I've always had straightforward beliefs: You work for what you get. And your word is your bond.

I remember my first trial. It was a property-damage case, a claim of $434, defending Travelers Insurance. It definitely tapped into my competitive instincts. The stakes have gotten a little higher since then.

Over the years several of the hospitals I defended did not insure themselves for malpractice claims. So frankly if I didn't do a good job, people could be walking out with the X-Ray machines.

I achieved a bit of a reputation, and as you get better you take on the high-exposure cases - obstetrics cases, for instance. And I've tried them all over the state of New York.

I think we've gotten to the point where OB/GYNs really have fled the practice. Certainly they've gotten out of neurosurgery. They have the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. And doctors can't earn what they used to. These are all silent forces affecting the profession. They are keeping talented young people from getting into medicine. For a while they were getting MBAs; now they're just going to law school.

Our firm has many high-quality attorneys, and we fight the good fight, every time we enter a courtroom. I enjoy it, and I always have - it's the closest thing to competitive sports you can get at my age.