Attorney Profile
Courtney Schulnick
Areas of Practice
Contact Info
Overview
Courtney serves as Special Counsel in the firm's Casualty Department and litigates cases in both the local state and federal courts. Courtney handles lawsuits involving premises liability for homeowners and businesses, personal injury matters and automobile accidents.
Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey, Courtney had the unique experience of working as a judicial tipstaff in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. As a judicial tipstaff, Courtney gained invaluable insight from judges and jurors, which she uses to her advantage when representing her clients at Marshall Dennehey. Courtney is also a certified arbitrator in Philadelphia.
In an effort to better manage her anxiety and the stressors associated with litigation and life in general, she enrolled in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program offered at the Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Jefferson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Courtney noticed the ways in which the practice of Mindfulness increasingly enriched her life on both a professional and personal level. A desire to deepen her own practice and share the gift of Mindfulness with others encouraged her to complete the MBSR Teaching Practicum, as well as the MBSR Teaching Internship at Jefferson University. Courtney recently joined Jefferson’s team of MBSR instructors. She now pursues her passion of helping people by teaching Mindfulness so that they, too, can live more fully in the present moment and better serve not only their personal needs, but those of their clients.
Courtney earned her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law and a B.S. in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania. Perhaps her greatest teachers of all time are her husband, and three young boys, with whom she enjoys spending time and exploring their new hometown of Haddonfield, NJ.
Results
In a motor vehicle accident case in which plaintiffs claimed that they sustained bodily injuries as a result of our client’s negligence, we used aggressive defense discovery tools and strategy to convince the Court that plaintiffs had failed to establish the elements needed to succeed in a negligence case against our client. Accordingly, the Court granted our Motion for Summary Judgment and dismissed our client from suit.
In a multi-million-dollar death case involving a workplace incident, plaintiff-decedent sustained fatal injuries after having a seizure and falling from a piece of warehouse machinery. In their complaint, plaintiffs allege that our client, a staffing company, was negligent for failing to properly screen plaintiff-decedent for a staffing opportunity at co-defendant’s warehouse. In a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, we argued that at the time of the incident, our client was plaintiff-decedent’s employer and it provided worker’s compensation insurance and payments to plaintiff’s estate and therefore, was immune from liability pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Workmen’s Compensation Act. We ultimately succeeded in having our client dismissed from the case.
Courtney recently appeared at the Philadelphia Arbitration Center to defend H & M in an alleged slip and fall incident. Plaintiff claimed that due to Defendant’s negligence, she was caused to slip and fall on a wet substance that existed inside the store, thereby resulting in bodily injuries. Courtney argued that plaintiff failed to prove the prima facie elements needed to establish a negligence claim. In addition, Courtney convinced the panel that plaintiff could not show that H & M had either actual or constructive notice of the allegedly dangerous condition. The panel found in favor of H & M and against the plaintiff.
Obtained summary judgment in a major jury matter in which plaintiff alleged that she sustained significant bodily injuries after she slipped and fell inside the supermarket on water that dripped from the building's ceiling onto the floor. The court granted our Motion, dismissing any and all claims against our client with prejudice on the basis that there was no evidence to support that our client exhibited negligent conduct. We relied on a lease agreement that our client had with a codefendant to argue that the codefendant, rather than our client, was responsible for maintaining the area where plaintiff claimed to have slipped and fallen inside the store.
Obtained a defense verdict a Philadelphia Arbitration involving a slip and fall incident in which plaintiff alleged that she slipped and sustained bodily injuries due to an icy condition that defendants permitted to exist in a parking lot. The arbitration panel found in favor of our client, a snow removal company, on the basis that it had no duty or involvement with regard to the allegedly dangerous condition.
Obtained summary judgment in a major jury matter in which plaintiff alleged that she sustained significant bodily injuries after she fell off her scooter due to a broken portion of the sidewalk adjacent to a parking lot. The Court granted our Motion on the basis that plaintiff failed to show any connection between our client, a property management company, and the property where plaintiff claimed to have sustained her injuries, thereby dismissing any and all claims against our client with prejudice.
