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Marshall Dennehey Announces 2024 Shareholder Class And Special Counsel Promotions

December 19, 2023

Marshall Dennehey is pleased to announce that 10 attorneys have been elected shareholders of the firm effective January 1, 2024. Additionally, three attorneys have been promoted from associate to special counsel. These new shareholders and special counsel represent the firm's four core departments – Casualty, Professional Liability, Health Care and Workers' Compensation – and come from 8 of the firm's 19 offices.

“This class of newly elected shareholders embodies the traits that make Marshall Dennehey a special place,” said
G. Mark Thompson, Marshall Dennehey’s President & CEO. “They are hard working, dedicated, talented lawyers whose exceptional contributions have been pivotal to the success of the firm and our clients. We congratulate them on their well-deserved promotions and look forward to their future achievements as we continue the firm’s growth.” 

Promoted to Shareholder

ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Peggy Smith Bush, Casualty Department (former Special Counsel)
Peggy is an experienced litigator, advocate and counselor who routinely defends corporations, large self-insureds, and public entities in complex litigation involving claims of personal injury and wrongful death. Clients value the strategic thinking and results-oriented litigation skills she brings to matters involving transportation, premises liability, product liability, negligent security, as well as general liability claims. Peggy is a graduate of the University of North Alabama and Barry University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Ryan P. Friel, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Ryan defends a variety of clients as a member of both the Securities & Investments Professional Liability and Privacy and Data Security Practice Groups. He represents FINRA member firms, registered representatives, and registered investment advisors in state and federal court as well as in FINRA arbitration and expungement proceedings and a wide range of investigations, examinations, inquiries, and enforcement matters. Ryan also defends clients in privacy-related litigation and technology-related litigation, and conducts regulatory investigations across many industries in matters stemming from data privacy and security incidents. He is a graduate of Fairfield University and Syracuse University College of Law. Ryan is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Benjamin M.H. Goshko, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Ben focuses his practice on construction, trucking/transportation, product liability, and hospitality matters. He defends claims on behalf of construction contractors, product manufacturers, property owners, restaurants, and hotels in litigation involving fire losses, negligence, auto accidents, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death. Ben is a graduate of Temple University and Temple University Beasley School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

Kara A. Pullman, Professional Liability Department (former Special Counsel)
Kara defends employers in claims involving allegations of discrimination based upon age, gender, race, sexual orientation and disability, and also handles retaliation and whistleblower claims in federal and state courts and administrative agencies.  Additionally, she provides counsel to clients regarding employment matters, including ensuring that policies and procedures are legally compliant and up to date. She also defends school districts in cases alleging violations of the IDEA and related federal and state statutes, and has handled numerous special education due process matters. Kara is also experienced in the areas of municipal liability and civil rights and has represented police departments, police officers, and school boards in cases relating to civil rights and discrimination in the state and federal courts. She is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University and Rutgers University School of Law, Camden. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Gregory P. Graham, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Greg defends corporations and professionals in commercial, construction, and class action litigation. He also defends attorneys in legal malpractice actions involving civil and family disputes, business transactions in the real estate and oil and gas industries, and commercial litigation. Greg's construction practice includes the representation of owners, contractors, and design professionals from defect and commercial loss claims related to the construction industry. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, he is a graduate of Michigan State University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.


KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Stephen G. Keim, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Stephen represents clients in motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, product liability, business litigation, and professional liability matters. He also has significant experience defending attorneys, real estate brokers and agents, accountants, and architects against professional liability claims. A graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and the William S. Boyd School of Law, he is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

Christin L. Kochel, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Christin focuses her practice on insurance coverage matters and civil litigation, with emphasis on automobile liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims. She is also experienced in defending premises liability, homeowner's insurance, minor's compromise, and other general liability claims and suits. She is a graduate of Bloomsburg University and Widener University School of Law and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

ROSELAND, NJ
Heather M. LaBombardi, Health Care Department (former Associate)
Heather concentrates her practice on medical malpractice and health care liability matters. She routinely defends physicians, nurses, health care providers, and medical facilities against medical malpractice claims. She additionally has written several appellate briefs and argued multiple times before the New Jersey Appellate Division. She is a graduate of the University of Miami and earned an M.S. in management from Nova Southeastern University before obtaining her J.D. from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. 

Paul W. Lanza, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Paul concentrates his practice primarily on trucking/transportation liability, premises/retail liability, and construction injury litigation. He also handles cases involving condominium/community association law, automobile liability, product liability, and malpractice claims against real estate professionals. He is frequently retained by clients to handle the pre-suit investigation of high-exposure cases involving complex issues of fact and law, including fatal commercial vehicle accidents. Paul is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Seton Hall University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

NEW YORK CITY
Andrew Thebaud, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Andrew represents clients in the fields of construction injury litigation, retail liability, product liability, automobile litigation, commercial trucking litigation and property litigation. His clients include construction companies, maintenance companies, retail stores, and product retailers, among other clients. He also handles a significant amount of retail and premises liability cases. He is a graduate of the University at Albany (SUNY) and the University of Virginia School of Law, and is admitted to practice in New York.

