The Team

John Bonina

John is the senior trial attorney for the firm and has been making a difference for his clients ever since his first trial win over 20 years ago. Some significant verdicts include a $4,646,000 verdict for the wrongful death of a woman due to delayed diagnosis of lung cancer; a $2,500,000 verdict for the family of a woman who bled to death while waiting for emergency surgery on a ruptured aneurysm; and a $1,646,000 verdict for the family of a man who died as the result of delayed diagnosis of lung cancer. His success extends beyond verdicts, with numerous multi-million-dollar settlements in cases involving injured construction workers, catastrophically injured children and other New Yorkers injured by negligence or malpractice. Under John’s leadership, the firm has recorded more than $200 million in combined settlements and verdicts. He credits the firm’s success to a combination of old-fashioned hard work and innovative trial techniques.

As a result of his skill and empathy for clients, John has been a frequent lecturer through the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Brooklyn Bar Association. The respect from his peers has earned him a place in The Best Lawyers in America and in New York Magazine’s Best Lawyers in the New York Area.

Andrea Bonina

Since beginning her law career in 1992, Andrea Bonina has concentrated almost exclusively on significant plaintiff’s personal injury cases. Andrea is now managing partner of the firm, which handles medical malpractice, product liability, and other complex personal injury litigation.

Andrea is a frequent lecturer on litigation and practice management topics. She is the past president of the Brooklyn Bar Association and current Foundation Trustee. She obtained an “AV” rating from Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest rating for skills and ethics. Andrea has earned the respect of her peers and has been featured in the New York Times “Super Lawyers” section since 2007 as one of the finest plaintiff’s product liability litigators in New York. She has been included in the New York Area’s Top Rated Lawyers since 2012. Andrea has received numerous awards and honors including the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Vivian H. Agress Trailblazer Award and the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Andrea’s decision to practice law is an outgrowth of her commitment to helping others. As Co-Chair of an annual fund-raising drive for St. Jude Children’s Hospital from 1992 through 2006, Andrea raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children stricken with catastrophic diseases. Andrea is also a founder and past co-chair of the annual Liz Padilla Memorial 5K race to benefit the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyer Project. The race raises money to provide pro bono legal services and programs to needy Brooklyn residents.

Deborah Trerotola

Since joining Bonina & Bonina, P.C. in 1988, Deborah has played an important role in the general liability division. She is responsible for handling general liability cases, including premises liability, negligent supervision and other actions against the City of New York. She is deeply motivated and dedicated to protecting and helping seriously injured people. Deborah is a member of several bar associations, including the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Brooklyn Bar Association, The Bay Ridge Lawyers Association and the Columbian Lawyers Association.

Alexandra Gastelum

After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University, Alexandra was awarded a Humanitarian Action Fellowship by the McCain Institute for International Leadership in Washington, D.C. where she worked to develop partnerships to benefit organizations fighting sex trafficking. This led her to later work as a crime victim advocate and sparked her interest in law. She was awarded the prestigious Public Interest Leader Scholarship and Linda Fields Fellowship at CUNY Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2024.

While in law school, Alexandra provided supervised direct representation to individuals criminalized by being sex trafficked while working at the Legal Aid Society. This experience, along with her work as a law clerk at a firm representing victims of child sexual abuse material, cemented her desire to fight for survivors of sexual abuse.

Alexandra joined Bonina and Bonina, P.C. in 2024 as an associate on the sexual abuse litigation unit. Her intelligence, compassion and incredible work ethic make her a valued member of the team.

Arisha Andha

Arisha has always known she wanted to be a litigator. At Cardozo Law School, where she was awarded a scholarship, she was a member of the Trial Advocacy Team and a staff editor of the Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice. She juggled these demanding activities with prestigious internships. As a Judicial Intern at the Eastern District of New York she worked under a federal judge performing research and writing draft opinions. At the Perlmutter Freedom Center she analyzed forensic evidence and created presentations for Conviction Integrity Units.

Arisha is fluent in Urdu, having spent the first ten years of her life in Pakistan. She has published articles and presented lectures on human rights issues. Her commitment to justice makes her a fierce advocate for our clients.

Arisha joined Bonina & Bonina, P.C. in 2024 and is on the medical malpractice team where she quickly became a client favorite. She is valued and respected for her drive, organization, and dedication to doing the right thing.