The New York Law School community is thrilled to see E. Drew Britcher ’84 named one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Consumer Plaintiff Lawyers in America. Britcher, who serves as NYLS’s Alumni Association President, is a devoted champion of the School and a zealous advocate for his clients—whose lives he has dramatically changed with his representation.
“Drew Britcher is one of the first alums I met when I became Dean 11 years ago,” says Dean and President Anthony W. Crowell. “We became fast friends, and it is no surprise to me that he receives great recognition both for being an extraordinary lawyer and citizen. Drew’s great intelligence as a lawyer, and his civic conscience and generosity, are his stock-in-trade and the hallmark of true NYLS lawyer-leaders. It’s a privilege to work with, and learn from, him each day.”
“When you receive an honor like this from a publication with editorial investigation, it’s quite meaningful,” Britcher says. “Then, when I got to be interviewed for an article in Lawdragon, I was given the chance to highlight the obligation to give back. It’s nice to have recognition not just for a big verdict but also being able to talk about the things that success gives you the opportunity to do in our communities.”
Britcher is a co-founder of Britcher, Leone & Sergio, which is approaching its 25th year, and he is a force in the area of medical negligence and personal injury law. He developed a passion for the field early in his career during a clerkship at a medical malpractice firm and during his time participating in mock trial while at NYLS. Almost three decades later, his work has garnered an impressive list of awards and netted his clients millions of dollars in settlements, dramatically altering and improving the lives of vulnerable people facing untenable circumstances.
Beyond his critical lawyering work, Britcher is deeply committed to supporting his wider community. He was a founding member of the Board of Trial Lawyers Care, where he both provided pro bono representation to 9/11 victims and their families and helped organize and train other lawyers to do the same. What’s more: He also works with the Interfaith Food Pantry, Youth Consultation Service Foundation, Jersey Battered Women’s Service, and the Morris County Youth Shelter.
Community care has long been a part of Britcher’s life, starting with his work for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City when he was a student at NYLS. It became an integral part of his family life, which included cooking trays of lasagna and soup concentrate for a local soup kitchen. Now, his firm’s work producing medical literature collections allows for even more philanthropic work, including buying holiday presents for foster children each year.
The dedication to giving back is a natural fit, Britcher says, given that his practice is built on helping people. One client at a time, he can help people who have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges rebuild their lives.
As NYLS’s Alumni Association President, Britcher works to foster our alumni’s sense of camaraderie and community. This year, he spoke at our 131st Commencement Exercises to welcome our graduates to the alumni ranks.
“I love every minute of it,” Britcher says, of his work with the Alumni Association. His goal is to instill the same sense of pride in our School that undergraduate institutions elicit from their alumni: He wants the NYLS community showing their pride out in the world (and worked with our School store to develop work-appropriate items for our alumni), and is even considering a networking event featuring a tailgate for alumni—regardless of the fact that our School doesn’t have any sports teams. “It’s an opportunity to create enthusiasm,” he says. “I’m trying at all times to create that opportunity for people to show their pride and to help the students coming after us succeed.”
NYLS congratulates Britcher on this phenomenal recognition and his decades of achievement.