jury found the plaintiff completely free from fault and awarded him $7,125,000.
Peter prides himself on meticulously preparing every case for trial to ensure a successful verdict or, if appropriate, settlement. In September 2018, Peter obtained a record setting settlement of $27,500,000 against the Diocese of Brooklyn on behalf of four young boys who were sexually assaulted by a volunteer in a local Brooklyn church. The settlement, which was split equally among the four boys, is the largest settlement amount paid by the Catholic Church in the United States to one individual.
Peter describes his view of the job as follows: “I am humbled to be able to represent people who come to me at what is often the most difficult time in their lives. It is both an honor and a tremendous responsibility to meet them at their point of need and secure full and fair compensation for them because of their injuries.”
J.D., Brooklyn Law School, 2004
Cum laude
Dean’s Merit Scholarship
Moot Court Honor Society
CALI Excellence for Future Awards
Trial Advocacy and Securities Regulations
Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Fellowship
Journal of Law and Policy
B.F.A., New York University, 1994
Massachusetts, 2005
U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 2007
New York State Bar Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Peter assists Ben B. Rubinowitz in writing the “Trial Advocacy” column in the New York Law Journal.
- Cross Examination: Beyond Lead, Lead, Lead, New York Law Journal, September 19 2018
- Concurrent Surgery: In Whose Best Interest?, New York Law Journal, March 16 2018
- Confronting the Immigration Bias in Jury Selection, New York Law Journal, September 9 2017
- Exposing a Lie During Cross-Examination, New York Law Journal, July 14 2017
- Protecting Your Clients From Their Own Social Media, New York Law Journal, March 22 2017
Your proficiency, knowledge, along with the research of the massapequa waters, boating safety proved the recklessness of the driver; who didn’t protect us from danger.
Peter, during the deposition your questions/extrapolating the facts of defendant of prior accidents , lawsuits and what occurred the night of the boating accident were remarkable.
You took such a personal approach, understanding our situation with care and warmth for due diligence.
Our future was in your hands since our friend was reckless in ours.
Ben, we knew you were informed and interested in the case with a personal “touch"…that “touched" our hearts by taking on our case
You “wanted” this for us
When we were at the final hours of settling our case at the negotiating table
Each amount offered… you rejected
“we could do better”
You provided the negotiator with cases you researched that awarded larger sums.
To “sum” it up…
We put our trust into you and peter to secure our future without worries of the what ifs…
And for that…we are forever grateful
Fondly,
Susan and Bobby gottlieb
Mr Saghir and Mr Rubinowitz recently obtained a $4.6 million verdict for the husband of Marylin Dershowitz, a retired Manhattan Supreme Court special referee who was fatally struck by a postal truck. Her husband Nathan Dershowitz of Dershowitz, Eiger & Adelsonter recently sent the following thank you letter to Peter and Ben (click on the letter for full size)