Here’s why I count on the Daily News. One day it’ll tell me that the new owner of the renowned Chelsea Hotel, Joseph Chetrit, is trying to clear the place of all old tenants (including, presumably, its ghosts). And then a few days later, it’ll do a gossip-page piece as a follow-up, naming the famous tenants who are being faced with eviction, here: Chelsea Hotel tries to evict high-profile celebs like Susanne Bartsch and David Barton – NY Daily News.
Buried in the famous names is the lawyer retained by the Chelsea residents to defend their rights. He is Samuel Himmelstein. He should be called “famous” and “legendary.”
Sam Himmelstein and his firm have for years been prominent exclusively tenants’ rights lawyers in a city in which Donald Trump is a prominent landlord. Liz Donoghue, my lawyer in the Skush-O’Brien lawsuit, is one of Sam’s partners.
As I inch toward telling you how to find a lawyer, I’ll explain that one of the reasons I love Liz and her firm is its size. Size is going to be one of the criteria I suggest you employ in evaluating lawyers.
I’ll explain the strengths of small firms, sole practitioners and large firms, to help you decide with what sort of lawyer you’ll feel most comfortable.
Law firms are not socks. One size will not fit all.