Wilmington, DE, October 28, 2021 – Maron Marvel members Jack McCants and John Gaul will be speaking at upcoming DRI, Defense Research Institute, asbestos medicine events in New Orleans, LA. 

Jack, located in Maron Marvel’s Ridgeland, MS office, is scheduled to present “Verdict and Bankruptcy Trusts Update” at DRI’s 2021 Defense Lawyers Asbestos Symposium on November 3.  

John, located in the firm’s Philadelphia, PA office, will address “50 Years of Asbestos Litigation – A Historical Assessment of Each Decade” at DRI’s 2021 Asbestos Medicine Seminar on November 4.

Jack and John’s presence at DRI demonstrates Maron Marvel’s depth of knowledge in defense of asbestos medicine litigation and the firm’s reach across the United States.

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Maron Marvel is proud to be a sponsor of the upcoming Environmental Risk & Litigation Conference to be held on October 27, 2021, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, hosted by Perrin Conferences.

Maron Marvel director Dwight Kern served as co-chair of the conference Maron Marvel senior counsel Robert Petti was a panelist on “How the Biden Administration will Affect Environmental Underwriting and Claims.”

For more information, go to: 

https://www.perrinconferences.com/conferences/environmental-risk-litigation-conference-4/

 

 

To learn more the World Food Program USA and how you can help follow this link: https://www.wfpusa.org/

New Orleans, LA, October 1, 2021 – Maron Marvel recently added Brian C. Ebarb as an associate with the firm’s New Orleans, Louisiana office. Brian, will be part of the firm’s general liability defense team handling a broad range of matters involving product liability, premises liability, personal injury, environmental, construction defect, and toxic tort. Brian brings a state-of-the-art technology background to the firm which he implements in data management and security practices to protect client data while reducing their overall expenses.

Before joining Maron Marvel, Brian spent years working for government agencies in Louisiana. He was a prosecutor with the Orleans Parish District Attorney, the United States Attorney's Office, and the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Louisiana.  

 

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Maron Marvel member Jack McCants spoke at the 2021 Perrin Conferences National Asbestos Litigation Conference on September 27, 2021. Jack, located in the Maron Marvel’s Ridgeland, Mississippi office, was a panelist on the “National Trends Driving Asbestos Litigation” panel. Other panelists included: Perry J. Browder, Esq. of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC,  Bridget G. Longoria, Esq., Resolute Management Inc., Megan Shockley, KCIC, and Erin M. Voyik, Esq., The RiverStone Group.

Jack represents numerous clients in general litigation, product liability and toxic tort matters throughout the United States. He has considerable experience defending general product liability, personal injuries, construction contract formation and project representation (all phases), construction defect litigation, toxic tort, and pharmaceutical matters. 
 

WILMINGTON, Del. (AUGUST 2021) – National law firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy is proud to announce that 22 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, one of the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publications, and two attorneys have been named among The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch.

 

Maron Marvel’s recognized attorneys were drawn from the firm’s offices nationwide. Attorneys were recognized for their work in the practice areas of mass tort litigation / class actions, and personal injury, product liability, environmental, and commercial litigation on behalf of defendants.

 

Maron Marvel congratulates the following lawyers on being named among the 2022 Best Lawyers in America:

 

• George “Beau” L. Inabinet Jr. – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Charleston, SC)
• Paul A. Bradley – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Wilmington, DE)
• Wayne Marvel – Commercial Litigation (Wilmington, DE)
• Todd Ogden – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Dallas, TX)
• John R. Robinson – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Dallas, TX)
• Roger H. Nebel – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Houston, TX)
• Stefan G. Bourn – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Kay F. Dodge – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Samuel D. Habeeb – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Christi G. Jones – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Kimberly P. Mangum – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• John C. McCants III – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Chan E. McLeod – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Donald C. Partridge – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Thomas W. Tardy III – Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Colleen S. Welch – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Ridgeland, MS)
• Howard E. Jarvis – Litigation – Environmental, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Knoxville, TN)
• Robert E. Dille – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (New Orleans, LA)
• John G. Gaul – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Philadelphia, PA)
• Walter S. Jenkins – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Philadelphia, PA)
• Joseph R. Schaper – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Terry A. Schrock – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Pittsburgh, PA)

 

In addition, two attorneys have been named to the The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list, a recognition program spotlighting attorneys who are earlier in their careers. They are:

• Daniel Alexander – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Chicago, IL)
• Shelly K. Napolitano – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (New Orleans, LA)

 

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast millions of votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Because lawyers are neither required nor 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.”

