About Us the Erb’s Palsy Law Firm
In New York and New Jersey
Founded in 1987, the law firm of Trief & Olk has tried numerous complex judge and jury trials in federal and state courts, and successfully continued representation through the appellate courts when necessary.
There is probably no greater endorsement of the caliber of Trief & Olk’s skills than the fact that law firms throughout New York and New Jersey not only refer cases to the firm, but actually hire Trief & Olk when they need a lawyer themselves.
Our reputation in legal circles is such that it is not uncommon for adversaries of Trief & Olk to recommend our firm. On occasion, our adversaries on prior cases have even hired us to represent them.
Birth Injuries
We are highly knowledgeable about Brachial Plexus Injuries, Erb’s Palsy, Shoulder Dystocia and the complications and quality of life issues that accompany these birth injuries.
We are also very caring attorneys. Although we are known for our litigation expertise, the in-depth analysis we give all our cases, and the level of time, energy, and due diligence we invest from the very beginning of each and every case, we are also known for the level of care and personal service we give each and every client.
About Our Birth Injury Attorneys
Trief & Olk takes a team approach to every case we accept. Every client has at least two – and sometimes more – attorneys staffing the case. Associates are never given responsibility for a case without the involvement of a partner. Our lawyer-to-case ratio is extremely high, thus assuring the degree of personal attention and thoroughness for which our firm is known.
Our attorneys are experienced litigators that have achieved consistently impressive results in New York and New Jersey. The Trief & Olk attorneys are:
- Ted Trief, JD 1976
- Barbara E. Olk, JD (Of Counsel) 1976
- Shelly L. Friedland, JD 1997
- Eyal Dror, JD 2007
Ted Trief
Ted Trief received his J.D. from Rutgers University Law School, graduating with honors in 1976. He received his B.A. in 1973 from State University of New York at New Paltz. He is a former Assistant D.A.
His notable successes have included securing the second largest bank overdraft settlement to date of $137.5 million, along with many seven-figure verdicts and settlements on behalf of consumers and injured clients in a broad array of class actions, insurance coverage disputes, and serious personal injury cases.
Practicing law for over 35 years, Mr. Trief is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association President’s Club, the NY State Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and its Committee on Mass Disasters Planning.
He was admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts and New York in January, 1977 and in New Jersey in November, 2000, and is certified to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York, the District Court of New Jersey; as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, 3rd Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Trief has been recognized in SuperLawyers in New York for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, Class Actions, and Insurance Coverage. He was also named a finalist for the Public Justice Foundation 2012 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award.
Barbara E. Olk (Retired)
Barbara Olk graduated from New York University Law School with a J.D. degree in June of 1976. Ms. Olk completed her B.A. degree in English and Political Science at the University of Rochester in 1973, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
She was admitted to the Massachusetts and New York Bars in 1977. (Ms. Olk has since retired from the Massachusetts Bar.) She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
She was a finalist for the Public Justice Foundation 2012 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for her work on Checking Account Overdraft Litigation.
Shelly L. Friedland
Ms. Friedland, who joined Trief & Olk in 2014, graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, and received her B.A. in economics from Columbia University, graduating summa cum laude.
Ms. Friedland has experience in a broad range of matters, including antitrust, securities, and consumer class actions, and general commercial litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. At Trief & Olk, Ms. Friedland has represented hourly employees in actions brought to enforce state and federal minimum wage laws, with a specific focus on enforcement of wage and hour regulations designed to protect tipped employees, who earn less than minimum wage. Ms. Friedland also represents both insureds and insurance brokers in litigation relating to insurance coverage disputes, including denial of coverage under life insurance and home owner’s insurance policies.
Ms. Friedland is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey and is certified to practice in several federal courts, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the District Court of New Jersey, the Eastern District of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First and Eighth Circuits. Ms. Friedland is a member of the American Bar Association and co-chaired the Emerging Issues Subcommittee for the Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee of the ABA’s Litigation Section.
Eyal Dror
Eyal Dror joined Trief & Olk in 2019. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he graduated a Kent Scholar in 2007, and, prior to that, earned his B.A. from Columbia University in three years.
In over a decade of practice, Mr. Dror has garnered extensive commercial litigation experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal cases as well as in arbitration proceedings. He has served as counsel to individuals, Fortune 500 corporations, and non-profit organizations and has successfully prosecuted multi-million dollar civil claims and defended against them. Mr. Dror’s practice has also included counseling professionals subject to investigation by government agencies and self-regulating organizations, including banking and financial services regulators.
Mr. Dror is admitted to practice law in New York and is certified to practice before the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
