Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 3, September 2019

On the Pulse...Other Notable Achievements

Awards

Thomas Brophy (Philadelphia, PA) was the recipient of two recent awards recognizing his professional excellence and lifetime achievement in the legal profession. On June 4, 2019, Tom received the William J. O’Brien Distinguished Service Award from the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (PADC). This award is given annually to a PADC member who demonstrates outstanding legal service and contributions to the association and the greater legal community. It is named after William J. O’Brien, a past president of the PADC who was one of the pre-eminent Philadelphia trial lawyers of his generation. On June 27, 2019, Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Legal Intelligencer in recognition of his 40 years of excellence, service and leadership at the firm.

Tom had this to say about his recent recognitions. “None of us accomplish what we do without the support and assistance of others. So, I would like to thank my wife Anne who has helped to keep me grounded over the last 44 years. I’d like to thank Bob Coleman and Bob Goggin who gave me an opportunity and saw in me a talent that I didn’t realize at the time that I had. I’d like to thank all of the lawyers and employees at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin who supported my efforts, tolerated my mistakes and mentored and counseled me along the way. While this award is made to me, it is a team effort. I’ve been at Marshall Dennehey for 40 years. It has been a great place to work, to learn and to grow and without the collective support and effort of people there, I would not be in a position to receive this award.”

Appointments

Jay A. Hamad (New York, NY), shareholder and co-chair of the Maritime Litigation Practice Group in the Manhattan office, has been named a “Proctor in Admiralty” by the Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA). Founded in 1899, the MLA is devoted to advance reforms in the maritime law of the U.S. and to bring greater international harmony in the shipping laws, regulations and practices of different nations. The Proctor in Admiralty designation reflects the organization’s most distinguished class of membership and is awarded only after candidates have met stringent professional and educational requirements.

Michael L. Turner (Philadelphia, PA), shareholder and co-chair of the Asbestos and Mass Tort Litigation Practice Group in the Philadelphia office, was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). The ACTL is one of the premier legal associations in North America, composed of the most highly-accomplished trial lawyers from the United States and Canada. Membership is invitation-only, and attorneys are evaluated on their trial experience, ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Elizabeth Ferguson (Jacksonville, FL), a shareholder, was sworn in as president of the Jacksonville Bar Association for 2019-20.

John Hare (Philadelphia, PA) has been appointed as chair of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee.

Matthew Keris (Scranton, PA) has been appointed to the editorial board of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s new Patient Safety Journal. ​The quarterly, peer-reviewed journal will highlight advancements in clinical practice that have reduced patient harm, and will blend the latest scientific research with real-life, practice-based solutions. Matt’s colleagues on the editorial board include some of the country’s leading doctors, medical and safety professionals, as well as distinguished members of academia who teach and research patient safety outcomes.

2019 Florida Super Lawyers & Rising Stars Lists

Twelve attorneys from our Florida offices (Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa) have been selected to the 2019 edition of Florida Super Lawyers* magazine. The attorneys selected to the 2019 Florida Super Lawyers list include:

  • Michael J. Bradford, Civil Litigation Defense.
  • Michael J. DeCandio, Construction Litigation.
  • Elizabeth B. Ferguson, Construction Litigation.
  • Alan C. “A.C.” Nash, Civil Litigation Defense.

The attorneys selected to the 2019 Florida Rising Stars list include:

  • Julie Cunningham Aiello, Transportation & Maritime.
  • Kimberly Kanoff Berman, Appellate.
  • Ryan D. Burns, Personal Injury Defense.
  • Terrance Hill, Civil Litigation Defense.
  • Lindsay G. McCormick, Construction Litigation.
  • Chanel A. Mosley, Health Care.
  • Amanda J. Podlucky, Personal Injury Defense.
  • Irene Thaler, Insurance Coverage.

 

Speaking Engagements

Niki Ingram (Philadelphia, PA) was a presenter at the National Council of Self Insurers Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. ​In “Confronting Unconscious Biases in Workers’ Compensation Litigation,” Niki addressed the importance for self-insureds, and those who represent them, of being aware of unconscious biases when it comes to evaluating cases and litigation. She discussed why it is essential that adjusters and attorneys be aware of unconscious biases so that cases are appropriately and accurately assessed, and the importance of training to help understand what unconscious biases are, and how to overcome them or compensate for them.

Jennie Philip and Mohamed Bakry (Philadelphia, PA) recently attended and spoke at the South Asian Bar Association of North America Annual Conference held in Atlanta. ​Jennie moderated and Mohamed was a panelist in a session discussing the 4th and 5th Amendments, and police and civilian interactions.

Steven Ryan (King of Prussia, PA) co-chaired the 18th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims Conference held in Philadelphia. ​In addition, he co-presented “Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Mother and Child Genetic Testing – Defense and Plaintiff Perspective,” which examined criteria for when genetic testing should be performed, explored the potential consequences of failure to diagnose a genetic condition in utero, and analyzed the increasing amount of scientific literature suggesting that genetics may play a much larger role in abnormalities at birth than previously thought.

* A Thomson Reuters business, Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected by Super Lawyers and no more than 2.5 percent are selected for the Florida Rising Stars list. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. A description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html.

 

 

Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 3, September 2019. Defense Digest is prepared by Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin 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. © 2019 Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reprinted without the express written permission of our firm. For reprints, contact tamontemuro@mdwcg.com.