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May 05, 2014
Press Release - Private Client Services
Judd A. Serotta recently joined Cozen O’Connor’s Philadelphia Office, as a member of the Private Client Services Practice Area. Previously focusing his practice in commercial litigation, Serotta worked at Blank Rome, LLP, for more than10 years, and left to join Cozen O’Connor in May of 2014
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May 05, 2014
Publication - Food & Beverage
In an article published in Carrier Management, Richard Fama and Brenden Coller, members of Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation Department, discuss several significant court decisions relating to class certification that give rise to optimism that the tide of the food and beverage labeling lawsuits may be turning in favor of food manufacturers and their insurers.
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May 02, 2014
Publication - Transportation & Logistics Litigation, Transportation & Trade
On March 20, 2014, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced that by a vote of 4-1, it had decided to let the P3 Network Vessel Sharing Agreement, among CMA CGM S.A., A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S trading under the name of Maersk Line and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, become effective on March 24, 2014. On April 2, 2014, the FMC announced a similar decision with respect to the G6 Vessel Sharing Agreement among APL Co PTE Ltd., Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and Orient Overseas Container Line, Ltd., which became effective on April 4.
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May 02, 2014
Publication - Transportation & Logistics Litigation, Transportation & Trade
In early February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its seventh and final major rule as part of the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA). The proposed rule seeks to prevent the contamination of human and animal food during transport by establishing requirements for the design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment, transportation operations, training of carrier personnel and record keeping. It would apply to shippers, receivers and carriers who transport food in the United States by motor or rail.
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May 02, 2014
News
Patrick J. O’Connor, firm co-founder and graduate of King's College, will provide the address at King’s 65th annual commencement exercises, which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pa. O'Connor will also receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree.
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May 02, 2014
Publication - Transportation & Logistics Litigation, Transportation & Trade
Last month, Congress began consideration of comprehensive legislation to reauthorize the Coast Guard and other maritime transportation programs. Consideration of such legislation is an annual occurrence and generally moves through Congress and becomes law with little attention outside the maritime and fisheries industries. However, a small provision relating to maritime transportation of U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has drawn broader attention as the questions posed in the provision could impact international trade and potentially threaten the future of the Jones Act.
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May 01, 2014
Publication - Appellate, White Collar Defense & Investigations
In an article published in The Legal Intelligencer, Stephen Miller, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense & Internal Investigations Departments, and Kristy Miller, an associate in the firm’s Litigation Department, discuss the difficult task of reconciling traditional notions of privacy with evolving species of technology as it relates to two recent cases that address what level of privacy one can expect in data stored on a cellphone.
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May 01, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance
William Knowles and Kathleen Grohman, of the Global Insurance Department in Seattle, co-authored an article on 3D printing in Claims Management Magazine. The article focuses on 3D printing and “why this emerging technology isn’t smelling so sweet to insurers.”
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May 01, 2014
Press Release
Washington, D.C., May 1, 2014 – The 2014 Washington, D.C., edition of Super Lawyers Magazine, published by Thomson Reuters, has named nine Cozen O’Connor attorneys to its list of Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
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April 30, 2014
Publication - Environmental Regulatory & Due Diligence
On April 29, 2014, in a very significant 6-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR or the Rule), overturning a 2012 D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision invalidating the Rule. The decision in EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, L.P. is a major victory for downwind states adversely impacted by power plant emissions originating in upwind states. For example, a substantial portion of air pollution in New Jersey comes from major emitting facilities in upwind states.
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April 30, 2014
Publication
Joe Kelleher discussed The International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and revisions to its International Arbitration Rules.
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April 30, 2014
Publication - International
Martin Gusy and Matthew Weldon, members of Cozen O’Connor’s International Arbitration Practice Group, authored the New York chapter of the 7th edition of “The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Litigation & Dispute Resolution 2014,” published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London (www.iclg.co.uk). The Guide provides corporate counsel and international practitioners with a comprehensive overview of litigation and alternative dispute resolution practices across the globe.
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April 29, 2014
Publication - Bad Faith, Insurance Coverage - Insurance
In Betzdolt v. Auto Club Group Insurance Company, a Michigan resident was allowed to proceed with a bad faith claim against her insurer in Florida, even though the insurer did not sell policies in Florida, did not deliver policies in Florida, and was not authorized to write insurance policies in Florida. Betzdolt arises in the context of a third-party liability case (car accident) in which the Michigan resident was being defended by the Michigan insurer in Florida.
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April 28, 2014
News
On Monday, April 28, Jennifer Brandt, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Family Law Department, was a guest on “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on the Fox News Network. Jennifer discussed the $2 million lawsuit that was filed against Valerie Harper by her former Broadway producer. The suit alleges that Harper hid her cancer from the producers and playwright of “Looped” until it had spread to her brain and forced her to drop out of the national tour of the production.
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April 28, 2014
Publication - Business
In an article titled, “The Freedom Industries’ Chemical Spill – It Didn’t Stay in West Virginia” published in the April issue of The Authority magazine, Michael Klein (Utility, Environmental & Energy, Washington, DC and Harrisburg, PA) discusses the ramifications of the recent Freedom Industries chemical spill and encourages public water suppliers to prepare for such an event by updating their vulnerability assessments, emergency response plans, and employee training programs.
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April 28, 2014
News - White Collar Defense & Investigations
In an article titled “5 Tips For Delivering An Effective Direct-Examination,” Hayes Hunt, member of Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation Department, shares his advice on presenting a successful direct-examination of a witness.
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April 28, 2014
News - Insurance Corporate & Regulatory - Insurance
Ken Levine, of the Insurance Corporate & Regulatory Group, was recently quoted in a Business Insurance article titled, "NAIC Urges More Reform on its Model Act Regulating Insurers." The article examines the praise and apprehension that The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is receiving for its decision to open its model act on regulating insurers. Ken offered his thoughts by stating, "It does need to be made more consistent among the states, but it needs to be flexible enough to fit the concentration of business within the holding company."
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April 25, 2014
News
In an article titled “Branding and storytelling help lawyers find and keep clients,” Jennifer Brandt, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Family Law Department, is mentioned regarding her recent panel discussion at the Lawyernomics conference in Las Vegas. Lawyernomics is a premier legal business and marketing conference that offers advice on creating a base of loyal clients that will help bring in additional clients and work. Jennifer’s panel discussion, titled “How to Build your Brand and Grow your Network,” included practicing attorneys who are successfully marketing their firms in different and interesting ways.
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April 23, 2014
Press Release
The Pennsylvania Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession named Cozen O'Connor to its "Honor Roll of Legal Organizations Welcoming Women Professionals." Cozen O’Connor was selected because of our programs and initiatives that help women lawyers continue and advance in their professional careers.
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April 23, 2014
Publication
When is it reasonable to rely on a fraudulent statement? Courts applying Pennsylvania law have answered this question in different and conflicting ways, as two recent decisions from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania illustrate. According to the court in Zenith Insurance v. Wells Fargo Insurance Services (E.D. Pa., Jan. 7, 2014), you are entitled to rely on a fraudulent statement no matter what, unless the statement's falsity is obvious on its face or you have actual knowledge of its falsity. Just a few months before, however, a different judge of the same court had expressed the opposite view in Fulton Financial Advisors v. NatCity Investments (E.D. Pa., Oct. 15, 2013): A victim of fraud cannot accept a fraudster at his or her word, but must exercise some degree of diligence in attempting to verify the statement.
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