Rhonda Kay came to Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom & Rubinowitz in 1992 from the Appellate Division, Second Department, where she was a senior court attorney. Often referred to as the “law person,” Ms. Kay’s forte is legal research, analysis and writing. Ms. Kay’s insights into what is necessary to support or defend a particular legal argument that she gained from her prior training with the justices at the Appellate Division has rendered her uniquely qualified as the firm’s specialist in appellate practice. Since joining the firm, she has prepared and argued appeals in all four departments of the Appellate Division, as well as the state Court of Appeals.
As a law person, Ms. Kay gets involved in every stage of the litigation process—from evaluating a prospective case through discovery, trial, and appeal. Because of her keen ability to research and analyze complex legal issues, Ms. Kay is often called upon to prepare and argue pre- and post-trial motions, as well as trial memorandum. In one instance, her talent for persuasive writing convinced a judge to set aside a jury verdict for future pain and suffering in the amount of $300,000 and increase that award to $2 million. On several occasions, Ms. Kay’s expert ability to argue the application of a given set of facts to governing law secured a favorable judgment by the mere making of a motion, which was thereafter affirmed on appeal, thereby eliminating the need for a liability trial.
