We are pleased to announce that Director Colleen S. Welch has been honored with the 2018 Curtis E. Coker Access to Justice Award from the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. The award was presented at the organization’s Pro Bono Reception on Sept. 13 held at the Museum of Mississippi History and The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Named in honor of the late former Mississippi Bar President Curtis E. Coker, the award is presented annually to an attorney, law firm or other organization that has provided outstanding pro bono legal service during the past year. Welch, a volunteer with MVLP since 2007, was honored with the award in recognition of the legal counsel she regularly donates to advance the legal needs of children, particularly through guardianships and adoptions.
“MVLP is truly thankful for the hard work and dedication Colleen gives to the clients that are processed through our program,” said Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, Executive Director and General Counsel, Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. “She is a shining example of why the legal profession is as great as it is. We have caring, licensed professionals in the state of Mississippi who understand and appreciate the plight of our fellow Mississippi residents and are enthusiastic about giving back.”
The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project was established in 1982, during Coker’s term as Mississippi Bar Association president. Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy member Thomas W. Tardy III recalled Coker as a leading advocate for making legal counsel available to all.
“Curtis Coker was an excellent attorney and a World War II hero who was committed to ensuring that all Mississippians had access to legal justice, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Tardy. “We are very proud that Colleen has been honored with the award that bears his name, and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.”
At Maron Marvel, Welch focuses her practice on corporate defense, primarily in the areas of product liability, toxic tort, silica, and asbestos. She began volunteering with MVLP, which focuses on providing domestic legal services, as a way to help families solve legal issues that prevent them from flourishing.
“Helping Mississippi’s most vulnerable children secure safe, loving homes is deeply rewarding for me, as it is for the many other attorneys who donate their time and legal talents to the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project,” said Welch. “I am honored to accept this award and hope that it encourages any attorney who is thinking about volunteering to contact MVLP now. People always think ‘somebody else will do it.’ But we are the somebody else. We have to step up and do it.”
Maron Marvel director Beau Cole knows just how important that is. A longtime MVLP volunteer, he received the Coker award several years ago in recognition of his own pro bono service, and congratulated Welch on being its newest recipient, praising her dedication to Mississippi’s children.
“The Coker award is quite an honor, and receiving it was quite an experience for me and, I’m sure, for Colleen,” said Cole. “There are so many families who need legal help and just can’t afford it, particularly here in Mississippi. There’s a moral imperative for lawyers to give back to society, and MVLP gives us a vehicle to do that.”
Many of both Cole’s and Welch’s pro bono cases through MVLP have involved securing guardianship rights for grandparents who are stepping in to raise their grandchildren when the parents can’t or won’t. The volunteer lawyers help the grandmothers and aunts and other relatives – who most often are women – secure the legal rights they need to perform the most basic tasks, such as registering a child for school or taking them to a doctor. Without legal guardianship rights, those relatives often are forced to seek out an emergency court order simply to care for the child on a day-to-day basis.
Indeed, Welch said one of her most memorable cases from the past year was the adoption by a grandmother of her 8-year-old granddaughter, giving the girl much-needed stability.
“This little girl is standing with her grandma, telling the judge she wants to be a judge someday,” said Welch. “The judge said ‘I want to see you in that black robe one day.’ That’s why I do this; for that little girl, who now has a place that is her home. She won’t be pawned off to foster home after foster home. And that’s good for all of us. I want to leave society better for my kids and for all children, and this is one way I can do that.”
Don’t miss Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF) Annual Meeting – October 3 -5 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Attorney Donald Partridge is scheduled to speak at the event.
- On Thursday, October 4 at 10:10 a.m.., Donald will speak as part of a panel discussing The Psychology of Being Sued: What We Should Know and How It Impacts the Defense of a Claim.
Click HERE for more information or to register for the conference.
Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson and Tardy LLC is proud to announce the list of attorneys named to the 2019 Edition of Best Lawyers®.
Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers® compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting peer-review surveys. A listing in the publication is widely regarded by both clients and others in the legal profession as a significant honor.
