Partner
Mr. Ripka, a renowned trial attorney, is senior partner to the firm. He is admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of New York and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He holds various pro hac vice appointments, including in New Jersey, California and Florida. He began his legal career as a criminal prosecutor at the District Attorney’s office for Kings County. In 1992, he began in civil litigation, where he continues today, and has had New York State’s highest verdicts for the past five years.
Mr. Ripka currently practices in the areas of Medical Malpractice, Mass Tort, Products Liability, Consumer Fraud and General Negligence. He has tried countless cases to verdict and has recovered numerous awards over one million dollars. He is a member of the Medical Malpractice Hall of Fame, the American Bar Association and a former member of the Board of Directors for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.
Megan Stayskal
Paralegal
Megan Stayskal is an experienced professional who applies her natural business sense in her role as office manager of Khawam Ripka LLP. Megan overseers all day-to-day administrative functions and operations of the firm, and is completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and Support with a concentration in Paralegal Studies from Purdue University.
Megan was born and raised in San Jose, California, is a proud mom of two little girls, and spouse to Sgt. Richard Stayskal whom the military medical malpractice bill is named after. Prior to joining the firm Megan attended nursing school until Richard was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
When she is not supporting the firm and her family, she is zealously advocating for the rights of our nation’s military service members.
Babu Uthaman
CFO
Babu Uthaman is the Chief Financial Officer of Khawam Ripka, LLP and has been with the firm since the very beginning. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the States of New York and California.
Mr. Uthaman is also an Enrolled Agent with the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Uthaman has a Master’s Degree in Accounting from India and has several years of financial reporting and tax accounting experience.
Darik Knutsen
IT Director
Darik Knutsen has over 17 years of professional IT experience. He currently runs an IT firm, Viking TSS, based in New York that that specialized in Law Firms all over the country.
A graduate of Northwestern University, he began his career while still in college as a consultant for the Kellogg School of Business. He worked as the senior network architect for a major hospital in Chicago. After moving to New York City, he took a position with corporate IT consulting firms before breaking out on his own. He specializes in providing infrastructure, support, and security to law firms. He is also an accomplished classical singer, and devoted supporter of the Performing Arts.
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