Defense Digest, Vol. 30, No. 2, June 2024

On the Pulse…Other Notable Achievements

RECOGNITION

Stephanie Andrade (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has been selected by The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) as one of the Top “36 Under Thirty-Six” lawyers in the state. The professionalism award was bestowed upon 36 honorees, all under the age of 36, who were vetted through a rigorous review and selection process. According to the YLD, recipients display the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, “their character and integrity remain unwavering, and their dedication to raising the bar in the legal profession is unmatched.” Stephanie is a member of the firm’s Casualty Department where she represents local and national clients in a variety of civil litigation matters. 

Melanie Foreman (Philadelphia, PA) has been elected to the Board of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA). PLA is dedicated to enforcing and protecting the rights of individuals and families by providing accessible, creative and high-quality legal assistance, and working collaboratively for systemic change. Melanie is also a board member of its sister organization, Community Legal Services (CLS), and co-chairs the CLS/PLA Development Committee. 

Congratulations to Michael Turner (Philadelphia, PA) on being inducted as a Fellow into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. The Academy’s purpose is to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the administration of justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession. Membership in the Academy is highly selective and offered only to lawyers who have demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court, and in appellate practice, and to those who have attained the highest level of advocacy.

Congratulations to Kacey Wiedt (Harrisburg, PA) on his selection to the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2024 Power List for Law! The honorees are some of the Central Pennsylvania region’s most significant, influential, and respected leaders in their fields, as chosen by the CPBJ’s editorial leadership team and readers. Learn more here. 
 

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

Kimberly Berman and Gabrielle Wright (both of Fort Lauderdale, FL) authored the article, “Where Are We Now? Punitive Damages Claims in Fla. 2 Years Post-Interlocutory Review Rule Change,” which appeared in the Daily Business Review. Read the article here. 

Dana Gittleman’s and Tim Ventura’s (both of Philadelphia, PA) article “Words Matter: Shielding Against UTPCPL Claims with Subjective Verbiage” was published on March 14, 2024, on PLUSBlog.com. You can read their article here.  

Dana Gittleman also authored the article “Pennsylvania Strengthens Application of One-Year Statute of Repose Under Pennsylvania Home Inspection Law,” appearing in the April 30, 2024, issue of PLUSBlog.com. You can read her article here.

Writing for CLM Magazine, Jessica Wojcik Gordon (Mount Laurel, NJ) and Michelle Leighton, AIC, partner and national claim advocacy and consulting leader at Conner Strong & Buckelew, dive into the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on workers’ compensation claims handling. Read their article here. 

Estelle McGrath’s (Pittsburgh, PA) article “Lessons from Accountant’s Age Discrimination Suit” was published in the Spring 2024 issue of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal. You can read her article here.

Jack Slimm’s and Jeremy Zacharias’ (both of Mount Laurel, NJ) article “Strategic Defenses to Appellate Malpractice Claims” was published on PLUSBlog.com on April 19, 2024. Read their article here.

Alesia Sulock and Josh J.T. Byrne (both of Philadelphia) published two articles recently. Their article “Risk Management in the Practice of Law” was published on February 27, 2024, on AttorneyProtective.com, which you can read here. On March 21, 2024, their article “Restricting Restrictions: When Attorney Employment Agreements Run Afoul of the Rules of Professional Conduct,” was published in The Legal Intelligencer. You can read this article here.

Ashley Toth (Mount Laurel, NJ) authored “Best Practices for Service Animals in the Workplace,” which appeared in the New Jersey Law Journal’s Employment Law Supplement. You can read the article here. 
 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Mohamed Bakry (Philadelphia, PA) was a featured speaker at the 2024 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Winter Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mohamed, who also served as a host of the conference, was joined in a panel to discuss trending issues in leadership. 

Mohamed Bakry and Christina Gonzales (both of Philadelphia) spoke at the 2024 DRI Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar in Philadelphia. Their panel delved into the intricacies of modern law firms and their clients in a thought-provoking dialogue, unveiling the art of integrating innovative methodologies with well-established practices in order to cultivate diverse, high-performing teams. 

Heather Byrer Carbone and Linda Wagner Farrell (both of Jacksonville, FL) presented the webcast, “Motions to Dismiss and Motions for Summary Final Order,” for the Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Section.

Buck Buchanan, Jessica Wachstein, Jeremy Zacharias and Zac Ottoson hosted the Rutgers Law Minority Student Program (MSP) for an interviewing skills workshop held in our Philadelphia office. The program featured a panel presentation regarding strategies for maximizing summer clerkship interviews, as well as how to succeed during a summer clerkship program. The event was the second in a series of events the firm is hosting in collaboration with the Rutgers MSP program.

Josh J.T. Byrne (Philadelphia, PA) co-presented at the Montgomery Bar Association Women in the Law Committee’s seminar “The Importance of Civility in the Law.” This program provided attendees with the tools and information they need to ensure they are practicing with civility, responsibility, and professionalism while also avoiding ethical issues as they navigate cases with challenging opposing counsel, parties, and others.

Our Securities and Investments Professional Liability Practice Group took center stage at the Independent Broker Dealer Consortium, LLC 2024 Annual Risk Management Conference. Samuel Cohen (Philadelphia, PA), chair of the practice group, joined a panel to discuss protecting customers; Gerard Kowalski (Philadelphia, PA) explained the new expungement rule; and Ryan Friel (Philadelphia, PA) explored the differences between advisors and registered representatives, and the types of claims each face. 

