DUCK BOAT COMPANY CHOSE MONEY OVER HUMAN LIVES
A lawsuit filed in the federal court on July 29th, 2018 alleges that Ripley Entertainment “recklessly risked the lives of its passengers for purely financial reasons” which cost the lives of 17 people and injuring 14 others. The lawsuit continues on to say that the company knew that the duck boats were unsafe and knew […]
Miami Lawyer Opposes Continuance Request From Lead Counsel
Women in the legal profession often face discrimination and bias, both implicit and overt. This issue was recently thrust into the spotlight when a pregnant lead attorney in a Florida products liability trial, Christen E. Luikart of Murphy Anderson, requested a trial continuance because her due date coincided with the trial date. In her motion, […]
Partner Al Anthony on his work with CPNJ
Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey (CPNJ) is an organization that has been dedicated to helping individuals with severe disabilities since 1953. They work to enhance the lives of those less fortunate than others. Assisting them with personal growth, independence, and semi-integration in the community is of the utmost importance to this organization. Fundraising is a […]
A benzene case is more than just a case.
In 1998, I represented a young couple in their 40’s that emigrated from Italy. We met under unfortunate terms as the husband was dying from leukemia. He was good man who sacrificed for his family taking whatever job he could to support them. As a local mechanic, he was unaware that the products he used […]
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is Retiring. The Environment, Already in Danger, is Further in Peril
This week Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court. Justice Kennedy, a conservative, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. Although conservative, Kennedy’s upbringing in California is credited for his strong libertarian streak, often causing consternation to his court colleagues and petitioners alike. Kennedy often acted as the swing […]
Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela
On April 30, 2018 in Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in a class arbitration case coming out of the Ninth Circuit. The issue in Varela is whether the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) precludes an interpretation of an arbitration agreement that may authorize class arbitration based solely […]
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Analyzes Specific Jurisdiction post Bristol Myers Squibb
Judge Arnold New of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas recently held that more than 100 pelvic mesh lawsuits filed against Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, could remain here in Philadelphia County under an analysis for specific personal jurisdiction post Bristol Myers Squibb. Judge New’s 13 page opinion is one of the first in […]
Trump’s EPA Hands Chemical Industry Big Win
Recently obtained documents from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the New York Times reveal that the EPA is drastically reducing the ways that it monitors and assesses potential health and safety risks related to the use of scores of chemicals, especially those most dangerous. Perchloroethylene, as well as multiple other known human carcinogens* that […]
Supreme Court Ruling Paves the Way for Nationwide Legalized Sports Betting
On Monday, in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the United States Supreme Court struck down a federal law that effectively banned sports betting in most states. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, passed in 1992, prohibited states from authorizing sports gambling. Senator Bill Bradley (D) of New Jersey, a former college and professional […]
Empathy Yields Compassion…And Knowledge
As I watch my younger sister being brought into a nursing home/long term care facility, weeks after having portions of her body amputated, I truly can empathize with so many family members as they deliver their loved ones into such facilities. A few years ago, I spoke on a radio show about nursing homes […]
Mental Health Awareness Month Part 2 – Attorneys and Stress
In recent years, there has been a lot of news about mental health issues plaguing the legal profession, including dangerously high rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse among lawyers. A 2016 article published in The Journal of Addiction Medicine, detailed a collaborative study by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American […]
This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day
This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. For most, it is a time of barbeques, get-togethers, and car trips to visit family or to experience a long weekend getaway. The official start of summer! Ahhh… But I’d suggest that all of us must take some time to solemnly reflect on our Nation’s history, and on the […]