Richard D. Winkler is a founding partner at Winkler Kurtz, LLP with over 30 years of expertise to offer his clients. Concentrating his entire career in the area of personal injury law, Rich understands that his clients have a choice when they hire an attorney on Long Island, and it’s his goal to make everyone who walks into his office a “client for life.”
Rich’s successful practice stems from his motivation to advocate for individuals who have been wrongfully injured, developing valuable relationships with his clients along the way. He believes the most important step in a case is the “initial consultation.” Each first meeting is handled personally and Rich makes sure that his clients understand their rights, the legal process, and most importantly, how the client’s losses are measured.
Rich’s goal is to give clients 100% of the financial resources to get them back on their feet after an injury. When he receives a call that a life-altering accident has occurred, his team aggressively investigates the case and pursues all available benefits for his clients. In addition to maximizing the damages that an insurance company or corporation pay to his client, Rich and his team also pursue temporary benefits such as no-fault wage loss, medical payments, workers compensation, and disability benefits that help financially support an individual during recovery.
Since 2013, Rich has had the distinction of being named a New York Metro “Super Lawyer” in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury law, an honor bestowed upon less than 5% of attorneys in his field. He has received an Award of Merit from the Suffolk County Bar Association for chairing a task force to review recommendations for promoting “client satisfaction” and was also voted “Boss of the Year” by the Suffolk County Legal Secretaries Association. Additionally, Rich is a life member of the “Million Dollar Advocates Forum” and the “Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum,” an honor given only to attorneys who have recovered multi-million dollar awards for their clients.
As an accomplished attorney, Rich participates in several professional organizations outside of the firm. He is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association of Justice (formerly ATLA), as well as an active member of the Grievance Committee of the Suffolk County Bar Association which investigates attorney misconduct. In 2009, Rich was selected to judge the Suffolk County Finals of the New York State High School Mock Trial Tournament, following years as a coach of the Miller Place High School Mock Trial Team.
Rich is admitted to practice law in New York and California. After graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland in 1978, Rich relocated to Los Angeles where he received his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University in 1981. After two years of practicing law on the West Coast, Rich returned to New York where he was admitted to the Bar in 1983.