
Niki serves as the assistant director of the Workers' Compensation Department, where she assumes responsibility for more than 35 lawyers throughout 10 offices. She is also a member of the firm's board of directors. She has served as chair of the Workers' Compensation Client Development Practice, supervising the group's client development activities. Niki was also chairperson of the firm's Human Relations Committee for 10 years and helped develop our Human Relations Policy.
Throughout her career, Niki has handled personal injury defense cases and tried multiple cases to verdict in state and federal court. Since joining the firm in 1988, Niki has devoted the entirety of her practice to workers' compensation defense, representing self-insureds, insurance companies and employers.
Niki graduated with distinction from Smith College with an A.B. in Psychology. She then received her juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Niki has worked in the public interest sector, for the government and in the private sector.
Niki is a past member of the Investigative Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Committee on Judicial Selection and Retention. She also served as the chairperson of the Workers' Compensation and Employment Liability Law Committee of the American Bar Association's Tort and Insurance Practice Section and as a member of the American Bar Association's Survey Committee of the Workers' Compensation and Employment Law Liability Committee. Niki is a former co-chairperson of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section and a former member of the Nominating Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She was awarded the Sadie T. Alexander Award for Distinguished Alumni by the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Niki is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court and was awarded an AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell. She has been named as one of the Top 50 Female Lawyers in Philadelphia, as well as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer from 2005-2011. Niki is also a charter member of the Alexander Barbieri Inns of Court. She has spoken at national conferences for the American Bar Association, the former American Trial Lawyers Association, SEAK and the National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference. She also lectures frequently at state and local conferences on legal issues and related topics.
Niki is a member of the editorial board of Philadelphia Lawyer magazine. She has served on the board of directors of Delaware Futures and as a director of the Smith College Alumnae Association's board of directors. Niki currently volunteers for Friendship House.
Areas of Practice
Education
University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania J.D.
Smith College
A.B., With Distinction
Major: Psychology
Published Works
"Calculating the Average Weekly Wage Under the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act," Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Guide, 2010/2011 edition as prepared by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
"Medical Costs and How They Are Increasing The Costs of Your Claims," Ace Group Claims Bulletin, October 2010
"The Use of Pharmacy Records When Defending A Case," The Philadelphia Lawyer, 2009-Winter, Vol. 71, No. 4,
"National Trends In Workers' Compensation," SEAK, April 2005
"Awaiting The Caso Decision," The Philadelphia Lawyer, Winter 2004
"10 Questions For Judge Jacqueline Allen," The Philadelphia Lawyer, Fall 2004
"Commonwealth Court Arms Employers in Good-Faith-Job-Offer Refusal Cases," The Legal Intelligencer, November 29, 2001
"Injury Outside The Workplace Not Employer's Responsibility," The Legal Intelligencer, April 26, 2001
"Stopping Temporary Benefits For The Retired Worker," The Legal Intelligencer, April 26, 2001
"Modified Job Must Meet Physician's Restrictions: Good Faith Offer To Claimant Required," The Legal Intelligencer, July 26, 2001
"Second Termination Petition Not Precluded By Initial Filing," The Legal Intelligencer, September 27, 2001
"Commonwealth Court Arms Employers In Good-Faith-Job-Offer Refusal Cases," The Legal Intelligencer, November 29, 2001
"Managed Care Integration with Workers' Compensation," Workers' Compensation (PSIA Newsletter), Vol. 2, No. 5, 1996
"Stroke Cases: They are Defensible," Counterpoint, July 1993
Tort and Insurance Law Journal, American Bar Association
Classes/Seminars Taught
Valley of the Dolls: Drugs, Drugs, Drugs, Marshall Dennehey Workers' Compensation Seminar, October 27, 2011
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish, National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 11, 2010
Unique Workers' Compensation Aspects of Independent Contractors and Traveling Employees, National Teleconference for Lorman Education Services, January 13, 2010
Updated Issues for Small Businesses, Symposium for Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2008
Updated Issues for Small Businesses, Symposium for Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2008
Independent Contractors and Traveling Employees: How to Support Them and Keep Your Costs Down, National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 21, 2008
Medicare Set-Asides: What You Need to Know and Why, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Auto Law Update, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, October 31, 2008
Managing Your Workers' Compensation Claims, Willis HRH Seminar Series, Rockville, Maryland, October 2008
How Do Companies Choose Between Mediation and Litigation in Workers' Compensation Cases, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Roundtable, Harrisburg and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, April 2008
Workers' Compensation Symposium, Sedgwick CMS, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 2007
Claims Handling Checklist, Pennsylvania Self-Insurers' Association Annual Meeting, State College, Pennsylvania, March 7, 2007
Tough Problems in Workers' Compensation, Panel Member, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 31, 2007
Workers' Compensation: Latest Developments and What Is on The Horizon, SEAK, National Workers' Compensation and Occupational Medicine Conference, Hyannis, Massachusetts, July 2005
Gender: Its Impact on the Litigation Process, AAJ (formerly ATLA) Annual Conference, San Francisco, California, July 2003
Repetitive Trauma in the Workplace, Panel Member, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, July 31, 1997
Areas of Practice
Education
- University of Pennsylvania School of Law (J.D., 1979)
- Smith College (A.B., 1976)
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1980
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
Associations & Memberships
- American Bar Association
- National Bar Association (Women's Division)
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Smith College Alumnae Association, past member of board of directors
Honors & Awards
- AV® Preeminent™ by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell
- Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, 2005-2011, Top 50 Female Lawyers 2005-2006
- Distinguished Alumni Award by the Black Allied Law Students Association (BALSA) section of the University of Pennsylvania Law School


