Insurance Litigation Attorneys & Lawyers

New York & New Jersey

The law firm of Trief & Olk, founded in 1987, consists of experienced litigation attorneys. During the course of our practice, we have had to litigate many claims in which insurance companies have denied life insurance claims to bereaved family members. We have settled life insurance denial claims. We also have brought claims to trial and through the appeals process. Consequently, we have developed experience in this area of law.

Trief & Olk has a reputation in legal circles as a top notch litigation firm. In fact, because of our success, we often receive referrals from law firms we have litigated against.

About Our Attorneys

Trief & Olk takes a team approach to every case we accept. Every client has at least two - and sometimes more - senior attorneys staffing the case. Associates are never given responsibility for a case without the involvement of one or more partners. Our lawyer-to-case ratio is extremely high, thus assuring the degree of personal attention and thoroughness for which our firm is known.

Our attorneys are litigators that have achieved consistently high results in New York and New Jersey. The Trief & Olk partners are:

• Ted Trief, JD 1976
• Barbara E. Olk, JD (Of Counsel) 1976
• Jordan Rutsky, JD 2004
• Matthew Wojtkowiak, JD (Of Counsel) 1996
• Stan Gutgarts, JD 2011

Ted Trief

Ted Trief received his J.D. from Rutgers University Law School, graduating with honors in 1976. He received his B.A. in 1973 from State University of New York at New Paltz. He is a former Assistant D.A.

Practicing law for over 29 years, Mr. Trief is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association President's Club, the NY State Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and its Committee on Mass Disasters Planning.

He was admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts and New York in January, 1977 and in New Jersey in November, 2000, and is certified to practice before these U.S. District Courts: USDC/SDNY; USDC/EDNY; USDC/NDNY; USDC/NJ; as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and the United States Supreme Court

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Barbara E. Olk (Of Counsel)

Barbara Olk graduated from New York University Law School with a J.D. degree in June of 1976.

Ms. Olk completed her B.A. degree in English and Political Science at the University of Rochester in 1973, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Admitted to the Massachusetts and New York Bars in 1977, Ms. Olk is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and is admitted to practice before these U.S. District Courts: USDC/SDNY; USDC/EDNY; USDC/NDNY, and before the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court.

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Jordan Rutsky, JD

Jordan Rutsky received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2004. He received his B.S. and B.A. in the fields of Business Finance and Political Science, respectively, in 2001 from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he graduated with honors and the President’s Disparate Majors Award. Mr. Rutsky is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey and is certified to practice in several federal courts, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the District Court of New Jersey. Mr. Rutsky is also a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

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Matthew Wojtkowiak, JD (Of Counsel)

Matthew Wojtkowiak received his J.D. degree in 1996, with honors, from Case Western Reserve University Law School, where he served on the Law Review and the Journal of International Law. He received his B.A. in 1992 from the University of Toledo.

Mr. Wojtkowiak has practiced law for over 15 years, and has represented clients at trials and pretrial proceedings in several states. He is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He was admitted to the New York Bar in January, 1997, and is certified to practice before these U.S. District Courts: USDC/SDNY; USDC/EDNY; and USDC/NDNY.

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Stan Gutgarts

Stan Gutgarts received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2011, where he was a Ruth Whitehead Whaley Scholar and the recipient of a full-tuition scholarship. In 2008, he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and History from Rutgers University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Gutgarts is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and is currently awaiting admission to the New York State Bar.

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Contact the Trief & Olk life insurance claim attorneys today if your life insurance claim has been denied. Our experienced life insurance lawyers will help you get the life insurance proceeds you deserve.