David PerecmanFounder / In Memoriam

David Perecman

Honoring the Legacy of David H. Perecman

A Trailblazer in Personal Injury Law

David H. Perecman, a beloved father, husband, friend, and esteemed attorney, passed away on November 14, 2024. As the founder of The Perecman Firm, his presence was larger than life, and all who knew him deeply feel his absence.

Born and raised in Forest Hills, New York, David was the son of Holocaust survivors, a heritage that profoundly shaped his outlook on life. His resilience, empathy, and unwavering commitment to justice defined his career and inspired those around him. 

For over 40 years, David distinguished himself as one of New York City’s leading personal injury trial lawyers. He championed countless cases involving construction accidents, premises liability, automobile accidents, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, and civil rights. 

His focus was always on the people he wanted to help, ensuring their voices were heard and their struggles acknowledged. He believed in fighting for justice for individuals who might otherwise be overlooked, dedicating his career to making a meaningful difference in their lives. 

His relentless dedication earned his clients nearly a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements, including some of the most significant in New York State’s history. Most recently, in 2024, alongside his son, Zachary Perecman, and Managing Attorney Steven Dorfman, David secured an extraordinary $19 million settlement for a severely injured ironworker, highlighting the firm’s dedication to achieving exceptional results for its clients.

Founder and Visionary

David founded The Perecman Firm in 1983, building it into a powerhouse of exceptional attorneys. From the start, his skill and tenacity were evident.

His first major victory—a $600,000 verdict against Gimbels department store for falsely detaining an elderly woman—set the tone for a career marked by groundbreaking results and dedication to advocacy on behalf of the injured. 

Consistently, each year since 2005, his multi-million-dollar outcomes were featured in the New York Law Journal’s Top Verdicts and Settlements lists. Notable cases included a $9.9 million settlement for a construction worker in 2014, the highest construction accident settlement in New York that year, and the second-highest settlement overall for the state. 

David’s meticulous preparation and first-class litigation skills were hallmarks of his practice. He approached every case with unparalleled dedication, turning weaknesses into strengths and ensuring his clients received the justice they deserved.

Leadership and Legacy

David’s efforts extended beyond the courtroom, making a lasting impression on his community. He fought tirelessly to strengthen New York State’s worker safety laws, advocating for legislative reforms, supporting union efforts to protect construction workers, and achieving landmark legal victories that set new safety standards. 

Additionally, he championed reforms like Avonte’s Law, inspired by the tragic case of 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo, a non-verbal autistic child who was allowed to wander out of school and was eventually found deceased in the East River. The Perecman Firm represented the Oquendo family and remains steadfast in ensuring Avonte’s life and story lead to meaningful change.

The law was passed in March 2018 as Kevin and Avonte’s Law, honoring the memory of Avonte Oquendo and Kevin Wills, another boy with Autism who tragically perished after wandering away from a supervised setting. It aims to create safer communities for individuals with Autism, forms of dementia, and other developmental disabilities by providing funding for programs to locate and protect those who may wander away from safety. 

David’s passionate and relentless approach to representing those who were injured became a cornerstone of The Perecman Firm’s culture. He made it a priority to instill his unwavering commitment to justice in all the attorneys who worked alongside him for years. Today, his son, Zachary Perecman, and Managing Attorney Steven Dorfman proudly carry on David’s legacy, continuing to achieve life-changing outcomes for their clients and ensuring that his vision remains at the heart of the firm.

A respected leader in the legal community, David served as an officer on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), where he was also a former chair of the Labor Law Committee. He shared his expertise widely, lecturing on construction accident law for lawyers, court personnel, and the public. 

His accolades were numerous, including recognition by Super Lawyers®, The Best Lawyers in America®, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®. In 2022, he was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Personal Injury Litigation for Long Island. 

David’s passion for justice lives on through his son, Zachary Perecman, and Steven Dorfman, who carry forward his vision for The Perecman Firm. The team he cultivated remains steadfast in delivering remarkable results for clients, embodying the values and principles he instilled.

A Life Well-Lived

David Perecman was not only an extraordinary lawyer but a true original. His brilliance, warmth, intensity, and humor left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him. At The Perecman Firm, his legacy endures in the lives he touched, the justice he sought, and the firm he proudly built.