Harding Mazzotti’s Thomas Mortati named 2026 Lawyer of the Year for plaintiff medical malpractice

Harding Mazzotti LLP says Supervising Attorney Thomas J. Mortati has been selected as Best Lawyers’ 2026 Lawyer of the Year for plaintiff medical malpractice in the Albany area. The honor highlights Mortati’s peer recognition and comes after years of high-value settlements and trial work in New York and beyond.

Why it matters: - The Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” designation goes to one attorney per practice area in a designated region. - The award can boost a lawyer’s profile with clients, peers and opposing counsel. - Harding Mazzotti LLP said the recognition reflects Mortati’s work for plaintiffs injured by medical providers, device makers and drug companies.

What happened: - Harding Mazzotti LLP announced that Supervising Attorney Thomas J. Mortati was named Best Lawyers’ 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” for plaintiff’s medical malpractice attorneys in the Albany area. - The recognition is based on peer review. - The announcement was made Sept. 23, 2026.

The details: - Best Lawyers gives the “Lawyer of the Year” honor to only one attorney in each practice area within a geographic region. - Paul Harding, Harding Mazzotti’s managing partner, said Mortati’s work has helped clients recover compensation and pushed industries to meet higher standards. - In eight years with Harding Mazzotti, Mortati has secured nearly $30 million in medical malpractice and medical device liability settlements. - Mortati has also recovered millions of dollars in wrongful death and product liability settlements. - Mortati has tried and brought to verdict nearly 100 cases in 20 counties. - Mortati is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut. - Mortati is also admitted in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York and the District of Connecticut. - Mortati is admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Eighth Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court. - Mortati was raised in Crestwood, New York, and lives in Guilderland, New York. - He graduated from Fordham University in 1988 and Albany Law School in 1991. - At Albany Law School, Mortati served as associate editor of the Albany Law School Journal of Science and Technology. - Before joining Harding Mazzotti in 2017, Mortati was a founding partner at Burke, Scolamiero, Mortati & Hurd, LLP. - That firm focused on personal injury defense. - Mortati spent more than 20 years there defending and trying high-exposure cases in medical malpractice, law enforcement, construction and products liability.

Between the lines: - The honor underscores how heavily the plaintiff medical malpractice field depends on reputation and peer assessment. - Mortati’s record suggests Harding Mazzotti is positioning him as a key courtroom and settlement strategist in complex injury litigation. - The firm’s emphasis on settlements, verdicts and appellate admissions signals a broader trial-capable litigation profile.

What's next: - Harding Mazzotti is likely to continue highlighting Mortati’s award in client-facing and business development efforts. - Mortati’s role may draw added attention in future medical malpractice, device liability and wrongful death matters. - The firm continues to serve clients in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts in personal injury, negligence and wrongful death cases.

The bottom line: - Mortati’s 2026 Best Lawyers recognition gives Harding Mazzotti a peer-reviewed credential in a highly competitive plaintiff medical malpractice market.