Key Asbestos Decision Expected
On April 6, 2016 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard argument for the second time in Rost vs. Ford Motor Company, a case which could be extremely important to the future of asbestos litigation in Pennsylvania. There have been a series of unfortunate opinions from Pennsylvania Appellate Courts over the last several years which have made […]
What Evil Lurks In Your Reconstruction?
Many people like to move into older houses that have been modernized inside. Especially in cities, old bank or factory buildings are being turned into condos. These rehabs give people the pleasure of living in an older attractive building with the convenience of modern amenities. But beneath the surface of the new interiors evil may […]
U.S. Agencies Responsible for PCB Monitoring in the Hudson River Battle Each Other
Despite coverage of GE’s near-criminal pollution of the Hudson River with PCBs manufactured at its two New York plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, and the decades long litigation which resulted in the Hudson River being declared a Superfund site and engendered the cleanup that is being overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, new […]
Lawyering on Your Feet
Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating an information session for other lawyers that sought to connect improvisation and the law. The goal was to show the attendees that they could implement the lessons of improvisational techniques to improve their legal careers. Now we all know that the law is not about making things […]
Thwarting the Facebook Defense
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22 When I meet with potential clients, I have a standard speech regarding social media: No selfies. Do you have Facebook? Stop posting. Do you have Twitter? Stop posting. Add Tumblr and Snapchat to that list. I know that most clients laugh it off. They […]
How Towns Can Enforce Rights and Recoup Against Polluters
While most of the environmental contamination cases we have handled for decades involve representing the injured residents of a community against a polluter, more recently, the municipality itself has sought out representation for the harm brought upon the entire town due to the polluted site. When a municipality allows industrial, commercial or retail uses within […]
Enriching Law Firm Culture through Equal Employment
One of my many roles at Locks Law Firm is that of Human Resources Director. Over the last 1-2 years, my responsibilities have grown in this department as I manage our benefits programs, launched a 401K and help manage day-to-day issues with our employees. Prior taking on this role, I worked in a so-called “bubble,” […]
The Perils of Off-Label Promotion in the Zofran Litigation
With more than 230 Zofran lawsuits consolidated in MDL 2657, the Zofran litigation provides an opportunity to reflect upon the dangers of “off label” marketing by pharmaceutical companies. By definition, “off label” is defined as an unapproved use of a medication that has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A […]
In Products Liability Cases, What Do Protective Orders Really Protect?
It is commonplace in products liability cases for defendants, generally large corporations, to seek confidentiality agreements and protective orders with regard to the production of documents they consider sensitive and do not want in the public domain. Although there are valid reasons for corporations to protect the public disclosure of certain information, sometimes the purpose […]
Monsanto’s Congressional Get Out of Jail Free Card
As the New York Times reported on February 29, federal lawmakers are ready to deal one of our country’s largest corporate polluters a Golden Ticket, a Get of Jail Free card to rival all others. Congress is letting Monsanto, the former manufacturer of over 1 billion pounds of the now banned chemical family of PCBs go […]
The Lady Did Not Have To Die
Locks Law Firm represents people in civil rights cases who have been injured by police or prison guards or other government officials. The civil rights case that affected me most deeply occurred in Jersey City, NJ. A woman who had mental health problems was threatening her husband with a knife. Her husband called the police […]
Mediation: Prepare for Trial, Win at Settlement
A colleague of mine, here at the Firm, is fond of quoting a line from the 1961 Inauguration of one of our Country’s greatest Presidents, John F. Kennedy: “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” While President Kennedy was referring to our foreign policy, his approach to our country’s adversaries can be […]