Summer 2008 IATL Journal a publication of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS 2009 INTERNATIONAL TRIP I N D I A JANUARY 4-27, 2009
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dana R. Allison, Brownsville, Texas Michael P. Atkinson, Tulsa, Oklahoma Lisa A. Blue, Dallas, Texas Richard D. Burbidge, Salt Lake City, Utah Alvaro R. Calderon, Jr., San Juan, Puerto Rico George E. Chandler, Lufkin, Texas Cynthia Chihak, San Diego, California David L. Cleary, Rutland, Vermont Robert A. Clifford, Chicago, Illinois Nancy Sher Cohen, Los Angeles, California Cathleen V. Compton, Little Rock, Arkansas Joseph W. Cotchett, Burlingame, California Michael DeMarco, Boston, Massachusetts William D. Dolan, III, Vienna, Virginia Noël M. Ferris, Sacramento, California Harold J. Friedman, Portland, Maine Michael M. Gless, Long Beach, California William Andrew Haggard, Coral Gables, Florida Joseph W. Hatchett, Tallahassee, Florida Harvey Kurzweil, New York, New York Walter J. Lack, Los Angeles, California Gerard R. Lear, Arlington, Virginia Salvador A. Liccardo, Saratoga, California Judith A. Livingston, New York, New York Joseph M. Matthews, Coral Gables, Florida Joseph J. McKernan, Baton Rouge, Louisiana James McManis, San Jose, California Elizabeth Nevins Mulvey, Boston, Massachusetts Nick C. Nichols, Houston, Texas Dennis O Hara, Miami, Florida Jerry R. Palmer, Topeka, Kansas Robert D. Parrillo, Providence, Rhode Island Calvin Roderick Phelan, Dallas, Texas Christof Raggenbass, Amriswill, Switzerland Harry M. Reasoner, Houston, Texas James Parkerson Roy, Lafayette, Louisiana Howard D. Scher, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Milton Seligson, Cape Town, South Africa R. Bruce Shaw, Columbia, South Carolina Gary K. Smith, Memphis, Tennessee Suzelle M. Smith, Los Angeles, California Paul Sreenan, Dublin, Ireland Michael Stitt, Belfast, Northern Ireland James J. Thompson, Birmingham, Alabama Terry O. Tottenham, Austin, Texas Peter Urwantschky, Neu-Ulm, Germany IATL JOURNAL A Publication of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers William O. Whitehurst, Jr. President Dennis R. Suplee President-Elect Christian D. Searcy Vice President Roberta D. Pichini Dean Patrick J. McGroder, III Secretary-Treasurer Herman J. Russomanno Secretary of International Relations Robert T. Hall Immediate Past President IATL 1
The President and First Lady s Message As we write this, Stephanie and I are returning from the Academy s fourteenth annual China Program orientation in Honolulu. For the last seven years, we have participated as either host or faculty and the accumulated experiences are absolutely priceless. What is most interesting is the change we have observed in the delegations through the years. The level of education, including multiple masters and PhD degrees and one this year who had taken and passed the New York bar exam, the ability to speak English, the importance of their positions in China, including one who is rewriting the tort laws for China and two professors from the Central Party School, and the openness with which they discuss political, legal, and humanitarian subjects has continued to progress. For the first time, we devoted a full afternoon session to human rights issues in both countries. Feedback has always told us that the right to trial by jury, judicial selection, independence and integrity, and our focus on the rule of law versus the rule of man are among their favorite topics. This year, several cited the discussions on human rights as the most interesting part of the orientation. For the fourteenth year in a row, our delegates are now spread across the continental U.S., experiencing the hospitality of ten fellows, their families, their law partners and their legal communities. As always, we are grateful to Ray and Audrey Tam who make it all happen, to the fellows who serve as faculty and hosts and to the IATL Foundation which generously provides the funding. We are pleased that the Academy s international trip to India has proven so popular with all 130 places being spoken for eight months before we depart. This will be the first time the Academy has gone to India and it will be a new adventure for over 90% of those going, as well. Stephanie and I are putting together a suggested reading and movie list in preparation which we will share with anyone who is interested. As always, there will be those who end up unable to go so be sure and get on the waiting list if you still want to join us. If you have never been on an Academy international trip, you are truly missing one of the most enjoyable benefits being a fellow has to offer. We were inducted in South Africa so we learned early on to take advantage of this specially planned way of traveling. Whether it is having lunch with the president of Malta, dinner with Poland s Lech Walesa, being provided with an antique car in Capetown for each couple for the day or being a guest of China s Office of Legislative Affairs in the Great Hall of the People, we experience things we could never do on our own. It is also the best way to really get to know those in the Academy. IATL 2
