On the Pulse…Other Notable Achievements

Defense Digest, Vol. 23, No. 3, September 2017

RECOGNITION

Niki Ingram (Philadelphia, PA), shareholder, director of the Workers’ Compensation Department and member of the firm’s Board of Directors, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Martha Hampton Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation section. The award was established in memory of Martha Hampton, a highly accomplished attorney who was deeply committed to the practice of workers’ compensation law. Each year a bar association committee reviews nominations of an attorney or judge who best exemplifies Martha’s unique compassion, dedication, professionalism, scholarship and good will.

John Hare (Philadelphia, PA), chair of the Appellate Advocacy and Post-Trial Practice Group, was inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (AAAL) at the Academy’s 2017 Spring Meeting, held in Boston. The AAAL was founded in 1990 to recognize outstanding appellate lawyers and to promote the improvement of appellate advocacy and the administration of the appellate courts. Membership is limited to 500 lawyers in the United States and is reserved for accomplished appellate advocates who have demonstrated the highest levels of skill and integrity.

SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS

Matthew Keris (Scranton, PA) has been appointed as the Pennsylvania State Representative to the Defense Research Institute by the Pennsylvania Defense Institute. ​In this capacity, he will act as the official liaison between the two defense litigation organizations.

Elizabeth Ferguson (Jacksonville, FL) has been named co-vice chair of the Florida Bar Association’s Construction Law Certification Review Course Committee and a member of the Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Executive Council.

David Bear (Orlando, FL) was appointed to the Florida Judicial Nominating Commission for the 18th Circuit of Florida. He and the JNC panel will be responsible for investigating, interviewing, and evaluating applicants for open circuit and county court judge seats. After their investigation, the panel recommends three to six applicants to the governor from which he makes a judicial appointment.

Patrice Turenne (Philadelphia, PA) was elected to the Executive Board of the Montgomery American Inn of Court, a local chapter of the American Inns of Court. ​She will serve as Board Secretary for the 2017-2018 term.

Brooks Foland (Harrisburg, PA) has been elected to the Board of Directors of Tree 4 Hope, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides services to children and the elderly in Guatemala and around the world. He serves as board secretary. ​Located in Harrisburg, Tree 4 Hope implements projects focused on education, health and mental wellness that empower communities, promote cultural exchange and inspire youth. The organization is currently fundraising to build a bilingual girls’ school in Guatemala.

Sandy Caiazzo, office manager of the King of Prussia office, has been appointed as vice president for the Independence Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators for 2017.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Chanel Mosley (Orlando, FL) presented “Daubert, Dead or Alive?” to the Central Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council. ​Chanel, along with Florida House Representative Larry Metz (District 32), discussed the impact of the Florida Supreme Court’s recent opinion that refused to adopt the Daubert standard and what it means for the continued application of Daubert in Florida.

Michele Punturi (Philadelphia, PA) spoke at the 2017 CLM & Business Insurance Workers’ Compensation Conference in Chicago. ​Michele joined a panel of industry professionals to discuss “Today’s ‘Medical Only’ Claim Is Tomorrow’s ‘Indemnity Claim.’” The conference was attended by more than 200 risk management and claims professionals.

Tony Natale (Philadelphia, PA) presented at Pennsylvania’s 2017 Insurance Fraud Conference. ​The conference was jointly hosted by the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority and the Delaware Valley and Greater Pittsburgh Chapters of the International Association of Special Investigation Units. In “If You See Something, Say Something – Detecting Workers’ Compensation Fraud,” Tony discussed the red flags for fraud unique to workers’ compensation cases and suggested techniques to report, combat and prosecute fraudulent claims.

Cristin Cavanaugh (Philadelphia, PA) spoke at the PAMIC 2017 Claims Summit on “Property Law: A Year in Review.”

Niki Ingram (Philadelphia, PA) was a speaker at the 2017 Smith College Women’s Leadership Conference. ​In “Shifting a Male-Dominated Work Culture,” Niki shared strategies for thriving and excelling in today’s business culture. Drawing from career experiences, she discussed how communication, behavior and leadership are the keys for women to succeed in the modern workplace.

Niki also presented “Analytics Overload! How Much Is Too Much?” at the National Council of Self Insurers annual conference in San Diego. ​Niki discussed how analytics impact a self‐insured’s relationship with defense counsel.

Jeffrey Chomko (Philadelphia, PA) recently presented at the 11th Annual E&O Liability Insurance Conference (ExecuSummit) in Connecticut. ​Jeff spoke about the twisting of life insurance policies and the claims that arise, including those under the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Statute.

Jim Cole (Philadelphia, PA) spoke at the 2017 Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority (IFPA) and the Delaware Valley and Greater Pittsburgh Chapters of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU). Together with investigators and members of the attorney general’s, office as well as the Philadelphia District attorney’s office, he jointly presented on the topic “Cooperative Investigations: The Necessities and Pitfalls of Information Sharing.”

Michelle Moses (Philadelphia, PA ) was a presenter at the Health Care Compliance Association’s 21st Annual Compliance Institute. ​In “MIPS, APMS, QRUR, and CMS Data. How Do Your Physicians Compare?,” Michelle and her co-presenter from HPIX discussed how members of the compliance community can best help their physicians in light of the wealth of information available today. Physicians may not be aware of the extensive online profile they now have, thanks to CMS. The course explained how to alert doctors to review—and if needed, challenge—performance data. Also, with the implementation of MIPS and APMS, even more data is available to the public and for CMS review. Michelle discussed how to teach doctors to navigate the quality minefield in order to present the best image and earn the best reimbursement.

