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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

Thought Leadership

On the Pulse… Profile of the Intellectual Property, Technology & Media Litigation Practice Group

The Intellectual Property, Technology & Media Practice provides comprehensive, end-to-end litigation and counseling services to national and global insurance carriers. We are committed to delivering a disciplined, cost-effective, and creative defense tailored to each client's needs. Our attorneys combine deep litigation experience with technical and scientific backgrounds, enabling us to understand our clients' technologies and effectively communicate complex concepts to adversaries, judges, and juries. We also assist clients with risk management, pre-suit dispute resolution strategies, and, when necessary, the litigation of claims and complaints in courts across all 50 states through trial. In addition, we work closely with our eDiscovery team to address complex issues involving electronically stored information, including data preservation, electronic discovery, computer imaging, and allegations of spoliation. These issues are often critical to the intellectual property and technology matters we handle every day, and our integrated approach helps clients navigate them efficiently and effectively. Our attorneys represent clients in patent infringement, copyright, trademark, and trade secret disputes in the state and federal courts in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Many of our clients also face highly technical professional liability claims involving computer systems, software, cybersecurity, data management, and other technology-related services. We take a proactive approach to managing risk and controlling exposure, working with clients and their insurers to develop effective pre-suit strategies and avoid litigation whenever possible through mediation, settlement conferences, and other alternative dispute resolution methods. When litigation cannot be avoided, we remain steadfast in serving our clients' legal and business objectives, recognizing the significant costs and operational burdens that complex litigation can impose. We work closely with insurance carriers to help protect our clients' brands, intellectual property, and business interests while delivering a thorough and cost-effective defense. We additionally maintain a strong Media Practice. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling First Amendment and media-related disputes, including claims involving defamation, libel, privacy rights, injunctions, gag orders, and prior restraints on speech. Clients benefit from our practical litigation strategies and thoughtful approach to managing matters that often attract significant public attention and scrutiny. With 19 offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Florida, Ohio, and Connecticut, we maintain a strong presence across the East Coast. We serve as national counsel for insurance carriers and have handled matters throughout the United States, from Hawaii to Washington, and virtually every jurisdiction in between. Our national reputation ensures that our clients receive not just the best skilled legal representation but also practical business-minded guidance in determining the proper legal response to all claims and lawsuits. David chairs both the Privacy and Data Security Practice and the Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Litigation Practice. He may be reached at djshannon@mdwcg.com.

Thought Leadership

On the Pulse…Recent Appellate Victories

Kimberly Berman (Fort Lauderdale) and Sontho SaintGermain (Orlando) succeeded in obtaining an affirmance by the Second District Court of Appeal of a final judgment in a slip-and-fall premises liability matter on behalf of a business establishment and property owner. The plaintiff was a business invitee who sued the property owner for negligence after she fell while riding her electric bicycle through its landscaped parking lot. During discovery, the plaintiff claimed the fall occurred while she was traversing through a section “covered heavily in leaves” though she could not identify how she fell nor whether there were any objects or foreign substances causing her fall. The property owner moved for summary judgment, asserting the accumulation of leaves on the parking lot was an open and obvious, naturally occurring condition that could not constitute a dangerous condition to impose liability on a property owner. The court granted summary judgment in the property owner’s favor. After oral argument, the Second District Court affirmed per curiam the final judgment in the property owner’s favor. Carrie Collier v. Cars MTI-4 L.P. d/b/a Lazydays RV Resort, No. 2D2025-1980 (Fla. 2d DCA May 13, 2026). Kimberly House (Philadelphia) succeeded in obtaining a victory in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania that reversed the trial court’s decision and remanded the case for reinstatement of the jury verdict which was originally won by Gary Samms (King of Prussia/Philadelphia). (The underlying medical malpractice case involved claims seeking more than $5 million in damages for serious eye injuries including a detached retina and macular hole.) At trial, the jury returned a defense verdict finding that the defendant’s negligence was not a cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. The trial judge granted the plaintiff’s post-trial motions and ordered a new trial solely on the issue of damages. The Superior Court found that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that causation was not disputed and that the jury’s finding of no causation was against the weight of the evidence. Busanic v. Premier Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, 2026 Pa. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1140 (Pa. Super. Apr. 28, 2026). Suzanne Tighe (Scranton/Philadelphia), Allison Krupp (Harrisburg)  and Christopher Woodward (Harrisburg) succeeded in obtaining an affirmance by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania of a non-jury trial decision in favor of an insurance company. Plaintiffs asserted claims under the Pennsylvania Bad Faith Statute, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371, following a statutory arbitration award in excess of the available underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. The trial court held the plaintiffs failed to prove bad faith in the handling of the UIM claim and entered judgment in favor of the insurer. The Superior Court rejected the plaintiffs’ contentions that the trial court misapplied the applicable bad faith law, set forth in Rancosky v. Washington Nat’l Ins. Co. 170 A.3d 364 (Pa. 2017), and affirmed the trial court. The Superior Court further held that plaintiffs’ waived their requests for judgment notwithstanding verdict (JNOV) and new trial by failing to properly preserve these issues at trial and in post-trial motions. Brown v. U.S. Auto. Ass’n, 2026 Pa. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1393 (May 27, 2026). *Results do not guarantee a similar result.

