Defense Digest

On the Pulse ... The Cherry Hill Office

Since the last profile of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin's Cherry Hill, New Jersey office in August of 2001, many things have changed. At that time, 33 attorneys, two paralegals and a support staff of 35 called the third floor of our Woodland Falls complex home. Today, the Cherry Hill office is home to 45 attorneys, six paralegals, an Office Manager and a support staff of 45 personnel, occupying all of the third and a portion of the second floor. The 36 percent growth can be attributed to the superior legal services produced by the attorneys and support staff in our Cherry Hill office.

The Cherry Hill office maintains an inventory of 3,450 files, spread across the Casualty Department, Professional Liability Department, Healthcare Liability Department, and the Workers' Compensation & Employment Law Department.

The Casualty Department is led by shareholders Carolyn Bogart, Frank Brennan, Barbara Davis, Paul Johnson, Walter Klekotka, Diane Magram, Kevin McKeon and Lary Zucker.

Carolyn Bogart, Barbara Davis, Walt Klekotka and Diane Magram litigate general liability files, including automobile liability, premises liability, pharmaceutical malpractice, liquor liability and PIP litigation. This core group of the Casualty Department has tremendous experience in all litigation forums, including bench and jury trials, arbitrations and ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolutions). Associate support is provided by Kevin McGoldrick, Wendy Kirby and Brian O'Rourke, all regular contributors to Defense Digest.

Lary Zucker, along with associate Deirdre Collins, handle Sports and Entertainment litigation in addition to their general liability practice. Lary, with more than 30 years experience as a trial attorney, is also known for his expertise and involvement in regulatory statutes concerning the amusement industry.

The Special Investigation Unit/Fraud Group is made up of Frank Brennan, along with associates Doug Alba, Nestor Smith and Jack Senechal. This group litigates a broad spectrum of fraud cases, including arson and first party property claims. A significant portion of their practice is dedicated to medical provider fraud. Frank is also the Chairman of the Special Investigation Unit/Fraud Group at Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin.

Associates Nick Kierniesky and Douglas Suplee join Kevin McKeon in the Warranty/Lemon Law Group. This group has tremendous expertise in defending breach of warranty actions of every imaginable variety.

Paul Johnson is joined by associate Kristy Burns in the Asbestos Unit. This group continues the long tradition at Marshall, Dennehey of delivering superior legal services at cost-efficient prices in toxic tort litigation. Additionally, their practice includes general liability and motor carrier liability.

The leadership of the Professional Liability Department comes from shareholders Dana Argeris, Michael Brennan, Tracy Burnley, Richard Goldstein, John Osorio, Steve Polansky, John Slimm and Lila Wynne. Their collective expertise and experience ranks them as the best Professional Liability Litigation Defense Department in all of South Jersey.

John Slimm, along with Michael Brennan and associate Arthur Wheeler, handle a broad spectrum of complex professional liability claims and complex commercial litigation. With over 70 years of cumulative litigation experience at the state and federal level, this is one of the most recognized litigation teams in South Jersey.

Richard Goldstein and associate Matthew Behr handle municipal liability, civil rights and an array of other professional liability claims. Rich, a well-respected litigator throughout the state of New Jersey, is the dean of the Cherry Hill office and has been a mentor to many attorneys in the Cherry Hill office since its inception in 1984.

John Osorio and Tracy Burnley, along with associates Deborah Plaia and Raymond Michaud, make up the Construction Defect and Architects & Engineer Group. This group defends a broad array of complex construction-related claims, including design defect, professional malpractice and personal injury. John is also Chairman of the Architectural, Engineering & Construction Defect Litigation Practice Group at Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin.

Dana Argeris and Steven Polansky, assisted by associates Marc Jones and Kara Pullman, address insurance coverage issues and handle indemnification, bad faith and insurance coverage litigation. They address diverse issues such as commercial property, business interruption, professional liability and general liability coverage. They lecture frequently throughout the insurance industry on issues related to coverage, bad faith and indemnity.

Lila Wynne and associate Noelle Conners defend complex environmental claims on behalf of insured and self-insured corporations. This group has defended claims arising out of Superfund cleanups, private cost recovery actions, soil and ground water contamination and leaking underground storage tanks. Lila is also the Chairperson of the Environmental Group at Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin.

Part of our full-service defense practice includes an in-house Appellate Group. Walter Kawalec handles appellate issues at both the federal and state level. This unique practice requires the ability to work closely with trial attorneys to identify and present focused and precise issues to the Appellate Bar. Walt is also the editor of Defense Digest.

Shareholder Lynne Nahmani manages the Health Care Practice Group and is joined by associates Eileen Strulson, Sharon Connors and Nadira Kirkland. Their practice includes defense of physicians, dentist. nurses and long-term care facilities. They have conducted and participated in medically accredited conferences in these related areas. This group contributes to a firmwide monthly electronic publication concerning health care related court decisions. If you wish to receive these bulletins, please contact Nadira at nkkirkland@mdwcg.com

Nancy Musser manages the Workers' Compensation Group along with shareholder Mark Spivak and associate Robert Fitzgerald. This group defends both insured and self-insured employers, litigating all issues concerning New Jersey workers' compensation law, including compensability, degree of disability and issues related to contribution from other employers and carriers. Their practice includes both the Workers' Compensation District Trial Level and Appellate proceedings.

Shareholder Lawrence Berg and associate Joann Diaz represent employers and managers in employment-related claims involving discrimination, whistle blowing and wrongful termination. Their case load also includes professional malpractice claims. They frequently present topic seminars on employment related issues.

In addition to our legal staff, our success can be attributed to our dedicated staff of experienced paralegals and secretaries in partnership with their legal counterparts. Sheila Stanley, with 20 years of service with the firm, manages the paralegal and support staff.

We are not only one of the largest Litigation Defense firm in South Jersey, we also offer the most experienced litigators in both federal and state courts. Our strategic location in Cherry Hill affords us the opportunity to cover 11 counties, from Mercer and Middlesex in Central New Jersey down to Cape May County in the South. Our individual and collective experience allows us to provide superior legal services at cost-effective prices. We are a full-service, regional, litigation defense firm, and we welcome the opportunity to answers your inquiries concerning litigation and insurance-related topics. We offer a full range of seminars and presentations to keep you and your staff informed.

We wish to thank all of our clients for their past and continuing support, and we look forward to expanding our mutually beneficial relationship in the future.

*Jim, a shareholder, is the managing shareholder of our Cherry Hill, NJ office. He can be reached at (856) 414-6023 or jfgraham@mdwcg.com.