Bio
Background and Path to the Practice of Law

Bryan Brockington

Attorney

Attorney Bryan Brockington represents clients in personal injury cases, civil litigation, criminal defense, and family matters. He prides himself on being a good listener, often helping clients who feel like they have not been heard by other attorneys. With each case he handles, Bryan tries to slow down and really understand a prospective client’s situation. He views every one of his cases as a problem to solve rather than as a piece of litigation.

Bryan places a significant emphasis on preparing clients for the various stages of the legal process and on developing meaningful professional relationships with every individual he represents. He says:

“You can’t win a case at deposition, but you can lose it. Preparing the plaintiff is key.”

Connecting with clients is the key to success for Bryan, whether he is handling a personal injury case, criminal matter, or family matter. He says:

“I try to listen to my clients. People often don’t know what to do or what is going to happen from a legal standpoint. If you listen, you’ll hear what the issue is and understand the strategy. It’s vital to pay attention. Being a lawyer is not just talking, it’s listening”

Bryan understands his clients because he’s been through a difficult legal custody battle on his own. He knows what it is like to be a single parent fighting for his time with his child. He has a phenomenal relationship with his son because of it. He went to war, and he has the scars to prove it.

Background and Path to the Practice of Law

Bryan has been practicing law for two decades and has been with the Mandel Law Firm for the past two years. Bryan was first inspired to pursue a career in law after an undergraduate professor remarked that he would make a good attorney and encouraged him to take the LSAT. Although he started out as an engineering major at The City College of New York, Bryan Brockington took his professor’s advice, scored well on the LSAT, and then attended law school at the University of Buffalo.

During law school, Bryan worked for a small firm but began working in insurance defense at Progressive after graduating. From there, he was headhunted to AIG’s toxic torts division. After his time at AIG, he relocated from New York to Maryland, where he worked handling auto claims at Hertz.

During his time at Hertz, he handled two specific cases that inspired him to switch sides and return to representing plaintiffs. One case involved well-known rollover litigation between Ford and Firestone in the early 2000s. The case gave Bryan critical insight into how large companies approach the claims process, as did another major case involving Chrysler’s 15-passenger vans, which were notoriously vulnerable to fishtailing and rollover accidents.

When Bryan returned to New York, he took the lessons he learned as an insurance defense attorney and used that knowledge to his advantage when representing plaintiffs. Unlike attorneys who haven’t worked on both sides, Bryan understands what insurance companies value, having been behind the curtain himself. The chief lessons he learned in insurance defense was the importance of trying to work with insurance companies to come to an agreement and how to negotiate claims in a way that yields the highest possible reward.

Speaking of rewards, Bryan finds his in the responses of his clients. High points included receiving a client’s gratitude after a particularly difficult case and another client’s declaration that Bryan had saved his life.

In his spare time, Bryan likes to listen to music and spend time with his son. He’s also a major car enthusiast who enjoys Formula One and is a lifelong Yankees fan.

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