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Wunderkinds2016
Laura Belkner, 29 Attorney, Law Office of Kevin H. Cohen
Attorney Laura Belkner joined the law office of Kevin H. Cohen in White Plains four years ago, when she was in her mid-20s. A decade from now, odds are she’ll be running the joint. Cohen says that between her work ethic and her unique ability to quickly grasp the strengths and weaknesses of a case and formu- late a strategy, he expects Belkner to be leading the firm within a few years. In 2014, she began manag- ing the firm’s trusts-and-estates- litigation department, responsible for depositions, court appearances, preparation of documents, nego- tiations, client contact, and appeals. As many as five people report to her, depending on workflow, and lawyers twice her age seek her ad- vice, Cohen notes. Says Belkner: “I try to be the most prepared person in the room. There are times when I would be up all night thinking about a case.” That preparation has paid off: The firm has had unprec- edented success with cases, mo- tions, and appeals since Belkner took over the department.
—Ken Valenti
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West Harrison residents Francesco Vittorini (left) and Nick Spano had one simple goal when starting their company: to “take all the passionate sports fans and get them talking and vibe-ing in one place.” From there, they created uSTADIUM, an increasingly popular iPhone app, website, and social-media brand for football fans. With 25,000 downloads and more than three million posts from fans throughout the country since 2014, uSTADIUM is a place where fans can talk football 24/7, posting opinions, reactions, and news. “Think of it like a Reddit meets Twitter,” they say. And with a to-date total of nine “live” events in New York City, featuring more than