About Our Law Firm
New York and New Jersey
About The Firm
Founded in 1987, the New York and New Jersey law firm of Trief & Olk has tried numerous complex jury and judge trials in federal and state courts and successfully continued our representation through the appellate courts when necessary.
Our reputation in legal circles is such that it is not uncommon for adversaries of Trief & Olk to recommend our firm. On occasion, our adversaries on prior cases have even hired us to represent them.
Our cases come through referrals from other law firms, from past or present clients, or through word of mouth.
We are known for our litigation expertise, the in-depth analysis we give all our cases, and the level of time, energy, and due diligence we invest from the very beginning of each and every case. We never avoid the hard work of discovery in hopes of an early or easy settlement. We are exquisitely prepared —and prepared to try the case — every time.
In an effort to give back to the community, the firm provides pro bono legal work on behalf of family members who lost relatives in the World Trade Center attacks. We are also members of New York Trial Lawyers’ Care, which assists victims of 9/11. In connection with our pro bono work for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Committee on Mass Disasters Planning, we have provided legal advice and assistance to families of victims of major plane crashes in the New York area.
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 attorneys are:
- Ted Trief, JD 1976
- Barbara E. Olk, JD (Of Counsel) 1976
- Jordan Rutsky, JD 2004
- Matthew Wojtkowiak, JD (Of Counsel) 1996
- Stan Gutgarts
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 30 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
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.
Jordan Rutsky
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 and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Matthew Wojtkowiak, JD (Of Counsel) 1996
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.
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.