Attorneys are divided by geographic region and practice areas. Below is the list of Maron Marvel recipients:
Dallas, TX
- John R. Robinson – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Jackson, MS
- Stefan G. Bourn – 5 Year Recipient – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Julie E. Chaffin – 5 Year Recipient – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
- Edderek L. Cole – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Marcy B. Croft – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Mary Margaret Gay – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Samuel D. Habeeb – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Christi G. Jones – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- John C. McCants III – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
- Thomas W. Tardy III – 10 Year Recipient – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Colleen S. Welch – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Philadelphia, PA
- John G. Gaul – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Walter S. Jenkins – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Pittsburgh, PA
- Joseph R. Schaper – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Wilmington, DE
- Paul Bradley – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson and Tardy LLC is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have been promoted to Director: Rebekah Clayton, Sarah Beth Jones, and Carson Thurman in the Jackson, Mississippi office. Shounak “Ruku” Sarkar in the Wilmington, Delaware Office.
•Rebekah Clayton is a member of the local trial team representing a large chemical defendant in various Mississippi jurisdictions and has assisted with preparation for numerous trials. She is extremely adept at analysis and problem solving, specifically with respect to litigation fraud. Rebekah co-manages the firm's jury selection group and possesses extensive experience in several Mississippi venues, which are some of the most high-risk and "plaintiff-friendly" jurisdictions in the country. She has also assisted various defendants throughout the country with jury selection to ensure transparency and impartiality in the jury selection process. Additionally, Rebekah is often called upon to manage and coordinate large-volume claims resolution and a wide range of special projects involving mass tort litigation.
•Sarah Beth Jones focuses her practice on coordination of special projects and implementation of creative defense strategies designed to reduce risk in the mass tort arena. Sarah Beth was instrumental in the coordination of medical joint defense efforts in federal asbestos MDL 875 and managed dockets on behalf of multiple clients. Sarah Beth possesses extensive knowledge regarding asbestos bankruptcy trusts and works with insurers and defendants involved in litigation nationwide to increase transparency. She works daily with clients and their local counsel on bankruptcy trust issues, including trust records collection, trust value estimates, and efforts to compel compliance with bankruptcy trust transparency legislation and court orders regarding disclosure of bankruptcy trust claims information. Sarah Beth also represents clients locally in mass tort litigation defense in Mississippi and Alabama and coordinates their dockets, including drafting and filing pleadings and substantive motions, conducting and coordinating fact and expert discovery, and negotiating case resolutions.
•Carson Thurman represents numerous firm clients in product liability, premises liability, personal injury, construction contract formation and project representation (all phases), construction defect litigation, and toxic tort matters. Carson also represents local/regional oil and gas companies in litigation and before administrative agencies, and is a member of the firm’s Trust Transparency Team. Prior to joining the firm, Carson worked for an energy and environmental litigation boutique firm specializing in oil and gas litigation, environmental defense, construction litigation, commercial litigation, employment law, administrative law, and tort defense. While in law school, he was a legal intern with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Hinds County Public Defender’s office.
•Ruku Sarkar is a member of the firm’s Environmental Regulation and Litigation groups. He works closely with the team and client in the management and execution of national defense strategies. In this role, he oversees and coordinates all aspects of litigation, including written discovery, fact and expert depositions, settlement valuation, and trial preparation. Ruku provides regular reports to the client identifying litigation risks and defense strategies in cases across the country, and manages the client’s internal financial compliance. He also provides day-to-day litigation support for cases filed in state courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including attending depositions, assisting preparations of company witnesses for deposition, and assisting in trial preparation.
Congratulations to each of these attorneys on this accomplishment.
Chad Mountain has extensive experience in complex litigation, including product liability, environmental, mass tort and commercial disputes. Chad has represented and defended numerous Fortune 500 companies from the petroleum, chemical and manufacturing sectors in jurisdictions across the country. He has tried cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Chad specializes in benzene and asbestos litigation. Chad’s clients rely on his experience in selection and preparation of fact, corporate, and expert witnesses, and development of litigation strategy.
With the addition of Chad, the firm now has 97 attorneys in 12 offices across 10 states.
Maron Marvel is proud to be named as one of the Best Places to Work in Mississippi by The Mississippi Business Journal. The winners of this annual award emerge through participation by employees in an anonymous survey that is administered in strict confidentiality by a research firm. Maron Marvel was presented the award during a luncheon held on June 28, 2018.