SPECIAL NEWS

The Maritime Litigation Practice Group in our New York City office has been recognized among the top national maritime practices in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Recognized in the Nationwide: Transportation: Shipping: Litigation (New York) category, the firm was called out for its experience in “handling a range of matters…involving insurance disputes, cargo loss and vessel damage.” Additionally, the firm was acknowledged for its increasing activity in personal injury defense cases, “particularly those occurring in the marine construction sector.” Daniel G. McDermott, co-chair of the firm’s maritime practice, and Edward C. Radzik, shareholder within the group, were cited as “notable practitioners” in the Chambers ranking. While both attorneys have received Chambers recognition in this area several times before, this year Mr. McDermott was specifically cited for “his abilities in handling contentious issues in the maritime space, particularly those involving personal injury and insurance disputes.” Mr. Radzik was noted as a “master of using technical expertise to get his point across subtly.”

For the fifth year running, the Philadelphia Business Journal has named Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin one of the Philadelphia region’s “Best Places to Work.” The award recognizes the company’s achievements in creating a positive work environment that attracts and retains employees through a combination of benefits, working conditions and company culture. We are proud to have earned this annual recognition since 2013. Hundreds of companies submitted nominations to the program, which ranks the top employers according to scores given to the companies by their own workers. The firm’s Delaware Valley locations, including our Philadelphia headquarters and offices in King of Prussia, Doylestown and Mount Laurel, were included in the survey. “I always like to tell people that this is a firm that really cares about its employees, and being selected for this award for the fifth year in a row validates that our employees think this is a great place to work,” said President and CEO, Thomas A. Brophy. “We take great pride in our company culture and values, and will continue to do whatever we can to maintain and improve the working environment so that all of our employees, from attorneys to support staff, are engaged and have the opportunity to succeed.”

SUPER LAWYERS

Eight attorneys from our Florida offices have been selected to the 2017 edition of Florida Super Lawyers magazine. 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.

Our attorneys selected to the 2017 Florida Super Lawyers list include Michael J. DeCandio, Construction Litigation. 

Our attorneys selected to the 2017 Florida Rising Stars list include:

  • David R. Bear – Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice Defense. 
  • Ryan D. Burns – Personal Injury Defense. 
  • Elizabeth B. Ferguson – Construction Litigation. 
  • Lindsay G. McCormick – Construction Litigation. 
  • Chanel A. Mosley – Health Care. 
  • Alan C. “A.C.” Nash – Civil Litigation Defense. 
  • Amanda J. Podlucky – Personal Injury Defense. 

 

Seventy attorneys from our Pennsylvania offices have been selected to the 2017 edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine. Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, 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 the state are selected for this honor. 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.

Receiving special recognition for the eleventh consecutive year is Daniel J. Sherry, senior counsel in the firm’s King of Prussia office, who has been named to the “Top 100 Attorneys in Pennsylvania” and the “Top 100 Attorneys in Philadelphia” Super Lawyer lists. Mr. Sherry focuses his practice in complex health care liability matters including brain injury litigation and medical malpractice defense.

Our 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers include:

  • Allentown: Candy Barr Heimbach, Paul Laughlin
  • Harrisburg: Brooks Foland, Timothy McMahon, Edwin Schwartz, Craig Stone
  • King of Prussia: Christopher Boyle, Kevin FitzPatrick, Chandler Hosmer, Edward McGinn, Daniel Sherry
  • Philadelphia: William Banton, Ralph Bocchino, Kimberly Boyer-Cohen, Thomas Brophy, Butler Buchanan, Christopher Dougherty, Howard Dwoskin, William Foster, Scott Gemberling, Tiffany Giangiulio, Norman Haase, John Hare, Keith Heinold, Kevin Hexstall, Niki Ingram, Kathleen Kramer, Arthur Lefco, Bruce McKissock, Ronald Metcho, R. Bruce Morrison, Ronda O’Donnell, Bradley Remick, Frederic Roller, Daniel Ryan, Teresa Ficken Sachs, Joseph Santarone, Lori Strauss, Vlada Tasich, Thomas Wagner, Eric Weiss, David Wolf
  • Pittsburgh: Terry Cavanaugh, John Deasy, Steven Forry, Michael Karaffa
  • Scranton: John Aponick

 

Our 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Stars include:

  • King of Prussia: Joseph Hoynoski, III
  • Philadelphia: Mohamed Bakry, Lawrence Bartel, Nicholas Bowers, Joanna Buchanico, Raphael Duran, Lee Durivage, Gregory Fox, Adam Fulginiti, Allison Bressler Goldis, Shane Haselbarth, Sang Woo Lee, Lauren Moser, Alex Norman, Angeline Panepresso, Jennie Philip, Nicolai Schurko, Robert Stanko, Daniel Tran
  • Pittsburgh: Grant Hackley, Patrick Reilly
  • Scranton: Leo Bohanski, Michael Connolly

 

 

Defense Digest, Vol. 23, No. 3, September 2017. 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. © 2017 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.