Joel B. Schechter
Joel Schechter is a partner and practices in the areas of trucking industry defense litigation, insurance defense litigation, and insurance coverage law. He is the chairman of the firm's insurance and trucking defense practice groups.
He began his career as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting rackets cases in Suffolk County, New York. He went on to become an associate counsel to a New York City firm representing the New York City Patrolman’s Benevolent Association. In connection thereto, he represented police officers throughout the New York City Metropolitan area in disciplinary and grand jury proceedings.
Mr. Schechter began his practice in Western New York in 1987. He represents national clients throughout Western and Upstate New York. His practice encompasses complex litigation matters for the trucking and insurance industries. He is the President-Elect of and a member of the Board of Directors of the Trucking Industry Defense Association (www.tida.org) as well as the Chair of its Canadian Relations Committee. Mr. Schechter has a unique knowledge of the legal issues involved in defending trucking industry cases. He is also a member of the Ontario Trucking Association, Transportation Lawyers Association, Canadian Transportation Lawyers Association, New York State Motor Truck Association and the Defense Research Institute.
Mr. Schechter represents national general liability carriers in the defense of their insureds in diverse actions such as products liability, toxic torts, workplace accidents, auto and general liability. He has represented major general liability insurance carriers in Western New York for over twenty years.
Mr. Schechter represents restaurant and retail establishments in the defense of liability claims. He is a member of the National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association.
Mr. Schechter also practices in the area of mediation and arbitration. He is a trained mediator with over thirty years of civil litigation experience. He offers mediation and arbitration services to members of the bar and the insurance industry. He provides full mediation facilities and flexible scheduling.
Education:
- State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D., 1978
- Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, B.S. in Accounting (cum laude), 1975
Admitted to Practice:
- United States District Court, Western (1987), Northern (2002), Southern (1979) and Eastern (1979) Districts of New York
- United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York, 1987
- State of New York, 1979
Professional Memberships:
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Trucking Industry Defense Association, President-Elect
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Chair of Canadian Relations Committee
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Transport Lawyers Association
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New York State Motor Truck Association
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Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
Practice Areas:
- Trucking & Transportation Law
- Insurance Defense Litigation
- Insurance Coverage Law
- Mediation & Arbitration
Speaking Engagements:
- Ontario Trucking Association, US Liability for Canadian Fleets - Toronto, Canada - November, 2007
- Ontario Trucking Association, Sleep Apnea in the Trucking Industry - Toronto, Canada - November, 2009
- National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association Update on the Law - Dallas, Texas - February, 2010
- Covenant Transportation/US Xpress Symposium on New York Law - Chattanooga, Tennessee - February, 2010
- Intact Insurance, Symposium on New York Law - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - June, 2010
- Harco National Insurance, Symposium on New York Law - Chicago, Illinois - January, 2011
- American Conference Institute's Trucking Litigation Program - Chicago, Illinois - April, 2011
- American Conference Institute's Second National Forum - Orlando, Florida - December 5, 2011
Email: jschechter@watsonbennett.com
