Lecturer Bios
Robert Kelner, Esq.
Mr. Kelner graduated from Columbia University School of Law, and is a member of the
Bar of the State of New York. He is admitted to the United States District Court,
Southern and Eastern Districts.
Currently, Mr. Kelner is a member of the law firm Kelner
& Kelner, Esqs., specializing in the practice of personal injury, medical malpractice and
products liability law. He has obtained many verdicts in excess of $10,000,000, including
one verdict of approximately $23,000,000 (Martin v. Dellwood) and one verdict in excess
of $36,000,000 (Driscoll v. New York City Transit Authority).
Mr. Kelner has lectured
before virtually all major bar associations in Continuing Legal Education Programs,
including, but not limited to, the New York State Bar Association, New York State Trial
Lawyers Association, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the New York
County Lawyers’ Association, where he is Co-chair of the annual Civil Trial Practice
Institute.
In addition, he lectured at Princeton University and Columbia University School
of Law. Mr. Kelner is the author of numerous publications and serves as co-columnist of
the New York Law Journal’s monthly column on Trial Practice.
Alfredo J. Alvarado, Esq.
Mr. Alvarado is a Partner who is based in the firm's New York City office. His practice concentrates on complex cases, products liability, professional liability, construction/labor law cases, general liability, and motor carrier and automobile liability. He has 26 years of extensive experience in the representation of companies and individuals in high exposure cases in both State and Federal Courts in both New York and New Jersey. Mr. Alvarado has lectured
extensively on trial preparation, defending traumatic brain injury cases, Frye and Daubert standards in New York, role of excess monitoring counsel, defending Labor Law Claims and jury selection. Mr. Alvarado is a 1987 graduate from Tulane University where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors, and a 1990 graduate of the Tulane University Law School where he received Order of the Barristers Award for his skills in oral advocacy. Mr. Alvarado has been selected for inclusion in the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 New York Super
Lawyers.
Diana Florence, Esq.
Diana Florence is the Attorney-in-Charge of the Manhattan District Attorney's Construction Fraud Task Force in which she collaborates with major city, state and federal agencies in order to more effectively target fraud and corruption within the construction industry. She has been a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for over 20 years and has won awards for her large-scale, industry wide prosecutions. Ms. Florence, who has successfully taken over 70 cases to jury trial, achieved an industry-changing victory in the high-profile case of People v. Kancharla where the executives of the largest materials testing company in the tristate area were convicted after trial of racketeering and enterprise corruption and sent to state prison. She is also the co-author of a 2014, New York County Grand Jury report on Minority and Women Business Enterprise fraud. Most recently, she obtained homicide convictions against two supervisors and two corporate defendants, a general contractor/construction manager and superstructure subcontractor, for the death of a laborer on its multi-million dollar construction site, one of the first convictions of its kind in New York. Diana graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Art History and Spanish in 1992, and a JD in 1995. She has taught trial advocacy for over 20 years to lawyers in the DA’s Office and has lectured investigators and lawyers from around the world on topics ranging from interagency cooperation to prosecuting fraud, racketeering and workplace homicide in the construction industry. She is a tireless advocate of workplace safety and security for all construction workers but especially undocumented immigrants who are at most a risk for injury or death.
Sanford Talkin, Esq.
Sanford "Sam" Talkin began his legal career as a prosecutor in New York City. As an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, he handled serious felony matters including murder, assault, robbery and grand larceny. In 1996, he left the District Attorney's Office to enter private practice. Since that time, he has provided aggressive and personalized representation to individuals charged with crimes in federal courts throughout the United States and local courts throughout the State of New York.
In the federal courts, Sam Talkin has represented, and tried cases for, individuals charged with murders for which the Government was seeking the death penalty, international espionage, violations of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws, major national and international narcotics crimes, wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, labor benefits and construction fraud, money laundering and numerous serious other crimes. In the New York State courts, he has tried matters all over the state ranging from murder to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Sam has also successfully briefed and argued appeals in the United States Court of Appeals and in the New York State appellate courts.
WTC Clsoing Sam TalkingSam, and Talkin, Muccigrosso & Roberts, have represented numerous corporations, companies and individuals that were the subject of an investigation by law enforcement and/or regulatory and investigative agencies such as the Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and Homeland Security. Sam has also defended corporations and individuals in civil RICO and civil rights violations lawsuits.
Not only have many of the high profile cases handled by Sam Talkin been covered by the New York newspapers and television news, he has appeared as a legal commentator on Court TV (now Tru TV) and major network and cable news programs. Additionally, Sam has lectured to members of the bar on federal criminal practice. He has also guest lectured to students at Fordham Law School, New York Law School and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Sam graduated from the McDonogh School before receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia. He obtained his juris doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is admitted to the state bars in New York and Maryland as well as United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, and the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He resides on Long Island with his wife and two children.
