Category Archives: News

Philadelphia, Oct. 26, 2010 – Burns White Employment Law Practice Group Head Jeff Adler spoke on a panel at the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting and OTO Expo held Sept. 26-29 in Boston.

Mr. Adler, who is also managing partner of the firm’s Philadelphia office, participated in a panel discussing legal claims related to voice injuries and privacy issues designed to protect high-profile singers who have suffered voice injuries.

The Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO is held each fall, with thousands of Academy members, non-member physicians, allied health professionals, administrators, and exhibiting companies attending “the world’s largest gathering of otolaryngologists.” It drew more than 9,000 medical experts and professionals from around the world and featured instruction courses, miniseminars, scientific oral presentations, honorary guest lectures, and numerous scientific posters.

Click here to learn more about Jeff.

Pittsburgh, Oct. 8, 2010 – Burns White Member Ira Podheiser and Associate Carlos Diaz were quoted in separate articles in the Oct. 8 edition of the Allegheny County Bar Association Lawyers Journal.

Podheiser’s comments are located on page 8 of a story that begins on the front page titled “ACBA Diversity Initiative sees positive progress and growth,” while Diaz is quoted in the page 4 article titled “Hispanic Attorneys Committee to sponsor Heritage Celebration Oct. 14.”

Click here for the Oct. 8 edition of Allegheny County Bar Association Lawyers Journal.

Pittsburgh, Sept. 22, 2010 — Burns White has received both national and regional acclaim in the inaugural U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms Rankings for 2010. Burns White is one of only 10 out of 120 firms with Pittsburgh offices to receive a first-tier national ranking in any category. It is the only firm in Pennsylvania to receive a First-Tier National ranking in Railroad Law practice and also just one of 16 firms in the entire country to earn this particular honor in the Railroad Law category. “This honor is meaningful because it reflects the dedication of our attorneys and their continued efforts to maximize the return that our clients invest in us every day,” said Founding Member David White. “We take great pride in the partnerships we’ve established with our clients across all practice areas and are flattered to be included among the elite group of firms represented in these rankings,” added David Damico, Transportation Group Practice Head and Member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Burns White’s Pittsburgh office also earned First-Tier Metropolitan rankings in Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Railroad Law, as well as a Second-Tier Metropolitan ranking in Antitrust Law and a Third-Tier Metropolitan ranking in General Commercial Litigation. The Burns White Wheeling, W. Va., office also earned First-Tier Metropolitan rankings for the Morgantown, W. Va., area in Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. The rankings, including 30,322 rankings of 8,782 law firms nationally, in 81 practice areas, are posted online at www.usnews.com/bestlawfirms; the national first-tier rankings will be featured in the October print issue of U.S.News & World Report, which is available for purchase beginning September 27. The methodology for the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” involved surveying thousands of law firm clients; leading lawyers and law firm managers, partners and associates, marketing officers and recruiting officers. Each was asked about the factors they considered vital for clients hiring law firms, for lawyers choosing a firm to refer a legal matter to, and for lawyers seeking employment. Full data is available online for the law firms that received rankings, from the largest firms in the country to hundreds of one-person and two-person law firms, providing a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings. ###

Pittsburgh, Sept. 22, 2010 — Burns White has received both national and regional acclaim in the inaugural U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms Rankings for 2010. Burns White is one of only 10 out of 120 firms with Pittsburgh offices to receive a first-tier national ranking in any category. It is the only firm in Pennsylvania to receive a First-Tier National ranking in Railroad Law practice and also just one of 16 firms in the entire country to earn this particular honor in the Railroad Law category. “This honor is meaningful because it reflects the dedication of our attorneys and their continued efforts to maximize the return that our clients invest in us every day,” said Founding Member David White. “We take great pride in the partnerships we’ve established with our clients across all practice areas and are flattered to be included among the elite group of firms represented in these rankings,” added David Damico, Transportation Group Practice Head and Member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Burns White’s Pittsburgh office also earned First-Tier Metropolitan rankings in Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Railroad Law, as well as a Second-Tier Metropolitan ranking in Antitrust Law and a Third-Tier Metropolitan ranking in General Commercial Litigation. The Burns White Wheeling, W. Va., office also earned First-Tier Metropolitan rankings for the Morgantown, W. Va., area in Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. The rankings, including 30,322 rankings of 8,782 law firms nationally, in 81 practice areas, are posted online at www.usnews.com/bestlawfirms; the national first-tier rankings will be featured in the October print issue of U.S.News & World Report, which is available for purchase beginning September 27. The methodology for the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” involved surveying thousands of law firm clients; leading lawyers and law firm managers, partners and associates, marketing officers and recruiting officers. Each was asked about the factors they considered vital for clients hiring law firms, for lawyers choosing a firm to refer a legal matter to, and for lawyers seeking employment. Full data is available online for the law firms that received rankings, from the largest firms in the country to hundreds of one-person and two-person law firms, providing a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings. ###