James Cole (Philadelphia, PA) co-presented “This Is Jeopardy!!! Unfair Claims Practices” at the Property & Liability Resource Bureau’s 2024 Claims Conference in Boston. He also presented “Untying Tangle Titles – How Property Insurance Drives Fraud” at the 2024 Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Conference. This annual conference is hosted by the International Association of Special Investigation Units’ Delaware Valley and Greater Pittsburgh Chapters and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority.

Jack Delany (Philadelphia, PA) was a featured speaker at the 2024 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Winter Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida. Jack and fellow speakers addressed how challenges, problems, and even disasters at trial can be transformed into opportunities and, ultimately, successful outcomes for clients. 

Elizabeth Ferguson (Jacksonville, FL) co-presented “The Ethics Escape Room: Finding the Way Out of Insurance Dilemmas” at CLM’s Annual Conference in San Francisco. Elizabeth also moderated a panel entitled “Views from the Bench: Complex Construction Litigation – Trials and the Run-Up” at The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section’s Construction Law Institute in Orlando. She also spoke on “Design Liability” at the Construction Review Course that runs alongside the CLI. 

Robert Fitzgerald (Mount Laurel, NJ) was a panelist for a presentation at the New Jersey Self Insurers’ Association Annual Conference in Atlantic City. Bob joined a group of industry professionals to discuss hot topics in workers’ compensation.

Ray Freudiger (Cincinnati, OH) gave a presentation to members of the Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI) General Counsel Forum on “The Challenges in Administering Section 8 Project Based Vouchers.” Joining Ray in the presentation was the CEO and General Counsel for Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority. They discussed the jury defense verdict we won in federal court which was upheld by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

John Hare (Philadelphia, PA) presented the annual Appellate Review seminar for the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform.

Kevin Hexstall (Philadelphia, PA) was a featured speaker at the Perrin Conferences asbestos conference. Kevin was part of a panel that presented “The Top Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation.” Kevin and panelists addressed filing trends, hot and emerging jurisdictions, and defense-plaintiff coordination. 

Rachel Insalaco (Scranton, PA) presented at the National Business Institute’s CLE, “Pennsylvania Police Liability Claims: A Primer.” Rachel’s presentation addressed qualified, absolute, and state tort immunity implications in cases concerning police departments.

Matthew Keris (Scranton, PA) participated in the following presentations: 

  • At the National Medical Professional Liability Association’s Dental Workshop in Savannah, Georgia, Matt presented “The New Liability Target: Forensic Patient Record Interactions.” 
  • At the American Legal Connections webinar, he presented “Voir Dire of an EMR/Audit Trail Expert.” 
  • At the DRI IRT Meeting in Chicago, IL, he was co-moderator of a roundtable on Social Inflation. 
  • At the Hospital Insurance Forum Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, he co-presented “Advice for the Efficient Integration of AI Into Medicine.” 
  • At the AALNC (American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants) Annual Forum, he presented “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare.” 
  • At the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants annual Forum, held this year in Pittsburgh, PA, he presented “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: An Introduction.”

Michael Packer (Fort Lauderdale, FL) was a featured speaker at the ALM/Property Casualty 360 Complex Claims & Litigation Forum in Las Vegas. In “Under Oath: What Claims Professionals Need to Know to Conduct an Effective EUO,” Mike focused on the most effective ways to prepare for and efficiently conduct Examinations Under Oath in both the personal lines and commercial lines context. 

Jeffrey Rapattoni (Philadelphia, PA) presented an Ethics session at the Rocky Mountain Association of Special Investigators Annual Insurance Fraud Conference.

Bradley Remick (Philadelphia, PA) and his son, Griffin Remick, presented a product liability update at the Dispute Resolution Institute’s annual Personal Injury Potpourri CLE.

Andrea Rock (Philadelphia, PA) was a panelist for a webinar hosted by the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. In “Got Pain? How to Recognize and Assess Pain Including the Identification of Pain Generators in Work Injuries and Novel Treatment Options,” the panelists discussed the issues with pain generators, treatment options and their interaction in workers’ compensation litigation. 

In Season 2 of his podcast with the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, David Shannon (Philadelphia, PA) chatted with guest Stephen Ramey about the cybersecurity landscape for 2024. David and Stephen reflected on the persisting threat of ransomware and citing prevalent groups like LockBit, ALPHV/BlackCat, and Akira. Listen now! https://lnkd.in/eCwUwQdN 

Anthony Williott and Paul Krepps (both of Pittsburgh, PA) participated in a Mock Trial as a part of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants annual Forum. Paul participated in an exercise that demonstrated to Legal Nurse Consultants how an expert witness is prepared for deposition and trial by an attorney. Additionally, he served as the “judge” for the mock trial. In the trial, Tony defended the interests of “Hometown Hospital” in a case that involved the failure to timely diagnose sepsis in a patient. The case was designed to highlight the role of the Legal Nurse Consultant in medical malpractice cases.

Jeremy Zacharias (Mount Laurel, PA) participated in a panel discussion for Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business to prospective students joining the legal profession. Jeremy spoke about factors to consider in applying to law school, private practice, as well as strategies to effectively maximize law school performance. Jeremy is a recurring speaker at both Rutgers Law and Drexel University on professionals and topics, including ethics, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the business of law.

Lary Zucker, Sara Mazzolla (both of Mount Laurel, NJ) and Alicia Caridi (Tampa, FL) presented a legal roundtable at the Roller Skating Association International’s annual convention. 

 

Defense Digest, Vol. 30, No. 2, June 2024, is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers. This publication is not intended to provide legal advice for a specific situation or to create an attorney-client relationship. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING pursuant to New York RPC 7.1. © 2024 Marshall Dennehey. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reprinted without the express written permission of our firm. For reprints, contact tamontemuro@mdwcg.com.