Powers & Santola, LLP

Powers & Santola earned its reputation as one of the nation’s pre-eminent law firms by simply refusing to represent too many clients. The firm accepts retainers from less than 10 percent of the people who contact it.

“When we agree to represent someone, we make a commitment that our services will fundamentally change that person’s life for the better,” Dan Santola says, explaining why the firm adopted its philosophy of exclusivity. “You can’t make that commitment meaningful if you accept too many clients or accept clients with cases that lack substantial merit.”

Attorney Patrick Higgins agrees. “To achieve excellence takes more than talent and dedication,” he says. “You need the time and resources necessary to focus on crafting a final result that fully addresses all of your client’s needs.”

“Winning is never enough—excellence is the only acceptable result,” John Powers says. “Excellence is only achieved when all the extraordinary needs of a seriously injured person are fully met. That’s why we chose to concentrate all of our skills to help a limited number of very seriously injured people.”

The firm’s “winning is never enough” philosophy has proven successful. Despite the firm’s refusal to accept 90 percent of the potential clients who want to retain its lawyers, and its decision to practice primarily in the small cities and rural counties of upstate New York, the firm has successfully recovered nearly a half-billion dollars in compensation for its individual clients.

For more than 20 years, their peers have repeatedly selected founding partners Powers and Santola for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, and they are listed in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. The firm is proud to have the duo, together with partner Patrick Higgins, named to the New York Super Lawyers® list.

Together with John Fisher, Tim Higgins and Laura Jordan, the firm represents people who have been severely injured due to medical and hospital malpractice; cerebral palsy and brachial plexus (Erb’s) palsy; construction accidents; prescription medications; defective products; and aircraft, railroad, truck and motor-vehicle accidents. Patrick Higgins also practices environmental litigation. Professor Michael Hutter of Albany Law School serves as special counsel to the firm, and Margie Soehl, who is admitted as an attorney in Ecuador, recently joined the firm to enhance the level of its services to the Hispanic community.