Obtained dismissal of our client, a nonprofit public health institute, prior to a major jury trial in Philadelphia, regarding a premises liability matter. Plaintiffs claimed that minor-plaintiff suffered catrostophic injuries due to an allegedly dangerous condition that defendants negligently permitted to exist in a Philadelphia schoolyard. Our client was dismissed because plaintiff failed to establish any evidence showing that our client either had notice of, or created, the allegedly dangerous condition.
Obtained a defense verdict in a subrogation matter in which plaintiff, an insurance company, alleged that our client caused his automobile to collide with its insured's vehicle. We joined plaintiff's insured as an additional defendant on the basis that his own negligence caused the accident and sought a monetary award for the damages to our client's vehicle. The judge issued a verdict in our favor and against plaintiff. In addition, the judge ruled that the additional defendant's failure to obey the Pennsylvania Rules of the Road that pertain to passing a vehicle and use of a turn signal caused the accident and awarded our client the amount of damages to his vehicle.
Obtained a defense verdict at a Philadelphia Arbitration trip and fall case. The plaintiff claimed that she tripped and fell on a mat in front of the counter at our client's hoagie shop, resulting in injuries to her neck, shoulder and back. The Arbitration panel found in our favor because the plaintiff failed to sustain her burden of proving that the mat was defective and that our client was on notice of any dangerous condition prior to her alleged fall.
Assisted a senior shareholder in obtaining a defense verdict in a binding Arbitration against two plaintiffs who were suing for property damage, loss of rental use and costs and fees attenuated to the underlying matter. One of the properties was completely destroyed and the other property was significantly damaged due to improper excavation. We represented the homeowners, who were having their property raised, excavated and built up with the intention of renting/selling the property. Concepts of contractual indemnification, common law indemnification and Pennsylvania's Perry-Ruzzi Rule were debated and argued. The judge rendered a defense verdict and also directed attorney's fees as part of the award.
Obtained a defense verdict at a Philadelphia Arbitration involving a motor vehicle case. An insurance company alleged that our client caused his horse and buggy to collide with its insured's vehicle in Society Hill, Philadelphia as it merged into the driving lane from the right-hand lane designated for bicycles. The Arbitration panel found in our favor because under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code, the insured failed to drive her vehicle at a safe speed in light of her surroundings. In addition, the Code provides that when a vehicle is traveling at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic at that time, the driver is permitted to drive in the furthermost right-hand lane, or as close as practical to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, as our client had done in this case.
Obtained a defense verdict a Philadelphia Arbitration involving a slip and fall incident in which plaintiff alleged that she slipped and sustained bodily injuries due to a icy condition that defendants permitted to exist in a parking lot. The arbitration panel found in favor of our client, a snow removal company, on the basis that it had no duty or involvement with regard to the allegedly dangerous condition.
Thought Leadership
Breaking the Stress Cycle CLE, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), June 26, 2024
Qigong Workshop ~ Wellness Week in Law, Mindfulness In Law Society, May 6, 2024
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Tools to Help Legal Practitioners Avoid Reactivity and Respond in More Conscious and Ethical Ways, Montgomery Bar Association, March 13, 2024
Mindfulness CLE: Mindful Aging, Philadelphia Bar Institute, February 6, 2024
Mindfulness Workshop for World Mindfulness Day: Practicing Openness for Cultivating Compassion, Resilience & Equanimity - Led attendees in Qigong, Mindfulness in Law Society, September 12, 2023
Mindfulness Workshop for Law Students: An Introduction to Mindful Self-Compassion for Stress Reduction, Mindfulness in Law Society, September 7, 2023
Mindful Communication Graduate Course, Center for Mindfulness at Jefferson, Fall 2023
Mindful Aging Graduate Course, Center for Mindfulness at Jefferson, Summer 2023