News

106 Marshall Dennehey Attorneys Recognized in the 2027 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America

Marshall Dennehey is proud to highlight the firm’s 106 attorneys who have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Less than 6% of all practicing lawyers in the U.S. were selected by their peers for this recognition. Additionally, four of the firm’s attorneys received the Best Lawyers® 2027 “Lawyer of the Year” awards in their respective practice areas and demographic regions. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For more information, please visit https://www.bestlawyers.com/. OUR 2027 LAWYERS OF THE YEAR Harrisburg, PA Christopher Reeser, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Kacey Wiedt, Workers Compensation Law - Employers Roseland, NJ Justin F. Johnson, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Leonard Leicht, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants   OUR 2026 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA Philadelphia, PA Nicholas D. Bowers, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Josh J. T. Byrne, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Jefferey J. Chomko, Insurance Law James H. Cole, Insurance Law John J. Delany III, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Laurianne Falcone, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants John P. Gonzales, Employment Law - Management John Hare, Appellate Practice Daniel D. Krebbs, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Michele Punturi, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Bradley D. Remick, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Andrea Cicero Rock, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Robin M. Romano, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Daniel J. Ryan, Jr., Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Gary M. Samms, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Christopher N. Santoro, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation -Defendants Josh D. Scheets, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Robert P. Schenk, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Robert E. Smith, Insurance Law Robin Snyder, Litigation - Health Care Michael L. Turner, Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Claire Breaux Ventola, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Pittsburgh, PA Melissa Devich Cochran, Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants  John F. Deasy, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Daniel W. Deitrick, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Douglas C. LaSota, Litigation - Construction; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Joseph V. Lesinski, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants   Christian D. Marquis, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Patricia A. Monahan, Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance Patrick T. Reilly, Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Brett C. Shear, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Teresa O. Sirianni, Education Law; Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment Stuart Sostmann, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Danielle M. Vugrinovich, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Scranton, PA Sarah E. Argo, Litigation - Insurance Michael J. Connolly, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Matthew Keris, Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants John T. McGrath, Jr., Insurance Law; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants William J. McPartland, Insurance Law John R. Nealon, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Victoria Scanlon, Health Care Law; Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Michael A. Sebastian, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Thomas A. Specht, Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance Suzanne Tighe, Litigation Insurance Harrisburg , PA Casey Alan Coyle, Administrative/Regulatory Law; Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation Brittany E. Bakshi, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Shannon P. Fellin, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Allison Krupp, Insurance Law John R. Ninosky, Litigation – Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Christopher Reeser, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Kacey Wiedt, Workers' Compensation Law – Employers King of Prussia, PA  Michael L. Detweiler, Construction Law Joseph L. Hoynoski III, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Gregory J. Kelley, Construction Law, Litigation - Construction Anthony Natale III, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Francis X. Wickersham, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers A. Judd Woytek, Workers' Compensation Law – Employers Erie, PA Patrick M. Carey, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Joel M. Snavely, Health Care Law; Insurance Law New Haven, CT Michael Wrona, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy  Mount Laurel, NJ David D. Blake, Litigation - Insurance Barbara Davis, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Lynne Nahmani, Litigation - Health Care John H. Osorio, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants John L. Slimm, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants Roseland, NJ Robert T. Evers, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Justin F. Johnson, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Julia Klubenspies, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Leonard C. Leicht, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Patricia M. McDonagh, Appellate Practice Sunny Sparano, Litigation - Construction Randall S. Watts, Health Care Law New York, NY Tonya M. Lindsey, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Tampa, FL Michael Archibald, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Lindsay G. McCormick, Litigation – Construction Orlando, FL Thomas F. Brown, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Dante C. Rohr, Commercial Litigation Fort Lauderdale, FL Kimberly Kanoff Berman, Appellate Practice Patrick M. Delong, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Jacksonville, FL  Heather Byrer Carbone, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Linda Wagner Farrell, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Elizabeth B. Ferguson, Litigation - Construction James P. Hanratty, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Wilmington, DE Sarah B. Cole, Litigation - Insurance Benjamin K. Durstein, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Maria R. Granaudo, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants  Keri L. Morris-Johnston, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Cincinnati, OH Timothy B. Schenkel, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants David E. Williamson, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Cleveland, OH Vincent E. Cononico, Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Jillian L. Dinehart, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants David J. Fagnilli, Insurance Law Jason P. Ferrante, Health Care Law, Litigation - Health Care Andrew H. Isakoff, Transportation Law Leslie M. Jenny, Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendant OUR 2026 BEST LAWYERS: ONES TO WATCH Jacksonville, FL Sean J. Reeves, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Orlando, FL Carolin A. Pacheco, Insurance Law Mount Laurel Stacey Gorin, Insurance Law Melville, NY Kimberly Gitlin, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Matthew A. Gray, Insurance Law; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Philadelphia, PA Holli K. Archer, Health Care Law; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law Emily Pritchyk, Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Pittsburgh, PA Taylor E. Kosko, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Alana Staniszewski, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Michael D. Winsko, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Transportation Law King of Prussia, PA Richard Lechette, Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Thought Leadership