 

About Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC – Founded in 1996, Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC is a national law firm based in Wilmington, Delaware, with offices in Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. The firm serves as national, regional and local counsel in the areas of mass toxic tort, products liability, personal injury, environmental regulation and litigation. The firm represents public and private entities of all sizes and provides litigation services to companies in the areas of business and commercial litigation, including products liability, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, environmental regulation and personal injury. To learn more, visit the firm’s website.

Congratulations to Maron Marvel attorney Betsy Maron on being the first female elected as the Delaware Democratic Party Chair.  Read more news coverage on this historic election here.

Maron Marvel Director Donald Kinsley won summary judgment for Aurora Pump Company when the Delaware Superior Court ruled that the Plaintiffs had failed to prove exposure to asbestos from Plaintiff’s husband’s work with Aurora pumps, due in part to his lack of any training in the identification of asbestos-containing products. The matter involved alleged take-home exposures from the Plaintiff’s husband’s work with various pieces of equipment, including pumps, during the late 1970s under Colorado law.  The court held there was no evidence in the record that Plaintiff’s husband had any training in the identification of asbestos-containing products and that general testimony about work with Aurora pumps was insufficient. The evidence also failed to show how much of Plaintiff’s alleged exposure to asbestos from husband’s work could be attributed to Aurora pumps.  The Court granted summary judgment for Aurora Pump Company as to all claims.  Lorena and Bradley Buum v. Air &  Liguid Systems Corp. (Aurora Pump Co.), C.A. No. N17C-04-091 ASB (Del. Super. Feb. 11, 2021).
 

On December 14, 2020, the Superior Court of Sussex County, Delaware denied co-Defendant United Rentals, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment, agreeing with arguments made by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Daimler North America Corporation and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. represented by MMBAT attorneys Paul Bradley, Don Kinsley and Shari Milewski in a fatal fire motor vehicle accident action.

 

The case involves a 2016 motor vehicle accident in Laurel, Delaware, when a Ford F-250 rented by co-Defendant Gym Tek Inc. from United Rentals Delaware branch for a construction project in Salisbury, Maryland driven by unlicensed, intoxicated driver and employee of Gym Tek, Michael Gonzalez, crashed into the rear of a 1998 Mercedes ML320 killing the driver and severely burning and injuring his wife.  United Rentals filed a motion for summary judgment on grounds that it complied with Delaware code when it ensured the vehicle was properly insured and maintained a record of the identity of the renter. It further argued it did not negligently entrust the vehicle because it had no reason to know the Ford F-250 would be operated by a reckless agent of Gym Tek, and it did not have a duty to check Gonzalez's driver's license. Plaintiff and Mercedes opposed United Rentals' motion. Mercedes argued when United Rentals delivered the truck to Gym Tek’s job site in Maryland, it had a duty under Maryland statutory law to inspect the driver’s license of the person who would be driving the truck and that there are triable issues of fact related to causation. Plaintiff argued the violation of the Maryland statute constituted negligence per se under Delaware case law. In its Reply, United Rentals argued under a choice of law analysis that Delaware law applied and Delaware has no requirement for license inspection by the renter of a vehicle. It also argued it was Gym Tek's responsibility under the contract terms to ensure the vehicle was operated by a licensed capable driver. Mercedes requested oral argument on the motion given United Rentals new argument concerning choice of law. The Court held oral argument on October 8. Mercedes argued the doctrine of depecage, which is the process of deciding choice of law on an issue-by-issue basis with the result that the law of one state may apply to one issue and the law of a different state to another issue in the same case, as discussed in Pittman v. Maldania, Inc., 2001 WL 1221704 (Del. Super. July 31, 2001), applied requiring the application of Maryland law to the rental transaction between Gym Tek and United Rentals, and thus, application of the Maryland license inspection statute. The Court requested and the parties submitted supplemental briefing on these issues. On December 14, the Court denied United Rentals' motion for summary judgment, agreeing with Mercedes' supplemental briefing, that under the doctrine of depecage, Maryland law applies to the rental contract, Maryland law sets the standard for what is required of a lessor in a vehicle rental transaction that may be the basis of liability for United Rentals and causation is best left for the jury.

 

Memorandum and Opinion.pdf

 

BP America Inc. annually recognizes one outside counsel firm that has shown exceptional focus on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession and society as a whole.  Maron Marvel was awarded the honor for 2020 and was formally recognized for this achievement at an award reception held by BP in January 2021.

 

“We’re honored and privileged to receive BP’s D&I award for 2020. In a year of unprecedented changes and challenges, we are so grateful for the trust and support BP has provided to our firm.  We will never stop advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, values that empower BP, our firm, our profession, and our world.”