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS We also look forward to the mid-year meeting in Aspen, Colorado. Normally, the Academy meets in the summer months, but we thought a return visit to the cool mountain air in late September with the dramatic fall colors was in order. A first-rate professional program at the St. Regis Hotel, a special evening in the incredible home of Fellow Lisa Blue and her husband, Fred Baron, an afternoon on a ranch trout fishing, jeeping, hiking, skeet shooting, enjoying archery or just relaxing by the creek, and a final dinner party at the top of Ajax Mountain await those who join us. The spring flowers and southern hospitality of Atlanta in April will be the setting for the Academy s Annual Meeting. Our special guests will be lawyers from Ireland and India with professional programs at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Hotel in Buckhead, and special events at the Carter Museum, the Atlanta History Center, the Swan House Mansion and the famous Fox Theater. Adventure, learning with CLE credit, international guests, welcoming of new fellows and interacting with the most accomplished lawyers of our day is just another regular year in the life of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. There is no professional organization like it, but you do have to participate to appreciate its uniqueness. Stephanie and I are simply this year s caretakers but it is an honor and a privilege for which we sincerely thank you. Bill and Stephanie Whitehurst IATL 3
2008-2009 Officers President - Elect Dennis Suplee of Philadelphia was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy in 1994. He has served as Chair of the Admissions Committee and a member of the Board. His practice includes handling complex commercial litigation and defending mass tort cases. He served as Chair of his Firm, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, from 1992 to 1998. Dennis is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, The International Who s Who of Commercial Litigation and Lawdragon (top 500), and is coauthor of The Deposition Handbook (Aspen Pub. 4th ed. 2002). He has served as a Regent of the American College of Trial Lawyers and, among other board memberships, serves as a Trustee of St. Joseph s University, his alma mater. When not devoting herself to their three sons and three grandchildren, Pat Suplee focuses her energies on non-profit activities, including The Family Support Center, which deals with child abuse in a preventive way, that is, by helping pregnant young at-risk women develop the skills needed to become caring mothers. Immediate Past President Robert Hall, of Reston, Virginia became a Fellow of the Academy in 1994 and was first elected to the Board of Directors in 1998. He has served as Secretary of International Relations, Chairman of the Site Selections Committee, a member of the Admissions Committee, Dean of the Academy 2004-2005, Vice-President of the Academy 2005-2006, President-Elect of the Academy 2006-2007 and President of the Academy 2007-2008. He is Dean of the Virginia College of Trial Advocacy, and a Past President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Virginia Bar Foundation. A partner in the Virginia law firm of Hall, Sickels, Frei & Mims, P.C., Mr. Hall limits his practice to serious personal injury and wrongful death, principally for the plaintiff. In the past he has represented death row inmates seeking post-conviction relief. Married to Sally Wilson Hall since 1960, they have three sons. IATL 4
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS Vice President Christian D. Searcy is President and CEO of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. For 32 years, he has litigated cases involving primarily catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death in venues throughout Florida. At age 30, he had the distinction of being the youngest lawyer in the United States to achieve a verdict of $1 million for a single personal injury lawsuit. In 2006, Mr. Searcy was one of only two lawyers in the country to receive the War Horse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, honoring his outstanding skill as a trial advocate and his extraordinary contributions to the cause of justice. In 2005, The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers honored Mr. Searcy with its Perry Nichols Award, the highest honor it bestows, in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding service to the cause of justice. Mr. Searcy is Vice President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a worldwide organization limited to just 500 attorneys, and is named in The Best Lawyers in America, an independent study by Harvard trained attorneys. He is also recognized in Law and Leading Attorneys, is listed as one of the legal elite in Florida Trend magazine, and is named as one of the top lawyers in South Florida Legal Guide. A past President of The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Mr. Searcy is a diplomate of the American Trial Lawyers