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, medical malpractice, 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