On the Pulse…Other Notable Achievements

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Dana Gittleman (Philadelphia) authored the article, “The Importance of Memorializing Settlement Terms," appearing in the PLUS Blog on April 27, 2026. In the article, Dana discusses a new Pennsylvania Superior Court decision that shows how overlooked or undocumented terms can unravel even routine negotiations, especially when parties have differing expectations or one side is unrepresented. Jordan Mazzoni (Scranton) authored the article, “The Best Defense is Already in the File Documentation in Civil Rights Litigation," published on PLUS Blog on July 27. The article discusses how documentation is an essential defense to public entity & civil rights litigation. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ​John L. Slimm (Mount Laurel) moderated and presented on claims and defenses involving lawsuits against the plaintiffs' bar at the 2026 Legal Malpractice Update for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. The seminar offered practical strategies to prevent ethical grievances and legal malpractice, along with sharing expert insights on issues from electronic payments and fee splitting to the impact of AI. ​Heather Carbone (Jacksonville) was a panelist for a webinar hosted by The Workers’ Compensation Claims Professionals (WCCP) Association. As part of the “Meet the Experts” Series, the speakers addressed “Afterthoughts that Undermine a Successful Mediation,” highlighting the pitfalls and challenges of underprepared or unprepared mediation participants. A. Judd Woytek (King of Prussia) joined a panel at the CLM Alliance (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance) Work Comp Conference in Nashville to present "We See You How Employee Engagement Enhances Work Comp Outcomes." Judd and his fellow panelists discussed the positive impact of employee engagement on claim outcomes, return-to-work timelines, and overall claim costs. ​Joe Lesinski (Pittsburgh), Jim Cole (Philadelphia), Matt Flanagan (New York), and Adam Fogarty (Mt. Laurel) presented several continuing education (CE) programs to claims professionals for our client. The team hosted two one-hour panel discussions on “The Art of Mediation", attended by more than 80 claims professionals. In the afternoon Adam Fogarty and Joe Lesinski presented a CE program on “The Fundamentals of Premises Liability in New Jersey and Pennsylvania" while Matt Flanagan and Jim Cole led a presentation on “Trends in Claims" against attorneys and the evolving issues impacting the legal profession. ​Julia Klubenspies (Roseland) was invited to speak to the 2026 class of incoming resident physicians at The Valley Hospital on ways to reduce the risk of being named in litigation. ​Jon Cross (Philadelphia) and Sara Mazzolla (Roseland) spoke at the 5th Annual ideal3 Summit in Minneapolis on “Information Gathering for New Claims and Prevention of Spoliation." The program explored the ethical and legal obligations surrounding the collection and preservation of evidence once a claim is anticipated. Sara Mazzolla (Roseland) presented at the annual Roller Skating Association Conference on "The Pros and Cons of Waivers in Your Rink," sharing insights on the use of liability waivers as a risk management tool for skating rink operators and discussing considerations that may impact their effectiveness. James Hanratty and Erica Cagan (both of Jacksonville) presented at the Florida Defense Lawyers Association's Florida Liability Claims Conference. Their session, "Supporting the Next Generation: Connecting with Associates," explored communication best practices from the perspectives of both a senior shareholder and a newer associate. Lindsay McCormick (Tampa) was a panelist at the West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar in Anaheim. Lindsay's session, "It May Not Be All Wrapped Up with Your OCIP/CCIP," examined key considerations surrounding Owner-Controlled and Contractor-Controlled Insurance Programs. Attendees gained insight into risk management strategies and coverage issues impacting construction defect litigation and related