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Legal Profession, Life in the Big City XXIX: City of Philadelphia Law Department CLE Seminar, Philadelphia, PA, July 27, 2023
Mindfulness Webcast CLE - Panel Speaker for Pennsylvania Bar Association on How to Obtain Realistic Work-Life Balance in Legal Profession in 2023, April 11, 2023
PHL Airport First Responders Training, Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA, March 30, 2023
Mindfulness Podcast - Guest Speaker for Federation for Defense & Corporate Counsel Podcast, December 2022
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices for Deepening Self-Care and to Develop Greater Resilience, Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, November 23, 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Tools to Help Manage Stress & Anxiety in Our Post-Covid Era, Travelers Insurance In-House Counsel, November 18, 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress, Depression & Anxiety, Federation for Defense and Corporate Counsel Symposium, October 18, 2022
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress, Depression & Anxiety, Amerisource Bergen, September 14, 2022
Workshop: Part II: Mindfulness Practices to Obtain Ease & Great Well-Being, Second Saturday Divorce Workshops, August 25, 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Practices to Deepen Awareness and Achieve Success, Philadelphia Bar Association – Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Summer Summit, July 2022
Workshop: The Intersection Between Mindfulness & Neuroscience, Mindfulness in Law Society, June 21, 2022
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices to Promote Well-Being, Well-Being In Law Week, Mindfulness in Law Society, April 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Practices to Deepen Awareness & Achieve Greater Well-Being, Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP, March 15, 2022
One-Month Series on an Introduction to Mindfulness and Practices to Reduce Stress & Anxiety, program offered to 6th, 7th & 8th graders at Haddonfield Middle School, Haddonfield, NJ, March 2022
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices to Cultivate Awareness & Achieve Greater Well-Being, Women in Profession – Philadelphia Bar Association, February 23, 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness for Stress Management & to Achieve Life Balance, Bucks County Bar Association, February 17, 2022
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices to Cultivate Awareness & Achieve Greater Well-Being, Dickinson Law School, February 3, 2022
Workshop: Part I: Mindfulness Practices to Obtain Ease & Great Well-Being, Second Saturday Divorce Workshops, January 25, 2022
Children’s Mindfulness Series, Pennsauken, NJ Public Library, January 2022
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Increase Well-Being, Burns White, LLC, December 2021
Mindfulness CLE: Pausing to Show Up for the Moments of Our Lives, DRI annual Professional Liability Symposium, New York City, NY, December 9, 2021
Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Achieve Peak Performance, workshop offered to Amazon salesforce team, December 8, 2021
One-Month Series on an Introduction to Mindfulness and Practices to Reduce Stress & Anxiety, program offered to Rutgers-Camden Law School students, October - November 2021
Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Obtain Greater Well-Being, presentation to Harvard Business Analytics Group, October 9, 2021
Mindfulness Practices to Obtain Greater Wellbeing, presentation to Dickinson Law School law students, October 7, 2021
Achieving Life Balance and Avoiding Burnout With Mindfulness, presentation to Women’s Group at local law firm, July 21, 2021
Mindfulness Workshop: Ways to Cultivate Mindfulness in Daily Activities & Decrease Stress, Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association, May 26, 2021
Mindfulness CLE: An Introduction to the Formal Practice of Mindfulness and Mindful Eating to Show Up More Fully for the Moments in Our Lives, Bucks County Bar Association, April 21, 2021
Mindfulness CLE: How to Manage Stress and Achieve Life Balance, Chubb Insurance, February 26, 2021
De-Stress For Success, Philadelphia Bar Association, Women in Profession and Wellness Committees, February 15, 2021
Corporate Mindfulness Program, Marshall Dennehey, virtual instruction on using mindfulness to manage stress and anxiety, April 2020 – January 2021
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program 2021-present
Workshop: Mindfulness Practices For Stress Management and To Achieve Life Balance, Hampshire County Bar Association and the Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association, January 21, 2021
