ARFD Statement on the Passing of Cofounder, Mark B. Feinstein

It is with great sorrow that we at ARFD announce the recent passing of our cofounder and original Managing Partner, Mark B. Feinstein.  Mark was an innovator in his field, who set the standard for firm management within the malpractice defense industry. Known for his dry wit, “billing” neckties, and no nonsense approach, Mark’s legendary frugal nature was offset by his big heart, generosity of spirit, and steady leadership.

Mark received his Juris Doctor degree with honors from the Fordham University School of Law in 1972. He spent the next five years as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County.  He then became the Executive Director of the Vera Institute of Justice Victim/Witness Assistance Project, bringing computerization to the witness notification process and various court based services to crime victims and witnesses. He lectured and wrote extensively on the use of computer technology in law firm management. Mark entered private practice in 1981 as a litigator at Bower & Gardner, and became the firm’s co-managing partner.

In 1993, with his colleagues Mark Aaronson, Robert Deutsch, and Jay Rappaport, Mark cofounded Aaronson, Rappaport, Feinstein & Deutsch, LLP, spending the next twenty-plus years intimately involved in all aspects of management and successfully steering the firm to become one of the premier malpractice defense outfits in New York. The firm turned 30 years old this year, and ARFD continues to follow Mark’s lead, paying close attention to detail and providing clients with the level of attentiveness and skilled lawyering they expect and deserve.

In his retirement, Mark took the opportunity to invest much of his free time doing the charitable work he enjoyed without fanfare, and unsuccessfully cajoling his beloved Yankees back to the World Series. Mark enjoyed spending quality time with his adoring wife, Melinda, and their two sons, Seth and Zachary, of whom he was immensely proud. His legacy will live on at ARFD, and with those who knew and loved him. May his memory be a blessing, and may he rest in peace.