As a top litigator and a partner at Wilson Elser, Westchester’s largest law firm, Jacqueline Hattar still somehow finds time to work as a member on the Ninth Judicial District’s Committee on Gender Fairness in the Courts; co-chair the Diversity Committee of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association; and even volunteer in the Yonkers Public Schools. Her plate is totally full, but Hattar says she wouldn’t have it any other way. She believes community service makes her a better lawyer and vice-versa: “The synergy between the two make you more accomplished at both.”
A force within Wilson Elser’s general liability and casualty practice, Hattar has successfully litigated the most complex, multimillion-dollar general tort liability matters, including a high-profile case involving a trucking accident that occurred in Rockland County, where the settlement demand was $21 million; Hattar led her team in obtaining a dismissal of the action against their client. But before she earned a reputation as a private-practice powerhouse, Hattar first gained acclaim as a hard-hitting trial attorney working in the Bronx County district attorney’s Domestic Violence/Sex Crimes Bureau.
Even with her busy schedule, Hattar may need to find time for one more project. “Something I am excited about is Wilson Elser’s Women’s Initiative,” she explains. “I have been asked to help establish the initiative, whose mission is to attract, develop, and retain women attorneys; enhance and strengthen their skills; and provide career-advancing opportunities.”