Florina  Altshiler

Florina Altshiler

Offices: Buffalo, New York
Partner

Florina Altshiler is the lead trial attorney and a partner with the Buffalo, NY office of Russo & Gould LLP, where she specializes in the defense of large loss casualty matters. Her practice also includes medical malpractice, construction liability, general negligence law and criminal defense.

Florina served as a prosecutor for the State of Alaska, where she handled the prosecution of all levels of crime through jury trial. She successfully prosecuted dozens of cases through verdict, including violent felonies and sexual assault. During her time in the Special Assaults Unit, she focused on felony-level crimes against children and sex crimes as well as homicides.

An adjunct law professor at Columbia and SUNY Buffalo, Florina has been named to Lawline's Top Women Faculty list several times.

Education
St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 2005
Binghamton University, International Studies Certificate., 2003
Binghamton University, B.A., Psychology, 2002
Experience
Florina has over 15 years experience practicing litigation: criminal prosecution; civil defense and plaintiffs' side; the defense of complex medical malpractice cases and all aspects of insurance claims, including premises liability and automobile and construction accident litigation.
Additionally, she has served as a judge at national and state level mock trial competitions for high schools, colleges, and law schools. She continues to serve as an arbitrator for the Civil Court of the City of New York and is also a Certified Federal Mediator for the Western District of NY. She also teaches Continuing Legal Education courses through the Defense Research Institute, the Erie County Bar Association, ClearLaw, Lawline, Defense Trial Lawyers Association and the NYS Women's Bar Association on topics including litigation and trial technique.
Admissions
Alaska State Bar
New Jersey State Bar
New York State Bar
Pennsylvania State Bar
United States District Court, Northern District of New York
United States District Court, Southern District of New York
United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
United States District Court, Western District of New York
Honors
Alaska State Legislature Citation

Dr. Thomas C. Beneventano Award for Legal Medicine

Rosenberg Scholar, St. John's School of Law

Institutional Merit Scholar, St. John's School of Law

2004 CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Criminal Trial Advocacy

U.S. President's Student Service Award for Outstanding Service to America

United Hospital Fund's Student Achievement Award

Rosefsky Language and Culture Scholar, Binghamton University

Semi-Finalist, Intel National Science Talent Search

Salomon Smith Barney Quality of Life Research Competition

New York City Hall Commendation for Research

Lawline's Top Women Faculty List - 2020, 2019, 2016
Memberships
Erie County Bar Association
National Ski Patrol
North Buffalo Organization, Board Member
New York Legal Assistance Group, Associate Board Member
Crisis Center, Rape Crisis Counselor
​Federal Mediator Western District of New York Panel

News Insights

December 5, 2022

Russo & Gould Article on Exposure and Pitfalls for Contractors, Owners, and Subcontractors

Russo & Gould recently published an article in Building Western New York, the official publication of the Construction Exchange of Buffalo & WNY, Inc., entitled "Russo & Gould LLP Provides Overview of Exposure and Pitfalls for Contractors, Owners, and Subcontractors." The article discussed the legal and financial burdens that New York''s rigid labor laws can place on owners and general contractors when accidents occur on job sites, offering several suggestions for protecting against financial liability exposure.

September 27, 2022

NYPL Section 265.03(3), Criminalizing the Possession of a Weapon, is Unconstitutional. Here's How Defense Attorneys Can Fire Back.

Buffalo Police pull a vehicle over. The license plate is out of state. Officers approach and inform three African Americans inside a turn signal was missed. The driver has a prominent neck tattoo. He presents his Learner's Permit. The front-seat passenger, his girlfriend, presents her driver's license and paperwork for the just-purchased, out-of-state vehicle. The officers walk back to their patrol car. On a body camera, one officer can be heard saying, "They have a gun. I just know it. We need a reason to search." Quickly, an officer realizes that the young lady's driver's license is expired, making the learner's permit insufficient. "Yes, we got 'em," exclaims an officer. "We have our reason to search."

September 20, 2021

Florina Altshiler Article Published in Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law

Florina Altshiler''s article, entitled "Employing Generally Accepted Scientific Principles to Address False Eyewitness Testimony Through Trial," Appears in the 2021 Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law.