A History of David J. Dean Esq.’s Long and Successful Career
March 22, 2023 in Blog
Originally from Chicago, David moved to New York with his family as a child and spent most of his life on Long Island. He now lives in Manhattan with his wife. His love of the law started at only five years old. While he doesn’t remember what prompted him to know the career was a proper fit, he said the idea of accomplishing good for people and the challenge of being a trial attorney was always appealing.
“I never wanted to be a lawyer that sat at a desk and made important decisions about corporations,” he says. “I always wanted to be in a courtroom and thought the way to be in the courtroom was to do personal injury work.” It’s a skill he’s been able to fine-tune over the past 25 years at New York-based Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C., first as an associate attorney and today as a member of the firm.
An Extensive Track Record
Throughout his extensive career at Sullivan Papain, David has tackled many complex cases, including some of the firm’s most significant and often most challenging issues. From being the chief trial counsel for the plaintiffs in the Agent Orange class action lawsuit to representing more than 2 million Vietnam veterans in their claims against seven chemical companies, clients have trusted David with numerous high-profile cases to obtain significant settlements in the plaintiffs’ favor.
“I’m not ready for any case of mine to be a highlight of my career, but I have worked on challenging cases, and probably the most challenging is the Agent Orange case,” says David.
Below, we highlight a few of these cases.
David J. Dean, Esq.’s History of Challenging Multi-million Dollar Settlements
- Won a $92 Million verdict against the city of New York on behalf of a victim of excessive police force.
- Obtained a verdict against the Transit Authority for $28.5 million for a woman whose leg was severely injured when she was struck by a train.
- Won a $25 million verdict for a laborer injured at a worksite.
- Received a $24.5 million verdict for a man who tripped on the stairs of an apartment building, causing him to become a paraplegic.
- Received a $19.1 million verdict for a man whose hand was caught in a closing train door.
- Obtained many multiple million-dollar verdicts in a number of different types of medical malpractice cases.
‘A Good Guy’ First, Life Changing Lawyer Second
When asked what he would like to be remembered for, David says that while he is proud of his law career and hopes that his trial skills were evident, he would really like people to recall him being ‘a good guy’ who loves his family and fights for his clients.
“I have no desire to be known for a particular case,” David says. “I want to be known as good guy, someone who cares about the profession and cares about his associates and adversaries— a good trial lawyer who didn’t harm people and respected people.”
As he keeps on in the career that he makes clear he has no plan to leave anytime soon, he says he plans to continue helping innocent people, particularly those who have been denied by other firms. In many of the cases he ends up trying, the client has already been declined by other firms because they didn’t think the case was likely to result in a settlement. However, he says getting a win through extraordinary and exceptional quality representation for a client is incredibly fulfilling.
“Settlements are life-changing for plaintiffs,” says David. “[As an attorney,] you feel that you change someone’s life and [get] a sense of accomplishment— especially in death cases. It helps people’s families.”
About The Firm
As a full-service personal injury firm, Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo, P.C. specializes in all areas of personal injury. Our dedicated litigation support teams diligently and vigorously represent clients, including matters related to 9/11-related illness, personal injury, car accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, and firefighter law across New York City, Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk counties, and New Jersey. Contact us today to learn more about our firm or schedule a consultation with an attorney.
Learn More About David J. Dean
David J. Dean is a senior trial attorney focusing on litigation, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and plaintiff personal injury. His work has resulted in several multi-million dollar settlements. To learn more about partner David Dean, click here.