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Associates Promoted to Special Counsel

MOUNT LAUREL
Mari I. Gangadean, Professional Liability Department
Mari defends employers in employment-related claims involving allegations of discrimination based upon age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and disability, as well as retaliation and "whistleblowing" in both federal and state courts. She additionally has extensive experience in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, as well as defending automobile negligence and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she earned her law degree from Temple University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA
Angeline C. Panepresso, Casualty Department
Angeline devotes her practice to a variety of litigation matters including premises liability, product liability, automobile liability, and construction liability. She is a graduate of Lehigh University and Widener University School of Law and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

WESTCHESTER
Sanford G. Jacobs, Casualty Department
Sanford has over 30 years of experience in trucking & transportation liability, general liability, premises liability, motor vehicle liability, construction injury litigation, products liability, and toxic torts. His extensive experience includes handling cases from inception through jury trial throughout the New York Metropolitan area, upstate New York, and the state of Florida. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oneonta and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York, the District of Columbia, and Florida. 
 

Firm Highlights

Marshall Dennehey Named a Standout in Litigation by BTI Consulting Group

News

Marshall Dennehey Named a Standout in Litigation by BTI Consulting Group

Bret E. Dubbert Joins Marshall Dennehey’s Orlando Office as Special Counsel in the Casualty Department

News

Bret E. Dubbert Joins Marshall Dennehey’s Orlando Office as Special Counsel in the Casualty Department

Thought Leadership

WCJ Improperly Refused to Conduct C&R Hearing and Erroneously Required Settlement of All Pending Petitions

In this case, the claimant sustained injuries in the course and scope of her employment as a registered nurse. The employer acknowledged the injury by a Notice of Compensation Payable (NCP).  Subsequently, a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) expanded the description of injury. The employer then filed a Termination Petition, alleging the claimant was fully recovered from the injuries. Providers filed Utilization Review (UR) Petitions, challenging UR determinations finding their chiropractic treatment to be not reasonable and necessary. A settlement of the claim was eventually reached, and the employer filed a Petition to Seek Approval of a Compromise and Release (C&R) Agreement. The C&R outlined that the agreement fully resolved all future workers’ compensation claims except for the termination and UR Petitions. Briefs were filed and one day later, the WCJ issued an Interlocutory Order which stated if instructions were not followed regarding filing of a C&R, a settlement hearing date would not be given. The employer complied with the order, and filed the C&R. Subsequently, the WCJ notified the parties that the C&R must resolve all issues in the petitions, or would not be entertained. A settlement hearing was never held, and the WCJ then issued a decision, granting the Termination Petition and dismissing the UR Petitions. The WCJ also said that the Petition for Approval of a C&R was dismissed without prejudice, as the issues in the Termination and UR Petitions went to a decision. The claimant appealed to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Board). The Board granted the claimant’s appeal, finding that the WCJ violated the requirement of Section 449 that an expedited hearing be held when a Petition for Approval of a C&R is filed.  The Board further held that it was legally incorrect for the WCJ to insist that the C&R resolve all issues raised by the pending Petitions. The Board remanded the case to a new WCJ, and Employer appealed to the Commonwealth Court. The court affirmed the Board and held that the WCJ erred, as a matter of law, by refusing to hold an expedited hearing within 30 days, once the Petition for Approval of a C&R was filed.  The court noted that the language of Section 449(b) is mandatory, and a settlement hearing is not discretionary or dependent on a party’s separate request for a stay, or whether the record has been closed. The court further rejected Employer’s argument that the case should not be remanded to a new WCJ for a new decision on the termination and and UR Petitions, as the Board passed no judgment on whether the C&R Agreement resolved the termination and UR Petitions, and left it for the WCJ to decide in connection with the Petition for Approval of a C&R.

Result

Statutory Employer Immunity Upheld

In this construction accident case that resulted in a $5 million verdict, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld the Statutory Employer Doctrine, which immunizes general contractors and other contractors on construction sites when certain elements are satisfied.

graphic announcing our 6 2027 Super Lawyers & Rising Stars

News

Marshall Dennehey Announces 2027 New Jersey Super Lawyers And Rising Stars

Result

$1.09 Billion Products Liability Verdict Overturned

In this products liability crashworthiness case, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania reversed a Philadelphia jury verdict of $1.09 billion, the largest verdict ever overturned by a PA appellate court.  The court ordered a new trial based on deficient jury instructions, clarified important aspects of crashworthiness law, and confirmed that so-called standard jury instructions may be incompatible with Pennsylvania law. 

