Anne E. Joynt is a Partner at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC. Anne has spent her entire legal career at the firm, having joined straight out of law school in 2005. She focuses her practice on representing those affected by childhood lead poisoning, and also has experience in other cases including those involving asbestos exposure, motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, and defective products. She also represents clients who sustained abuse as children. She has participated in all aspects of a personal injury case, including trial. In October of 2014, she, along with Joseph Kremer and Zachary Woods, was on the trial team that obtained what is believed to be the first jury verdict on behalf of a lead-poisoned plaintiff in Erie County history. She also regularly argues motions before trial courts, and has written Briefs and argued at the appellate level, as well.
In November 2019, John Comerford and Mathew Morton obtained a jury verdict in the amount of $8 million dollars on behalf of Wayne Meissner, a former civil engineer at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, for injuries resulting from exposure to asbestos on the job. From 1970 through 1971, he monitored and inspected a job involving the spray application of asbestos-containing fireproofing, performed by Ridge Construction, a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak. Ridge failed to warn Mr. Meissner of the risks of exposure to asbestos and also failed to protect him from exposure to its work with this deadly material. The jury awarded the Meissner family a total of $8 million for past and future pain and suffering and loss of services. 80% of the award was attributed to the wrongdoing of Ridge and 20% to other responsible parties. The jury also found that the conduct of Ridge was reckless. Unfortunately, even after that jury award, the excess insurance carriers for Ridge Construction, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, disclaimed coverage, leaving the jury verdict unpaid. In July of 2022, John Comerford and Anne Joynt obtained a Judgment for Mr. Meissner and his wife after a bench trial in the amount of almost $5 million against Lloyd’s. (Meissner_442_FINAL DECISION & ORDER_7.18.22) In the Insurance Law 3420 action that plaintiffs brought, the Judge ultimately found that Lloyd’s was responsible to honor the jury verdict, and could not avail themselves of any arguments of late notice to the insurance carrier, policy exhaustion, whether or not Mr. Meissner suffered an “injury in fact” during the policies at issue, and whether the injury suffered by Mr. Meissner was expected or intended by Ridge Construction. To view the Supreme Court’s July 2022 decision, you may also click here: Meissner v. Ridge Constr._ Inc._ 2022 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3106 (Sup Ct, Monroe County July 18, 2022, No. E2020001359).
Community/Civic Activities
President – University at Buffalo School of Law Alumni Association (2020 until 2021). Ms. Joynt served continuously on the Board of Directors from 2013 to 2021 in a variety of roles including Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Co-Chair of the Annual Dinner Committee from 2014-2016. She previously served as the Chair of the UB Law Mentoring Program from 2018 to 2019, and has been a law student mentor from 2008 until present. Ms. Joynt also served as Co-Chair for the University at Buffalo School of Law Annual Appeal for the 2013 to 2014 school year. In addition, Ms. Joynt served as the President of the UB Law Alumni GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Group from 2011 until 2012, and served on that committee continuously from 2008 until 2013.
Past President – Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, Western New York Chapter (2017-2018). Ms. Joynt served on the Board of Directors continuously from 2009 until 2019.
Corresponding Secretary – Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. Ms. Joynt was elected to serve from 2015 until 2016. She also has served as the Press and Public Relations Committee Chair from 2018 until 2020, and as the Chair of the Equal Opportunity in the Profession Committee from 2016 until 2017. She was also appointed to serve on the Nominations Task Force from 2018-2020.
Member – Bar Association of Erie County Board of Directors. Ms. Joynt was elected to serve from 2013-2016. She was also elected to serve on the Nominations Committee from 2017 until 2020.
Member- Erie County Bar Association Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society, Inc. (2018 to 2021). Ms. Joynt also serves as the Chair of the Search Committee presently.
Member- Minority Bar Association of Western New York Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors (2015 to 2021). Ms. Joynt served as Secretary of the Minority Bar Foundation from 2016 until 2019.
