Healthcare and Long-Term Care Associate Anne P. Schmidt wrote an article titled, “A Proactive Approach to Social Networking Can Prevent Privacy Breaches” for the July/August 2014 issue of Eastern Pennsylvania MD News. Click here and advance to page five to read it.
Healthcare Member Stuart T. O’Neal, III wrote an article for Eastern Pennsylvania MD News addressing a proposed new rule in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program intended to crack down on prescription fraud and abuse, and how it may impact a physician’s practice. Click here and flip to page five to read it.
PITTSBURGH, May 23, 2014 — Burns White Members David B. White and David A. Damico in the Pittsburgh office, and Member Valerie H. Lieberman and Associate Frank T. Troilo in the Philadelphia office were named to the 2014 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list, a distinction received by no more than five percent of attorneys practicing in the state. In addition, Members Travis W. Smith and Stephen A. Hall of Pittsburgh and Associate Andrew J. Fuga of Philadelphia were selected for the Rising Stars list.
Named to the Pa. Super Lawyers list since 2004, Mr. White brings to his clients more than 30 years of demonstrated legal experience spanning several industries and areas of litigation including financial services, commercial, products liability, professional malpractice and employment, coupled with practical business acumen and strong leadership skills as a team builder and project manager. Mr. White earned a J.D. degree from Duquesne University.
Mr. Damico, who is a seven-time list maker for Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, brings more than 29 years of litigation experience coupled with business acumen to his corporate clients. Co-Chair of the firm’s Transportation Practice Group, he serves as National Trial Counsel to multiple railroad companies and has tried numerous occupational illness, toxic exposure and catastrophic personal injury cases. Mr. Damico also serves as counsel on behalf of manufacturers and distributors in complex products liability and toxic tort cases. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Included on the list for a third consecutive year, Ms. Lieberman is a member of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Group and serves on the Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Council of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. For nearly 20 years, she has worked with insurance companies, self-insured and uninsured employers from a variety of industries to help reduce their exposure to workers’ compensation claims. Ms. Lieberman received a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Mr. Troilo, a first-time list maker, defends a diverse array of clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in workers’ compensation claims. With more than 24 years of experience, he has worked at several Philadelphia firms developing litigation strategies and counseling employers on issues related to insurance coverage, compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, wrongful discharge and employee resolution options. Mr. Troilo graduated from Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law.
The Pennsylvania Rising Stars rating is a distinction given to no more than 2.5 percent of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state who are either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for ten years or less. Mr. Smith, Chair and Founder of the Medicare Compliance Group, was selected as a Rising Star recipient in 2008 and 2010-2013. Civil litigation and Estate Planning & Administration Co-Chair Mr.Hall was named to the list in 2010-2011 and 2012-13. Mr. Fuga, a first time list maker for Pennsylvania Rising Stars, concentrates his practice in construction law and litigation.
An annual rating service of the Thomson Reuters, Legal division, the Super Lawyers list’s patented, multiphase selection process consists of a statewide survey of lawyers in more than 70 practice areas, independent research to identify outstanding lawyers, evaluation of candidates based on 12 indicators of peer recognition, a panel review by practice area and a discipline check of each candidate.
PITTSBURGH, May 19, 2014 — Nicholas D. Varischetti was named a 2014 Fast Tracker, an annual award honoring local business and nonprofit community leaders who are under the age of 40, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Mr. Varischetti, along with other award recipients, will be honored on June 25 at the Andy Warhol Museum.
Winners were selected for their successful efforts to grow a business or nonprofit, significantly impacting the growth and scope of their organization. A supplement honoring their achievements will be published in the June 28 edition of the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Mr. Varischetti was nominated by Susan Baker Shipley, Huntington Bank president, Western Pennsylvania & Ohio Valley Region, citing his reputation as being a respected advisor to oil and gas and construction clients in complex deals, partnership in several family-owned businesses, and dedication, support and service to the city through various charitable and nonprofit organizations.
Mr. Varischetti’s area of legal practice focuses on the oil and gas, banking and construction industries. He also has extensive firsthand business experience as a partner in his family’s companies, including minority ownership in the Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition, Mr. Varischetti serves on five nonprofit boards — most notable of which is his role as chairman of Pittsburgh’s Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a task force created to find solutions to Pittsburgh’s financial struggles. Other board involvement includes Every Child Inc., Manchester Bidwell Corporation, The Frank Varischetti Foundation, Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP), as well as La Roche College’s Board of Trustees.
For more information on the Fast Tracker’s recognition event on June 25, visit Pittsburgh Business Times.
PITTSBURGH, May 13, 2014 — With an increasingly complex regulatory environment facing the firm and many of its clients, Burns White recently appointed Philadelphia-based Member Stuart T. O’Neal, III as Chief Privacy Officer to lead a new Policy Development Team in its efforts to take a more coordinated approach to regulatory compliance.
While clients in many industries are facing increased scrutiny, the creation of this position and team was prompted by the Omnibus Rule of the HITECH Act that went into effect in September 2013. These new regulations extended the protection of patient healthcare information provided by HIPAA and other privacy rules to include the business associates of hospitals, physicians and other covered entities.
As Chief Privacy Officer, Mr. O’Neal, who focuses his practice on the defense of medical facilities, long-term care companies and professionals of all types in professional and general liability claims, will be tasked with leading the firm’s policy efforts and further educating the firm and its healthcare clients regarding privacy and HIPAA regulations to help minimize the risk of any potential breaches from occurring.
“While Burns White certainly is not the only law firm to take a more detailed approach to its regulatory processes, we believe we are ahead of the curve,” said O’Neal. “The more proactive we can be in avoiding risk, the better it is for our clients… so putting the resources together for this was a natural strategic move for the firm.”
