Christina R. Mercado has been the lead appellate associate at Block O’Toole and Murphy since 2011. Licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey, Ms. Mercado’s extensive legal research and writing skills have made her an asset in many of the firm’s top cases. She is consistently relied upon to research and write briefs for legal issues in important cases across all of the firm’s practice areas.
Ms. Mercado attended New York University where she graduated with a degree in journalism. She then attended Notre Dame Law School in Indiana, working as a devoted advocate for clients at the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic. After being recognized for her impressive brief-writing skills, she served as the Executive Articles Editor of Notre Dame’s prestigious Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy.
Before joining the firm, Ms. Mercado began her career in the Appeals Bureau of the Nassau County District Attorney and in the Chambers of the Honorable Joan O’Dwyer of Queens County Supreme Court. She also worked as a professional writer and reporter.
As an appellate specialist at Block O’Toole & Murphy, Ms. Mercado not only regularly writes briefs to the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals, but also handles a wide variety of cases, including construction and work injuries, vehicle accidents, and wrongful death. Some cases she has assisted on include an $8,800,000 settlement for a 53-year-old woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after she was struck by a van, and a $7,525,000 wrongful death settlement for the surviving family of a mother and son tragically killed in a car crash.
Ms. Mercado has always had a passion for helping those in need, both in her career and in her personal life. Outside of work she volunteers her legal and counseling skills for Open Hands Legal Services, an organization that brings free legal services directly to homeless and low-income New Yorkers.
From 2017 - 2020, Ms. Mercado has been selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, an honor only awarded to 2.5% of attorneys in their practice area in each state.