Executive Committee (Trial Lawyers)

Committee Members

Christian Soller, Chair

Hodgson Russ, LLP.

Christian is primarily a problem-solver, with an unyielding dedication to creatively and cost-effectively furthering his clients’ long-term business interests by guiding them in a manner that avoids risk and exposure. Those clients range from Fortune 500 and 1000 companies to small businesses and individuals, who serve a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution and supply, engineering, property and equipment leasing, insurance, construction, and pharmaceutical.

Christian counsels his clients on a broad spectrum of employer issues such as executive and equity compensation, employment agreements, partnership agreements, OSHA and Department of Labor issues, the enforceability of post-employment covenants, discrimination, harassment, salary disputes, and crisis management.

When necessary, Christian is an accomplished litigator and trial lawyer with more than 20 years of experience successfully representing his clients across the country. He has successfully tried numerous jury trials to verdict and in that context has earned a reputation for winning seemingly unwinnable cases. Christian concentrates his practice on a mix of business, employment and personal injury litigation, involving business tort, breach of contract and fraud allegations, coronavirus-related litigation (e.g., defending colleges, universities and other institutions against tuition, lodging and/or meal reimbursement claims, public nuisance claims, distance learning differential claims, etc.), construction litigation, professional malpractice, trade secret actions, wrongful death, high-exposure toxic tort litigation, products liability, construction and labor law litigation. These matters often involve “bet-the-company” stakes, death or catastrophic injuries.

Prior to joining Hodgson Russ, Christian was associated with O’Connor Redd Orlando LLP where he tried multiple civil cases to verdict. Before that, he tried criminal cases as an Assistant District Attorney in Orange County.

Angélicque M. Moreno, Esq., Vice-Chair

Avanzino & Moreno P.C., Attorneys at Law, Brooklyn, NY

Angélicque Moreno has been principal and partner at Avanzino & Moreno since 2008 in Brooklyn, NY. She focuses her practice on labor law and construction accidents, product liability, premises liability, negligent security, civil rights violation and automotive cases. She has honed her trial skills at several firms throughout New York and has successfully overseen hundreds of cases from their inception up to and including trial throughout her career.

Her understanding of the profound impact that accidents have upon individuals and their families, and her ability to translate legal concepts of fault and damages to a jury in “everyday” terms have allowed her to achieve substantial results for victims suffering from life altering injuries. To her credit, she has numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.

Ms. Moreno received a B.A. from Binghamton University in 1990 and a J.D. and from Northeastern University School of Law in 1993. She is very active in the legal community, most recently as President of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2019-2020) and sits on the Academy’s Judicial Screening Committee since 2014. She is also active in the leadership of the New York State Bar Association, the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, and the New York City Trial Lawyers’ Alliance.

She has lectured frequently on a variety of topics for the NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers, and has contributed to the Annual Update series for over ten years as a presenter and in recent years as co-author of the Labor Law section.

Brett D. French, Secretary

The French Firm, P.C., Colonie, NY

Brett D. French, Esq., serves in both private and in-house capacities as an attorney and trial lawyer, licensed to practice in the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the State of Florida.

In his private capacity, Brett is the founding attorney of The French Firm, P.C., a private law practice located in Colonie, New York, focused predominantly on civil and commercial litigation matters including construction litigation, personal injury litigation and corporate disputes.  Brett also represents companies and individuals with regard to regulatory and disciplinary investigations and hearings, such as professional licensing issues, as well as Title IX matters involving higher education institutions.  Brett litigates matters throughout New York, Massachusetts, and Florida, and also handles matter via pro hac vice status throughout the country.

In his in-house capacity, Brett serves as Counsel to the School Administrators Association of New York State, located in Albany, New York, where Brett provides legal advice to more than 20,000 public school administrators and officials throughout the State of New York, involving matters of New York Education Law, the Taylor Law, and various other employment/labor laws and polices.

Brett earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, in Syracuse, New York and his Bachelor of Arts at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts.

Brett is a lifelong resident of the Capital District of Upstate, New York.

Seth M. Rosner, Esq., Treasurer

Seth M. Rosner, P.C, Garden City, New York

Seth M. Rosner, Esq. of Seth M. Rosner, P.C., located in Garden City, N.Y., is a trial attorney representing individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals who find themselves involved in a lawsuit. A passionate and persistent litigator for over 25 years, Seth is no stranger to the courtroom, preparing every case as if it were going to trial, and working to ensure that his clients get the best possible resolution to their problems and are protected from harm. Using creative legal solutions tailored to the individual client and his or her situation, he is able to resolve many cases without the necessity for a trial, resulting in an early and favorable resolution. Seth takes pride in learning about his clients, their lives and their businesses, not only to better serve them in their legal concerns, but also so that he can help put them at ease and guide them through the difficult experience of litigation.

Seth received his J.D. in June 1996 from St. John’s Law School. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where he received a B. A. in Criminal Justice in December 1992 and an M.A. in Criminal Justice in July 1993. Seth is active in the legal community; he is a member of the NYSBA Trial Lawyers’ Section Executive Committee and a member of the NYSBA Committee on Mass Disaster Response.

Outside the courtroom, Seth lectures as a guest speaker in order to educate individuals and help businesses avoid situations that may result in a lawsuit. Since Superstorm Sandy, Seth has volunteered for over nine years with the Nassau County Bar Association providing assistance to individuals regarding issues involving FEMA assistance, flood and homeowner’s insurance policies, NY Rising awards, and contractor fraud. For his efforts, Seth was named as the NCBA Pro Bono Attorney of the Month for June 2014.

Working as a trial attorney has allowed Seth to utilize his legal skills in order to pursue his passion for helping people who desperately need assistance, so that they can rebuild their lives and businesses after suffering through a major tragedy.