On the Pulse... Other Notable Achievements

Andrew Schwartz (Philadelphia, PA) has been named chair of the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Litigation & Compliance Practice Group. In this capacity, Andrew oversees a team of attorneys devoted to the defense of financial institutions, debt servicers and buyers, auto finance companies, collection attorneys, student lenders, telecommunications providers, mortgage lenders and credit reporting agencies. In addition to serving as national counsel, the group routinely handles matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Florida and Maryland.

Christopher Block (Roseland, NJ) has been elected chair of the Real Estate Committee of the Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF). Founded in 2007, the PLDF is a national, not-for-profit organization that allows attorneys, claims professionals and risk management specialists to share expertise and information helpful to the successful defense of professional liability claims.

Robert Stanko (Philadelphia, PA) has been appointed as chairman of the Young Lawyer Editorial Board, a division of the Legal Intelligencer. In this new role, Rob is responsible for overseeing the production and publication of a monthly editorial, published on behalf of the 14-member board. Editorial topics range from current events in the legal community to commentaries regarding issues facing young lawyers.

Matthew Keris (Scranton, PA) was a co-presenter at the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania & Pennsylvania Association for Healthcare Risk Management’s day-long workshop titled “It’s Okay to Say I’m Sorry: The How-To Workshop for Apology and Disclosure.” The event was attended by health system risk management professionals from across Pennsylvania.

Linda Barron (Philadelphia, PA) served as a judge in the “We the People” competition at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. “We the People” is a national foundation which sponsors mock Congressional hearings for high school students around the country to assess their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and application. This event was the Pennsylvania statewide competition. The winning team will attend the national finals in Washington, D.C.

John Heilman (Tampa, PA) gave a presentation to the Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA), Hillsborough Chapter. It was titled “Ten Ways to Avoid and Fight a Lawsuit Against Your Assisted Living Facility.” It was based on an article by John published in the Tampa Bay Medical News. FALA is comprised of over 500 Florida assisted living facilities and adult family care homes and over 175 associate members who provide associated products and services.

Under the direction of Marty Sitler (Jacksonville, FL), the Jacksonville office was named a “2014 Top Law Firm” by the Jacksonville Business Journal. The list was derived according to the number of attorneys and staff. Out of 50 firms, the office ranked #31, an increase by four increments over its 2013 ranking.

Tony Natale (Philadelphia, PA) was a presenter at the 11th Annual Workers’ Compensation ExecuSummit. Tony spoke about identifying and prosecuting fraud in the workers’ compensation setting to hundreds of nationally recognized employers, insurers, underwriters and attorneys.

Christopher Conrad (Harrisburg, PA) was a presenter at the recent quarterly meeting of the Estate Planning Council of Central Pennsylvania, an organization comprised of attorneys, accountants, bankers and financial planners who specialize in estate planning. Chris spoke about best practices for the use of technology and social media in the workplace.

Jacqui Canter (Philadelphia, PA) and Tony Michetti (Doylestown, PA) were speakers at the 5th Annual National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association Conference. Jacqui gave a presentation on spoliation, and Tony joined her in a presentation on dram shop litigation.

Jim Cole (Doylestown, PA) spoke on a panel at the IFM — 2014 Insurance Fraud Management Conference. He spoke on the topic of “Streamlining the Process and Controlling the Cost of Large-Scale Ring Cases.” Other SIU claims professionals and defense counsel joined Jim on the panel.

Lary Zucker (Cherry Hill, NJ) recently presented a webinar hosted by the World Waterpark Association on the topic of “Use ‘Safety Optics’ to Check Your Facility Signage For Next Season.” Lary talked about the best practices for advising guests of ride rules and minimizing liability exposure.

Tom Bracaglia (Philadelphia, PA) presented at the Defense Research Institute’s 2014 Trial Tactics Seminar in their new mock trial format. Leading trial lawyers from around the country delivered opening statements, direct and cross examination of fact witnesses, presented and cross examined liability and damages experts, and offered closing arguments for deliberation by an actual jury in a catastrophic personal injury case. Tom was also chosen as the defense representative for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice’s seminar “What’s It Worth? Evaluating and Settling Personal Injury Cases.” This seminar covered valuing real cases, settlement techniques in court and mediations, ethical issues arising out of settlements and how the Fair Share Act affects your settlements, to name a few.

Niki Ingram (Philadelphia, PA) was a speaker at the 2014 Workers’ Compensation Midwinter Seminar and Conference, an event co-sponsored by the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section and the Labor & Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association. She was a member of the panel discussion on “Healthcare Reform’s Impact Nationally and on Workers’ Compensation,” which addressed the impact of the Affordable Care Act.

Defense Digest, Vol. 20, No. 2, June 2014

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. Copyright © 2014 Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, all rights reserved. This article may not be reprinted without the express written permission of our firm.