Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts
Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts


Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

438 Main Street, Tenth Floor, Buffalo, New York 14202

Established: 1896

Practice Areas

  • Accident and Health
  • Automobile
  • Casualty
  • Civil Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Litigation
  • Fire
  • Insurance Defense
  • Life Insurance
  • Malpractice
  • Product Liability
  • Trial Practice
  • Workers' Compensation

Cases Gone to Trial: 310

About Us

Established in 1896, Chelus Herdzik Speyer & Monte PC is the 3rd oldest firm in Western New York. While the firm continues to evolve, it has never changed in its mission of providing expert, caring and cutting-edge legal services. The firm has maintained a commitment to public service since its inception.

Firm Highlights

For well over a century, thousands of our clients, from international Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses and individuals, have called on Chelus Herdzik Speyer & Monte PC to represent them throughout New York State. We stand ready to commit our resources and experience to serve your legal needs. We've been looking forward since 1896 - over a century of experience working in your favor.

How We Offer Value

Some of the largest insurance companies in America call on us regularly to represent them and their insureds in Western New York courts on a variety of legal matters from general liability to auto, products liability and property claims at the trial and appellate levels.

Additional Locations

  • Cheektowaga, New York
  • 2448 Union Road
  • Cheektowaga, New York 14227
    • Telephone: 716-608-7664

Client Information

Insurance Clients

Non-Insurance Clients

  • Chesterfield Services, Inc.
  • Diocese of Buffalo
  • Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA)
  • Town of Cheektowaga

Personnel Information

Of Counsel


Michael F. Chelus — (Retired)

Arthur A. Herdzik — (Retired)

Rebecca E. Monte

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 38

Admitted
  • Virginia, 1985
  • New York, 1986
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 1991
  • U.S. Federal Court
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York
Additional Biographical Details:

Fourth Judicial Department, Law Guardian Panel; Stewart Title Examing Counsel, Chicago Title Insurance Company; Classes/Seminars Taught: Speaker, "Elder Law Practice Post DRA," Erie Institute of Law, 2008; Course Book Contributor and Speaker, "Practicing Elder Law - Now that the Dust of the DRA has Settled," 2009; Speaker, "Practical Skills - Basic Elder Law Practice," New York State Bar Association CLE, 2009; Speaker, New York State Bar Association sponsored "Annual Decision-Making Day," 2005, 2006, 2010; Course Book Contributor and Speaker, "Elder Law and Middle Class Clients," Erie Institute of Law, 2004; Course Book Contributor and Speaker, "Estate Planning and Taxation," National Business Institute, 1995

Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Annual Glaucoma Symposium (Member, Board of Directors)
  • Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors, Chair)
Education:
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, B.A., 1982
  • Washington and Lee University, J.D., 1985

Mark A. Forden

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 15

Admitted
  • New York, 2008
Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Defense Trial Lawyers Association of Western New York
Education:
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A., 2004
  • State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, J.D., 2008

Partners


Thomas J. Speyer

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 37

Admitted
  • New York, 1986
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 1987
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 1991
Additional Biographical Details:

Classes/Seminars Taught: Adjunct Professor, University of Buffalo School of Law and Jurisprudence, Trial Technique Program

Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
Publications:
  • Author: "Federal Preemption of Vehicle and Traffic Law §388...and the Questions Remaining," Erie County Bar Journal, November 2005
Education:
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A., 1982
  • Detroit College of Law, J.D., 1985

Thomas P. Kawalec

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 25

Admitted
  • New York, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 2001
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2013
Additional Biographical Details:

Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce; Charles Desmond Inns of Court (Director)

Memberships:
  • American, New York State and Erie County Bar Association
  • Western New York Defense Trial Lawyers Association (Treasurer)
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
Publications:
  • Author: Chapter 29 - "Fire Insurance and Property Insurance," in Insurance Law Practice, Second Edition, published by the New York State Bar Association, 2006
Education:
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A., 1995
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D., 1998
Language:
  • Polish

Kevin E. Loftus, Jr.

