Silver law firm ties raised in tort reform

ALBANY - Sheldon Silver's relationship with the Weitz & Luxenberg law firm began in a Lower East Side deli about a decade ago.

The Assembly speaker was waiting for a pastrami sandwich in the now-closed Grand Deli when Arthur Luxenberg walked in. They recognized each other from charity events and joked about who ordered more sandwiches from the Grand, Luxenberg recalled.

In 2002, when the law firm where Silver rented space for eight years disbanded, Silver called on Luxenberg. "He was looking for a new home," said Luxenberg, managing partner of the personal-injury firm. "We thought it would be a good fit."

Now, it's a relationship that has complicated negotiations around a new state ethics law. And it continues to draw fire from physician and insurance groups who say Silver uses his official position to protect a plaintiff-friendly system of laws from which he personally profits. Luxenberg, his nominal boss, is an officer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, which opposes most tort law changes.

"It's viewed as a potential conflict of interest," said Dr. Eugene Weise, a Manhattan ophthalmologist and a past president of the New York County Medical Society. "We would like to see more information about these outside positions, who the clients are and how much they derive from these positions."

A Silver aide, Sisa Moyo, said in a statement Friday that lawmakers are part-time and most hold private jobs. "Like many members, Speaker Silver maintains an outside law practice that consists of representing individual claimants in personal injury actions. His clients have no business with the state nor does he represent them in any litigation against the state," Moyo said.

Silver refers "less than 20" clients a year to the firm from his Lower East Side district, said Luxenberg, adding the firm has no cases "that would be in conflict with Speaker Silver with his role in the New York State legislature." A Newsday review of state records turned up no Weitz & Luxenberg business clients with state contracts.