Member- National Federation for Just Communities of WNY, Inc (2018 until present).
Member- Girls on the Run Buffalo Board of Directors (2020 to present).
Co-Chair – SUNY Geneseo Regional Board of Directors (2013 to 2020). Ms. Joynt previously served on this committee from 2010 until 2013. Ms. Joynt also currently serves on the State University of New York at Geneseo English Advisory Board.
Previous Instructor of Trial Advocacy at SUNY Buffalo Law School
Affiliations
American Association of Trial Lawyers
New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association
Bar Association of Erie County
New York State Bar Association
Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
Minority Bar Association of Western New York
SUNY Buffalo Law School Alumni Association
News
Sep 20, 2019
Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford Attorneys Recognized as Legal Elite of Western New York
Apr 24, 2019
Anne Joynt Nominated for 2019 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award
Sep 22, 2017
Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford Attorneys Honored by Buffalo Business First as Legal Elite
Oct 6, 2015
Seven Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford Attorneys Selected As “Super Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters
Education
J.D., 2005, SUNY Buffalo Law School
B.A., 2002, English and Spanish,
magna cum laude,
State University of New York at Geneseo
– Served as Editor-in-Chief of the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review
– Inductee, Order of Barristers, 2005
Admissions
2006 – New York State
2010 – Western District, New York State
2015 – United States Supreme Court
Honors
2023 – Recipient of the M. Dolores Denman Lady Justice Award from the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
2022 – Selected as a 2022 Women of Influence award recpient by
Business First of Buffalo
2017 – Named Woman Lawyer of the Year by Women Lawyers of Western New York
2020, 2019 – Legal Elite of Western New York,
Buffalo Business First
and
Buffalo Law Journal
2017 – Legal Elite Leader,
Buffalo Business First
and
Buffalo Law Journal,
recognized by peers as one of Western New York’s top attorneys
2016 – Selected as an
Attorney of the Year by The Daily Record
2016 – Presenter, HB National Lead Litigation Seminar, Naples, Florida
2015 – Presenter, HB National Lead Litigation Seminar, Boca Raton, Florida
2014 – Selected as one of
Buffalo Business First’s
“40 Under 40” award recipient
2020 – 2013 – Selected as an Upstate New York Rising Star by
SuperLawyers,
a Thomson Reuters publication
2021 – 2024 – Selected as an Upstate New York Super Lawyer by
SuperLawyers,
a Thomson Reuters publication
2019, 2013 – Finalist for Buffalo
Niagara Partnership’s Athena Young Professional Award
2012 – Presenter, HB Lead Litigation Seminar, New Orleans, Louisiana
2010 – Presenter, Jane Ryan Pre-Law Fund, SUNY Geneseo
Publications:
Ms. Joynt is the author of The Semantics of the Guantanamo Bay Inmates: Enemy Combatants or Prisoners of the War on Terror?, which was published in the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review in Spring of 2004.
Languages:
Ms. Joynt is proficient in Spanish.
Community
President – Board of Directors – Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (2017-2018)
Member – Bar Association of Erie County Board of Directors, elected to serve from (2013-2016)
Member- National Federation for Just Communities of WNY, Inc.
Vice President – SUNY Buffalo Law Alumni Association Board of Directors
Secretary – Minority Bar Association of Western New York Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors
Co-chair – SUNY Buffalo Law School Annual Appeal (2013 – 2014)
Past-President and previous Board Member – SUNY Buffalo Law School GOLD Group
Member – Steering Committee, Women’s TAP Fund
Co-Chair – SUNY Geneseo Regional Board of Directors
Previous Instructor of Trial Advocacy at SUNY Buffalo Law School
Previous Board Member – The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Nickel City Professionals Committee
Previous Coach and Attorney Advisor – Cheektowaga High School Mock Trial Team
Affiliations
American Association of Trial Lawyers
New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association
Bar Association of Erie County
New York State Bar Association
Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
Minority Bar Association of Western New York
SUNY Buffalo Law School Alumni Association