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 20

Admitted
  • New York, 2003
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Additional Biographical Details:

Town of Lancaster Prosecutor 2013-2015; Town of Lancaster Town Attorney 2016-Present

Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County (Negligence Committee, Young Lawyers Committee; Municipal Law Committee) Bar Associations
  • Defense Trial Lawyers of Western New York
  • Buffalo Claims Association
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
Publications:
  • Co-Authored: "Not for the Faint of Heart: Additional Personal Injury Protection (APIP) Benefits," New York State Bar Association Journal, Volume 78, 2006
  • "Conducting an Effective Cross-Examination in New York," Lorman Education Services, June, 2007
Education:
  • Canisius College, B.A., 1998
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D., 2002

Michael J. Chmiel

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 23

Admitted
  • New York, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 2002
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 2003
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2005
Additional Biographical Details:

Classes/Seminars Taught: "New Developments in Personal Injury Litigation - Healthcare Insurers' Right of Subrogation and Medicare Repayment Issues," for the Erie Institute of Law (Erie County Bar Association), May 26, 2010; Amherst Democratic Committee

Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County (Civil Litigation and Criminal Law Committee) Bar Associations
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
  • Defense Trial Lawyers Association
  • UB Law Alumni Association
Education:
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A., 1995
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D. (cum laude), 1999

Michael M. Chelus

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 19

Admitted
  • New York, 2004
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2011
Additional Biographical Details:

Orchard Park High School Academy of Finance Advisory Board; Adjunct Professor, Bryant & Stratton College

Memberships:
  • American, New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Defense Trial Lawyers Association
  • Penn State Alumni Association (Alumni Recruitment Volunteer; Secretary, Western New York Chapter)
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
Publications:
  • Author: Chapter 19, "Exceeding the No-Fault Threshold: Serious Injury," Insurance Law Practice, Second Edition, 2006
Education:
  • The Pennsylvania State University, B.S., 2000
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D., 2003
Language:
  • Italian

Katy M. Hedges

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 17

Admitted
  • New York, 2006
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 2008
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York, 2009
Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Western New York Defense Trial Lawyers Association
  • Women's Bar Association of the State of New York
  • Western New York Trial Lawyers Association
Education:
  • The University of Western Ontario, B.H.Sc., 2002
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, J.D., 2005

Nicholas M. Hriczko

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 9

Admitted
  • New York, 2014
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York, 2016
Memberships:
  • New York State (Elder Law Committee, Federal Practice Committee) and Erie County Bar Associations
  • Charles S. Desmond Inn of Court
  • Defense Trial Lawyers Association of Western New York
Education:
  • University at Buffalo, B.A. (cum laude), 2010
  • Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2013

Richard J. Zielinski

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 8

Admitted
  • New York, 2015
  • U.S. District Court, Northern and Western Districts of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York
Memberships:
  • New York State and Erie County Bar Associations
Education:
  • State University of New York College at Buffalo, B.A., 2011
  • University at Buffalo Law School, J.D., 2015

Associates


Canio J. Marasco, III

Buffalo, NY

Admitted
  • New York, 2023
Education:
  • Canisius College, B.S., 2019
  • State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2022

Nadia R. Bekker

Buffalo, NY

Admitted
  • New York, 2023
Additional Biographical Details:

Attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Education:
  • Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, LL.B., 2015
  • University at Buffalo, LL.M., 2022

Jack R. Morgan

Buffalo, NY

Years of Experience: 2

Admitted
  • New York, 2022
Memberships:
  • American, New York State and New York City Bar Associations
Education:
  • State University of New York at Fredonia, B.A., 2018
  • University at Buffalo School of Law, J.D., 2021

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Service Areas

From New York City to Albany in the east, to Lewiston, Buffalo, and Jamestown in the west, Chelus Herdzik Speyer & Monte PC represents corporations, businesses, municipalities and organizations.

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