Coffey Modica opens veterans disability benefits practice group

Coffey Modica LLP has launched a Veterans Disability Benefits Practice Group to represent service members and veterans seeking VA benefits and appeals. The firm says the new group is led by attorneys with military and veterans-rights experience and is meant to help clients navigate delays and denials in the claims process.

Why it matters: - Veterans can face long delays, denials and paperwork hurdles when seeking medical care and benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. - Coffey Modica is adding a dedicated practice aimed at helping veterans and their families move through the claims and appeals process. - The launch comes as military veterans remain a small share of the legal profession, at 2.20% of U.S. attorneys in 2025, according to the National Association of Law Placement.

What happened: - Coffey Modica LLP launched a new Veterans Disability Benefits Practice Group. - The firm said the practice expands its advocacy for veterans based on the personal experiences of firm members with military service or family members who faced barriers to benefits. - The group will be led by Partners Richard A. Jarolem, Maxwell Bottini and Founding Partner Michael Coffey. - Attorneys Evan Carson and Schuyler Swanton will also help direct the practice. - The announcement was made Oct. 27, 2026, from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The details: - Jarolem serves as managing partner of the firm’s Florida office and is the son of an Army veteran who served in the Korean War. - Jarolem said the practice will stand alongside veterans and provide legal counsel through Veterans Affairs claims and appeals. - Coffey co-founded the firm in 2021 and is a VA-accredited attorney. - Coffey served from 2007 to 2012 as then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s appointee to the U.S. Military Academy Selection Committee for Annapolis, West Point and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. - Bottini leads the firm’s General Liability, Tort and Insurance Defense Law Department. - Bottini previously worked as an assistant district attorney in Kings County, New York. - Bottini said the firm includes many legal professionals with direct military ties through family or service. - Bottini logged more than 500 hours of legal guidance through the Brooklyn Law School Veterans Society and helped veterans pursue discharge upgrades and benefits through the Veterans Advocacy Project. - Bottini received Brooklyn Law School’s Pro Bono Silver Award for service and advocacy to veterans. - Carson served in the U.S. Army Reserve and Florida Army National Guard before entering private practice. - Carson clerked for Hon. Melanie G. May at Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals. - Carson completed Airborne School and earned multiple commendations for leadership and dedication. - Swanton served in the U.S. Navy as Master-at-Arms. - Swanton trained and supervised security personnel, ensured compliance with military justice and training standards, and supported defense operations during an overseas deployment. - Jarolem, Carson, Swanton and Coffey are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs. - Bottini will provide firm oversight to the practice.

Between the lines: - The launch gives Coffey Modica a new niche in a legal area where military experience can matter in client trust and case handling. - The firm is leaning on both professional credentials and personal military connections to signal credibility with veterans. - The veterans practice also broadens a defense-focused firm into a more specialized service line tied to public-interest legal work.

What's next: - Coffey Modica is expected to use the new practice to handle VA disability claims, appeals and related benefit disputes. - The firm may also draw on its multi-office footprint to serve veterans across Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York. - Coffey Modica says it was identified by Inc. Magazine in 2026 as one of the nation’s fastest growing law firms. - The firm, founded in 2021, now operates eight offices in five states.

The bottom line: - Coffey Modica is betting that military credentials, VA accreditation and veterans-rights experience will help it build a dedicated practice for service members and their families.