claims. Gary M. Samms (King of Prussia and Philadelphia) was a featured speaker at the American Legal Connections (ALC) 2026 Seventh Annual Healthcare Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia. Gary joined a panel discussion titled “The Modern Plaintiff Machine.” Designed for medical professional liability defense attorneys, claims professionals, underwriters, carriers, and health system risk executives, the symposium addressed some of the most pressing challenges in today’s healthcare litigation landscape. Josh Byrne (Philadelphia) was a featured panelist at the Philadelphia Bar Association CLE program, "Ethics & Legal Malpractice Avoidance." The program provided a comprehensive overview of strategies for avoiding legal malpractice, including ethical considerations, client communication best practices, and common pitfalls that can lead to malpractice claims. Casey Coyle (Harrisburg and Philadelphia) presented "Recent Civil Law Decisions and Civil Rule Updates" at the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges in Hershey. The session provided attendees with insights into recent developments in Pennsylvania civil law and examined updates to the rules governing civil practice, helping practitioners stay informed on significant changes affecting litigation and courtroom procedure. PUBLISHED WORKS Josh J.T. Byrne (Philadelphia) and Alesia S. Sulock (Philadelphia) authored the article, “Whither the Private Reprimand," published in The Legal Intelligencer on July 22, 2026. In the article, Josh and Alesia examine the notable absence of private reprimands issued by the Pennsylvania disciplinary authorities in 2025, discussing the important role that informal admonitions and private reprimands have historically played in addressing attorney misconduct and considering what this trend may signal for the future of attorney discipline in Pennsylvania. ​Blake Hood (Jacksonville) authored the article, “Fla. Workers' Comp Physician Dispensing Ruling Could Produce New Legislative Fight," published on August 5 in Insurance Journal . The article discusses Florida's First District Court of Appeal's decision in Publix Super Markets, Inc., et al. v. Department of Financial Services, et al., holding that while injured workers have an absolute right to choose their own pharmacy or pharmacist, that right does not extend to physicians who dispense medications directly to their patients. Kimberly Kanoff Berman and Seth Altman (Fort Lauderdale) authored the article, “A Unified, Single Claim for Damages Requires Apportionment in a Joint Proposal: What the Decision in 'Trace Elements' Means for Property Insurance Claims,” published on August 6 in the Daily Business Review. The article analyzes the Florida Supreme Court's decision in Trace Elements v. MacKensen and examines its implications for property insurance claims in Florida, particularly regarding the apportionment of damages in joint settlement proposals. RECOGNITION Tiere Phillips (Pittsburgh) was elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Judicial Committee for a Diverse Seat. As one of only three attorneys elected to this role, Tiere will help ensure fairness and equality in representation during judicial evaluations and recommendations for election and reelection in Allegheny County. Steven A. Johnston (Roseland) received the “Pride of Essex County Award” at the 2026 Essex County LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration on June 17 at the Essex County Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building in Newark. Hosted in conjunction with the Essex County Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and the Essex County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Advisory Board, Steven was recognized for his service to the community and his support of equality for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Jason Banonis (King of Prussia) was honored with the Pennsylvania Defense Institute’s 2026 Attorney of the Year Award at the organization’s annual conference.  A longtime leader and contributor to the organization, Jason was recognized for his dedication and service.