Pittsburgh, August 10, 2010 — Five Burns White attorneys have been selected for the 17th edition of Best Lawyers in America® for 2011. The Pittsburgh attorneys honored were Michael W. Burns, for Commercial Litigation, Media Law and Railroad Law; David A. Damico for Railroad Law; Daniel B. Donahoe for Railroad Law; and David B. White for Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation. From the firm’s Wheeling, W. Va., office, Patrick S. Casey was recognized for Healthcare Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Professional Malpractice Law. This marks the ninth consecutive year Mr. Damico has received this honor, followed by Mr. Burns and Mr. White (five consecutive years) and Mr. Donahoe and Mr. Casey (four consecutive years). Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. None of the winners knows when he or she has been nominated or by whom. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 39,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.1 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel Magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” It is important to note that the lawyers listed in Best Lawyers have no say in deciding which practice areas they are included in. They are voted into practice areas entirely as a result of the votes they receive from their peers. The subspecialties listed after their names are based on information from a variety of sources.

Pittsburgh, June 14, 2010 – Associate Shanicka Kennedy has been appointed to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board for a two-year term.

This five member board is charged with enforcement and education as to the City’s Ethics Code. The Board issues advisory opinions, and works with the Personnel Department to implement a comprehensive training program, in addition to hearing Citizen Complaints.

April 23, 2010 – Brian Mancos was successful in obtaining an order granting summary judgment in favor of a major railroad client in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania precluding the Plaintiff from arguing that the nature and size of ballast stone used by the railroad caused or contributed to his alleged injuries. This order marks the first time a Court outside of the Sixth Circuit of the United States has adopted the holding of the Court in Nickels v. Grand Trunk W. R.R., 560 F.3d 426 (6th Cir. 2009), establishing that plaintiff’s ballast argument is precluded by Federal Law. The Plaintiff, a 62-year-old former railroad worker, sued the defendant under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) demanding damages for bilateral knee injuries. Through his Motion, Mr. Mancos was also successful in eliminating Plaintiff’s left knee injury claim based on the running of the FELA statute of limitations.

Pittsburgh, March 23, 2010 — Lyle Washowich, a commercial litigator representing clients in the financial, business and manufacturing industries, has joined the Pittsburgh law office. Mr. Washowich defends clients against common law and statutory putative class actions, consumer protection law claims, and alleged financial and other fraud charges. He represents financial organizations in mortgage servicing, purchasing and securitization claims and a wide variety of businesses, manufacturing and public sector clients in matters concerning claims of product liability, suits targeting third parties, unfair competition, tortious interference, and First Amendment and media law. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Allegheny College (1996) with a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, Mr. Washowich received his law degree from Northwestern University (1999). At Northwestern, he was associate editor of the Law Review and participated in the school’s inaugural trip to Tanzania to develop a long-term research and idea-exchange partnership. Active in the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA), Mr. Washowich serves on the association’s Gender Bias Subcommittee and Women in the Law Division Professional Development Committee.

March 23, 2010 – Christine Hardy was successful in obtaining an arbitration award in favor of a major railroad client in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiff, a 35-year-old railroad worker, sued the defendant under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) demanding $40,000 in damages for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. During closing arguments, Mrs. Hardy argued that the defendant provided the plaintiff with a reasonably safe work environment. The court determined that the plaintiff failed to prove negligence.

Pittsburgh, March 1, 2010 – A new member (partner) and two associate attorneys have joined the Pittsburgh office.

Jeffrey A. Jackson of Sewickley, Pa., is a member practicing in the firm’s Litigation and Transportation groups. He is a trial lawyer and former prosecutor with an extensive national practice focusing on occupational injury matters. Jeff has successfully litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country, while also counseling clients on risk avoidance of occupational injury claims and litigation. A Bachelor of Arts graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Jeff received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Associate Nichole Humes of Mt. Lebanon, Pa., joined the Litigation group’s Insurance Defense team. Previously, she was a litigator for a Chicago, Ill., firm where she represented municipal, construction, and transportation clients. Nichole received her law degree from Duquesne University and her undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University, where she was a two-time recipient of the Clayton A. Schug Award for Excellence in Forensics.

Stephanie Solomon of Plum, Pa., is an associate working in the firm’s Litigation group, specifically defending professional malpractice and commercial cases. Stephanie received her undergraduate and law degrees, cum laude, from Duquesne University. She was a staff member of the Duquesne Law review. An avid runner, Stephanie has participated in the Nike Women’s Marathon for which she raised funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. She also volunteers in the firm’s Beginning with Books reading program in the Pittsburgh schools.