The Hamels Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi, appointed Member Stuart T. O’Neal, III to serve on its board of directors for a two-year term. In this role, Mr. O’Neal will help guide the organization in its efforts to enrich the lives of children through the power of education by giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals.
Effective May 5, 2014, the new contact information for the Wilkes-Barre, PA office is:
575 Pierce Street, Suite 202
Kingston, PA 18704
Telephone: (570) 338-6100
Facsimile: (570) 338-6101
PITTSBURGH, May 1, 2014 — Burns White Special Ethics Counsel Forest “Jack” Bowman is to receive West Virginia University College of Law’s 2014 Justitia Officium Award, its highest honor. Mr. Bowman, along with fellow award recipient Judge O.C. Spaulding, will be honored at the law school’s commencement ceremony on May 10.
Presented annually, the Justicia Officium Award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the legal profession. This annual award was established in 1978 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the university’s College of Law. An individual bronze plaque is created for each recipient and displayed in the lobby of the law school.
Mr. Bowman, the Jackson Kelly Professor of Law Emeritus at WVU College of Law, taught at the school for 23 years before retiring in 2002. During his tenure there, he was awarded several honors, including Professor of the Year by seven graduating classes, University Professor of the Year and Professor of the Year for all of higher education in West Virginia by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.
Mr. Bowman’s many professional accomplishments include being named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor bestowed upon only one-third of one percent of all America’s lawyers; a three-time recipient of the West Virginia State Bar’s Certificate of Merit; a recipient of the Harrison Tweed Award for outstanding contributions to continuing legal education in America; a WVU Order of Vandalia inductee for his far-reaching contributions to the university, and a WVU Outstanding Alumnus.
PITTSBURGH, April 30, 2014 — Burns White LLC welcomes seven associates to its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pa. offices and Cherry Hill, N.J. office.
Pittsburgh
Matthew J. Glenn’s energy practice involves the conducting of research, review and preparation of due diligence and title curative measures, as well as the writing of certified title opinions for clients in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining Burns White, Mr. Glenn worked as an abstractor at Turner Oil & Gas Properties where he played a key role in a 6,500-acre land acquisition. During law school, he researched oil and gas law as a law clerk at a firm in Southpointe. Mr. Glenn received a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011.
Andrew W. Lawrence assists clients in the oil and gas industry with due diligence review, title curative measures and certified title opinions. A former abstractor at Definitive Energy Solutions LLC, Mr. Lawrence researched up to 150-year real estate chains of title relating to both surface and mineral rights for oil and gas leases prior to joining the firm. In addition, he interned at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Low Income Taxpayer Clinic and for Magisterial District Justice Janice Jimenez in Lancaster, Pa. Mr. Lawrence graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2012.
An experienced litigator and a trial attorney, Candace G. Ragin brings a diverse practice in civil and criminal law to the Transportation Group at Burns White. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Ragin handled a wide range of matters including criminal and juvenile as an associate attorney for the Allegheny County Office of Conflict Counsel, and civil rights defense as an assistant solicitor in the City of Pittsburgh Law Department. Outside of the legal profession, she is an adjunct professor in the Sociology and Law Department at Saint Vincent College. Ms. Ragin graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in 2006.
Philadelphia
Daniel A. Cutler, a former associate at Nelson Levine de Luca & Hamilton, concentrates his practice on the defense of hospitals and physicians in professional and general liability matters. Having previously worked at insurance defense and multi-state law firms, Mr. Cutler has substantial litigation experience in state and federal courts pertaining to a wide range of liability matters including construction defects, personal injury, product defects and toxic torts. While in law school, he clerked for the Hon. Thomas Adams, New York State Supreme Court, Nassau County and interned for the Office of the District Attorney, Queens County, N.Y. Mr. Cutler graduated magna cum laude from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in 2009.
Brian O. Sumner defends a wide range of clients in workers’ compensation claims. Before working at Burns White, he held contract positions at Special Counsel, Inc. in Philadelphia and Gohn, Hankey & Stichel, LLP in Baltimore. Mr. Sumner graduated from Drexel University School of Law in 2009. While in law school, he was an editor of the Drexel Law Review and participated in a number of internships, including the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and the Legal Department of Wawa, Inc. Post-graduation, Mr. Sumner was a judicial fellow in the chambers of the Honorable Mark I. Bernstein of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Frank T. Troilo, who came to Burns White from The Dombrowksi Group, represents a diverse array of clients including Fortune 500 companies and individual employers in workers’ compensation matters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In his more than 24 years of legal experience, Mr. Troilo has handled workers’ compensation claims for governmental and municipal authorities; developed litigation strategies on behalf of insurance companies and third-party administrators; and counseled employers on issues related to insurance coverage, compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, wrongful discharge and employee resolution options. He has also handled general defense litigation, and personal injury and criminal law matters. Mr. Troilo graduated from Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law in 1990.
Cherry Hill
Ahsan A. Jafry’s practice consists of defending physicians, nurses, dentists, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other medical providers in medical malpractice matters. Mr. Jafry, who has been recognized by his peers with the New Jersey Super Lawyers© Rising Stars distinction since 2012, joined Burns White after working for several years as an associate at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman and Goggin. In addition, he was a deputy attorney general in the Tort Litigation Section of the Division of Law for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. Outside of private practice, Mr. Jafry serves on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee on Model Civil Jury Charges and teaches trial advocacy as an adjunct professor of Law at Rutgers School of Law – Camden. Mr. Jafry graduated from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law in 2004.
Healthcare Associate Anne P. Schmidt wrote an article on how developing and instituting a personal work style can be a vital tool in maintaining work-life balance for The Legal Intelligencer’s women in the profession supplement published on April 29, 2014. To begin reading it, click here and advance to page 10.