Thought Leadership

Appellate Division Reversed Trial Judge's Orders Granting a Plaintiff's Section 40 Summary Judgement Motion

In Haskins v. Casey, et al., the plaintiff Dane Haskins worked for defendant Ekornes, Inc. (Ekornes) as a material handler. In June 2021, he filed a workers’ compensation claim petition for benefits due to a left shoulder injury in December 2020. He then resolved his workers’ compensation claim in November 2022 under an Order Approving Settlement. In January 2023, he filed a lawsuit against Ekornes and later amended to add additional claims and name other defendants, including the Ekornes president, chief financial officer, and director of human resources. In May 2025, a second amended complaint alleged that after he filed the workers compensation claim, Ekornes placed him on leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), denied his request for a work accommodation, and ultimately terminated him from employment in December 2021. He pleaded several causes of action asserting violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) as well as fraudulent concealment and wrongful discharge. The plaintiff then moved for partial summary judgment, seeking an order enforcing Section 40 of the Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) as well as summary judgment on his FMLA claims. The defendants opposed the motions and cross-moved for summary judgment on the FMLA claims. After arguments, the court entered an order in December 2025, denying the FMLA motion and cross motion and granting the plaintiff’s Section 40 motion. In the order, the court permitted the plaintiff to pursue compensatory damages at trial in connection with the bodily injury claim. The court also allowed the plaintiff to present evidence of any workers’ compensation benefits to support his claim. The court then denied the defendant's subsequent reconsideration motion in February 2026. The defendants that appealed the Section 40 aspect of the orders. In reviewing the appeal de novo, the Appellate Division rejected the plaintiff's argument that the work-related injury arose out of his discrimination claims under the LAD. The plaintiff argued that he should be able to pursue a personal injury claim as a part of his LAD claim, noting that the employer’s compensation carrier would be able to assert a lien against any recovery against his LAD claims. In distinguishing between the Richter vs. Oakland Board of Education, 246 N.J. 507 (2021) case, in which the Court found that any recovery would be subject to a Section 40 lien as the allegation was that the defendants failed to accommodate her pre-existing diabetic condition, which resulted in bodily injury. In this case, the Appellate Division indicated that there was no bodily injury caused by Ekornes’ failure to accommodate a pre-existing disability. Rather, the shoulder injury was a result of a workers compensation claim, for which he received appropriate benefits previously. The Appellate Division noted that if the plaintiff was successful in proving his LAD claims, he would be entitled to damages caused by the discriminatory discriminatory conduct such as lost wages and emotional distress damages and that there will be no Section 40 lien. In addition, the Appellate Division disagreed that the petitioner could present evidence about and seek damages for his shoulder injury at trial. Although the petitioner argued that a defendant who retaliated against an employee for filing a workers’ compensation claim should not benefit from the exclusivity provision of the WCA, the Appellate Division noted that the Legislature did not include this type of scenario in the statue nor did any of the case law recognize this type of claim as a remedy. As such, the Appellate Division reversed the December 2025 order granting the the plaintiff’s Section 40 summary judgment motion as well as the February 2026 reconsideration motion order. The Appellate Division noted that they did not intend to limit the plaintiff in his pursuit of his other claims on under the LAD, FMLA, and workers’ compensation retaliation causes of action.

Result

$19 Million Medical Malpractice Verdict Overturned

In this medical malpractice case, the trial court vacated $10 million of a $19 million verdict in post-trial motions and the Superior Court of Pennsylvania vacated the remaining $9 million on appeal.

Thought Leadership

Commonwealth Court Reaffirms the Constitutionality of Act 111's IRE Provisions

In this case, the claimant sustained a work injury of January 6, 1994, which was acknowledged by Notice of Compensation Payable (NCP). After the claimant’s receipt of 104 weeks of temporary total disability benefits, the employer filed a Request for an Impairment Rating Examination (IRE). The IRE was performed in May 2023 and the IRE physician found that the claimant had a 5% whole person impairment, under the AMA Guides. The employer filed a Petition based on the IRE results, and the Petition was granted by the WCJ. During litigation, the claimant argued that the IRE provisions of Act 111 (Section 306(a.3) of the Act) were not applicable to her injury, since it predated June 24, 1996, the date Act 57 went into effect, and that the IRE provisions were unconstitutional. The Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ)) granted the Petition and the Board affirmed. On appeal to the Commonwealth Court, the claimant argued that Act 111 violated the nondelegation doctrine and that its retroactive application to the claimant’s injury was unconstitutional. The court rejected the arguments on the basis that they had already found the same arguments without merit in multiple, prior cases. The court also addressed an argument made by the claimant that Act 111 was procedurally defective under the Pennsylvania Constitution because it was only considered on two days in each House after having undergone amendments and reassignments. The court noted that the Pennsylvania Constitution requires every bill to be considered on three different days in each House. The claimant maintained that, according to the legislative history, the bill did not receive three separate days of consideration from each House when it was assigned a new bill number. The court pointed out, however, that the bill number, H.B. 1840 remained constant and was considered on three occasions by the House. Further, the court concluded that minor amendments to the bill were germane to its original subject, which was to modify the Act’s IRE process, in accordance with Protz II.

Event

CLM 2026 Focus Conference

Allison joins three insurance industry leaders to discuss how cyber coverage disputes, the growing impact of social inflation on bodily injury claim valuation, and the use of artificial intelligence are reshaping the bad faith landscape. The panel will examine emerging sources of extra-contractual exposure, including evolving cyber insurance coverage issues and the challenges of accurately valuing bodily injury claims. Practical approaches to claim evaluation using AI, along with defense strategies designed to help prevent or successfully defend against bad faith litigation, will also be addressed.