 

                                              Cathie Pyune McEldowney (DE&I Shareholder Liaison) &

                                              Antoinette D. Hubbard (DE&I Director)

 

Maron Marvel leaders are committed to investing in exceptional people and empowering their diversity in a culture of respect, continual development and full participation for our professionals and other employees. 

 

2020 Highlights – The firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Director works with DE&I Liaisons and subcommittees from each of the firm’s offices to institute programs to ensure that each of its employees is afforded unfettered opportunities for professional growth and contribution. This year, we are proud to share some of our accomplishments:

 

            Seminars

• Maron Marvel partnered with our clients to host a CLE seminar on the current state of diversity in the U.S. legal profession and the strengths of diverse working teams, including intergenerational teams. 

 

Pipeline Efforts

• Maron Marvel continued its tradition of being a sponsor of the Delaware Minority Job Fair that provides a forum for law students to explore and interview for positions with private and public employers in Delaware.

 

Bar Leadership

• Antoinette D. Hubbard, Maron Marvel Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion, worked tirelessly on the planning committee for the Diversity Summit of the Minority Bar Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The theme of the 2020 Diversity Summit was Practical Tips & Tools for Attorneys, Law Firms and Bar Leaders. The day-long summit included a session regarding Developing Skills to Become an Ally, a presentation on Pipeline Efforts in the Legal Profession, and a segment entitled ‘Increasing Juror Participation, Diversity, and Court Access’. A highlight of the summit was an interactive session during which attendees in small breakout groups defined and devised strategies to implement concrete steps to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplaces and wider communities.

 

• Beau Cole, a Director of the Jackson office, received the Mississippi Bar’s 2020 Distinguished Service Award.  He has served on and chaired the Committee for Professional Responsibility, chaired the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program Committee, and by Mississippi Supreme Court appointment, served several terms on the Access to Justice Committee. 
•  
• Colleen Welch, a Director of the Jackson office, serves on the Women in the Profession Committee of the Mississippi Bar Association which is publishing a book entitled, “First 100 Women Lawyers in Mississippi”. The book will highlight the women pioneers of the Mississippi Bar and chronicle their achievements in fostering gender equality. The firm contributed to a fund to cover the book’s publication costs.

 

Pro Bono and Community Engagement

• Jaime Careathers, a Director of the Jersey City office, created an educational support program for children in low-income communities in New York City. One of the COVID-19 Learning Support Initiative’s goals is to pair virtual teachers and paraprofessionals with underprivileged students to provide them increased individual instruction and attention.  To achieve this objective, the Initiative has garnered the support of the NYC Department of Education and a number of the city’s premier universities.  The program also seeks to bridge the gap in physical resources, such as school supplies, and IT talent and support in the communities that it serves.

 

• Shari Milewski, a Director of the Wilmington office, was awarded a 2020 Service to Children Award by the State of Delaware’s Office of the Child Advocate for 10 years of exceptional service.

 

• Melissa Fallah, a Director of the Chicago office, partnered with our client to launch a joint project in Chicago and Houston to represent unaccompanied minors from Honduras and El Salvador in their asylum cases.  Individual asylum cases are assigned by the National Immigrant Justice Center.

 

 

Social Justice Initiatives

• The firm’s DE&I Committee led a firm-wide discussion regarding racial justice, an area of even greater significance this year because of the preventable deaths of African Americans such as George Floyd. Committee members invited all employees to assist in the firm’s selection of a social justice organization to which to contribute. 

 

• Maron Marvel formally recognized Juneteenth as a firm holiday and established it as a future day of service. 

On November 13, 2020, a Mobile County, Alabama jury returned a defense verdict in favor of a street sweeping company represented by MMBAT Donald Partridge.  The same jury awarded a judgment in favor of the Plaintiff and against a co-defendant trucking company for $2,000,000 for personal injuries to a  Mobile County Deputy Sheriff who had been rear-ended on Interstate 10 near Mobile during a sweeping operation. 

 

On the night of the wreck, the sweeping company had requested “blue light assistance” as part of its traffic control of the work zone.  The Deputy’s vehicle was placed at the rear of the sweeping operation, making it the first warning to approaching traffic that a sweeping operation was taking place up ahead.  The Plaintiff offered an expert’s opinion that, because the sweeping company had paid the Plaintiff for his services, he should be considered as part of the work crew of the sweeping company, and should have had a buffer truck placed behind him equipped with a crash attenuator to protect him from oncoming traffic per the sweeping company’s contract with the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).