National law firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC is pleased to announce that attorney Shari L. Milewski has been promoted to Director in the Wilmington, Delaware office. The firm also welcomes attorney Jennifer McGarrity who has joined the firm as a Director in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office.
•Shari L. Milewski is a member of the National Risk Management and Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation Groups. She has successfully defended claims against energy companies and product manufacturers on a national scale, assuring a consistent defense strategy is executed and the best possible result is achieved. Shari has also defended claims in asbestos and toxic tort litigation involving a wide array of products, including benzene, asbestos, and industrial products. She has litigated commercial matters, including breach of contract disputes, and represented construction companies and property owners in Delaware courts. Shari counsels clients with respect to insurance law issues, specifically commercial general liability insurance contracts and insurance allocation issues. She is also a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Delaware State Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and the Defense Counsel of Delaware. Shari is also a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. Last year, she was awarded the Five-Year Service Award for her work with the Delaware office of Child Advocacy.
Congratulations, Shari, on this accomplishment!
•Jennifer A. McGarrity brings to the firm extensive experience in all aspects of litigation including trial and appellate work in state and federal courts. Her practice focuses on product liability and the defense of manufacturers, suppliers, and premises owners in mass tort litigation throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Jennifer has represented and defended individuals as well as Fortune 500 companies in a broad range of litigation areas. She has also represented more than a dozen different leading product manufacturers, suppliers, and large industrial facility owners in the defense of toxic tort, environmental, asbestos, talc, benzene, and silica matters in numerous jurisdictions across the U.S. During the course of her career, Jennifer has served as national coordinating counsel and on trial teams throughout the country, counseling clients on issues related to litigation prevention, risk management, and national defense strategy.
With the addition of Jennifer, the firm now has 94 attorneys in 12 offices across 10 states. Welcome Jennifer!
Don’t miss Perrin Conferences Mid-Atlantic Asbestos Litigation Conference – Thursday, June 7 at the Chase Center on the Waterfront in Wilmington, Delaware. Two Maron Marvel Attorneys are scheduled to speak at the event.
- At 9:45 a.m., Onofrio “Reno” de Gennaro is part of the “Jurisdictional Update: Status of the Litigation and Recent Decision” panel. This group will give an overview of Mid-Atlantic jurisdictions and key legal decisions.
- At 3:30 p.m., Antoinette D. Hubbard joins two others in giving a review of key appellate decisions during the “Update on Premises Claims and Related Defenses” session.
We hope to see you in Wilmington for this event! Click HERE to register.
University of Delaware students considering a legal career got plenty of advice and encouragement from mentors in the field during the first Law Mentoring Weekend held on April 28 and 29 on the UD campus. The event was organized by the new Legal Professional Preparatory Program (the vision of Maron Marvel Attorney John Gaul) and the student HenLaw Society. Be sure to check out the full article about this event and the new LP3 program by clicking on the link above.
Make plans now to attend the 2018 Perrin Conferences Environmental Risk & Litigation Conference. Attorney Scott Henry is Co-Chair of the event, while attorney Jack McCants will speak on the Overview of Agricultural Environmental Litigation and attorney Robert Petti on the Trump Administration Impacts on Environmental Litigation.
Registration is now open. Find out more HERE.
Join The American Conference Institute (ACI) for the 23rd National Advanced Forum on Asbestos Claims & Litigation on May 21-23 in Chicago, IL.Take advantage of this opportunity to meet with top in-house counsel, insurance professionals, prestigious jurists, outside counsel, and medical experts who will provide valuable, practical information on key developments arising in asbestos claims & litigation.
Don’t miss hearing from Maron Marvel attorney Donald Kinsley, who is scheduled to speak with attorney Jason M. Saul on Taking a New Look at the “Bare Metal” Defense Argument. This session is scheduled for May 22 at 3pm and will include information on:
- Exploring litigation nuances with regard to bare metal defendants
- Determining whether defendants who originally manufactured bare metal products that did not contain asbestos but were later altered to contain asbestos are liable
- Analyzing the arguments made in the DeVries case and the “foreseeability argument”
- Comparing and contrasting the DeVries case with the O’Neill and Bratton case
- Interpreting how other courts in different jurisdictions are holding on the “foreseeability argument.”
To register or for more information visit https://www.americanconference.com/.
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