Mindfulness Relaxation Practices for 3-L Drexel Law Students Preparing to Take the Bar Exam, November 13, 2020
Finding Ease in the Midst of Chaos with Mindfulness, 2020 ABA National Lawyer Referral Workshop – Guest Speaker, October 22, 2020
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices To Promote Optimal Brain And Heart Health, CycleNation – American Heart Association, Philadelphia, PA. October 9, 2020
Mindfulness Workshop, Incyte Corp., October 1, 2020
Mindfulness Workshop: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation for Better Management of Stress in Our Modern Chaotic World, Hush Salon, Philadelphia, PA, March 2020
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices To Promote Optimal Brain And Heart Health, CycleNation – American Heart Association Cycling Fundraiser, Philadelphia, PA. November 2, 2019
Mindfulness CLE: Mindfulness Tools for the Stressed-Out Lawyer, Sweeney & Sweeney Law Firm, Philadelphia, PA, February 2020
Mindfulness Practices to Foster Greater Self-Care and to Avoid Burnout, Executive Risk Forum – Graham Company, October 10, 2019
Mindfulness Practices to Cultivate Deeper Awareness and Better Manage Stress and Anxiety in the Midst of our Chaotic World, Association for Legal Administrators (ALA – Philadelphia Chapter, September 11, 2019
Mindfulness, an Effective Trial Tool: How to Escape Automatic Reactivity and Obtain Peak Performance at Trial, Philadelphia Bar Association, August 28, 2019
Mindfulness Meditation - How It Can Help Cultivate Greater Creativity, Develop Better Communication Skills And Reduce Stress And Anxiety, Urban Outfitters - URBN's Monthly Wellness Program, Urban Outfitters Headquarters, Philadelphia, PA, July 24, 2019
Mindfulness Practices for Relaxation and Managing Hypertension, Independence Blue Cross Men’s Health Forum, Phila., PA, June 26, 2019
Teacher of Mindfulness Club at William M. Meredith Elementary School, Phila., PA, March - May, 2019
Guided Meditation and Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness for Lawyers, Women in the Profession Committee, the Philadelphia Bar Association, March 26, 2019
Mindfulness for Greater Well-Being, Stress Reduction and Peak Performance, CLE Presentation, Independence Chapter of the Association for Legal Administrators (ALA), March 20, 2019
Mindfulness for Burnout & Vicarious Trauma, American Bar Association’s National Lawyer Referral Workshop, Phila, Pa. November, 2018
Introduction to Mindfulness for Stress and Anxiety Management, presented to the Law Students at Drexel Law, Phila, PA, October 25, 2018
Relief from Everyday Stress - An Introduction to Meditation, Marshall Dennehey Annual Paralegal Training - Philadelphia Region, May 9, 2018
Mindfulness for Well-Being and Peak Performance, Marshall Dennehey Professional Development Series for Administrative Directors and Regional Managers, January 2, 2018
Mindfulness, LRAP Presentation, November 2017
Mindful Marketing, Marshall Dennehey Casualty Associate CLE Series, July 19, 2016
Pennsylvania Fair Share Act, Client Presentation, April 1, 2013
Cultivating Mindfulness in Stillness & Movement, Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Summer Summit, July 18, 2024
"Time Management, Mindfulness Keys to Meaningful Work-Life Balance," Pennsylvania Bar News, June 26, 2023
“Choosing to Be Kind,” The Voice, newsletter of the Defense Research Institute, April 8, 2022
https://www.dri.org/newsletters/the-voice/2022/april/
“Member Spotlight,” Mindfulness in Law Society, August 2021 https://www.mindfulnessinlawsociety.org/newsletters/summer-2021
"Mindfulness Tips to Live a More Wholesome Life," theWRITS, publication of the Bucks County Bar Association, Summer 2021
"An Expert Just Beginning," The Voice, newsletter of the Defense Research Institute, April 21, 2021
"The Difference Mindfulness Can Make: Help Bring the Practice to Children," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, December 2020
"Let Go And Free Yourself," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, September 2020
"Being a PRO in Life," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, July 2020
"Wake Up to Your Life With Mindfulness," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, June 2020
"Awareness Over Anxiety," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, May 2020
"This Case is Killing Me," co-author, For The Defense, April 2020
"Mindfulness and the Ways it Can Help Ease Our Suffering in the Midst of a Pandemic," Philadelphia Bar Reporter, April 2020
"Becoming the BEST PRO: The Art of Mindful Marketing," For The Defense, July 2017