Association and is a member of the International Society of Barristers. He is an advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a member of the Board of Overseers of Stetson University College of Law and on the College Foundation Board of theuniversity of Virginia. Board Certified in civil litigation by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and by the Florida Bar Association, Mr. Searcy writes and lectures extensively about civil trial practice, personal injury, and wrongful death cases. After earning a B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia, Mr. Searcy received his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law, graduating in the top ten percent of his class. Mr. Searcy s personal philosophy of advocacy for those in need has made its mark on South Florida, where he supports numerous non-profit organizations committed to helping the disabled, improving education, and advancing community causes. Secretary-Treasurer Patrick McGroder has practiced law in Phoenix, Arizona for 38 years, specializing in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Arizona College of Law. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy in 1997. He served as the National Chair of the State Chair Committee for five years. He chairs the Academy s Ireland Program. He has also served on the Academy s Admissions and Executive Committees, and as a member of the Board of Directors. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He is a Life Member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers and a member of its Board of Directors. He has been selected as one of the 10 Best Lawyers in Arizona by the AZ Business Journal. He was selected by Lawdragon as one of the 500 best lawyers in America. He appears yearly in Best Lawyers in America. In 2005, he was a co-finalist for the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year. He was recently awarded the Ken Clancy Memorial Award by ABOTA for his Unfailing Commitment to the Principals of Professionalism, Decency, and Civility in the Legal Profession. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Phoenix School of Law and is a member of the Dean s Council at the University of Arizona, College of Law. He was appointed by the Governor of Arizona to an 8 year term to serve on the Maricopa County Superior Court Trial Appointment Commission, during which tenure, 80% of the current county trial judges were appointed. He was also appointed to the Arizona Boxing Commission and served as its Chairman. A community activist, he has received numerous awards for his public service to the homeless, fatherless boys and the disadvantaged. He and his wife funded the first academic Native American scholarship at Arizona State s College of Law, as well as scholarships at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Arizona College of Law. He and his wife Susan have three children: Caroline, a staff assistant for Senator John McCain, Patrick IV, a junior at Holy Cross, who is spending a year at University College Cork, Ireland and Elizabeth, a senior in high school. IATL 5
2007-2008 2008-2009 Officers Dean Roberta (Bobbie) Pichini of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been a Fellow of the Academy since 2000. She is a member of the Board of Directors and has served as Treasurer and Secretary of International Relations. She has also served on the Long Range Planning and Admissions Committees. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and served on the Pennsylvania State Committee. She is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Fellow of the Academy of Advocacy. In addition to her active trial practice representing the victims of serious personal injury, she teaches trial advocacy at Temple University School of Law and Villanova University School of Law. She also teaches nationally for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. She has been asked to deliver several update on the civil law presentations to the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania State Conference of Trial Judges. Bobbie is a former officer of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and a long-term board member of that organization. She also serves on the board of the Justinian Society. She is a Master in and the former President of the Temple American Inn of Court. She is active in the Philadelphia Bar Association, has served on its Board of Governors and served as Chair of its Women in the Profession Committee. She received that association s Sandra Day O Connor award for professional excellence and advancing the role of women attorneys. Her daughter, Christine, teaches English Literature and lives in Los Angeles. Secretary of International Relations Herman J. Russomanno is President of Russomanno & Borrello in Miami, Florida. He has been a Fellow of the Academy since 1996. He is on the Board of Directors and has served as Chair of the Admissions and Budget Committees and co-chairs of the Florida State Delegates. Mr. Russomanno received his B.A. Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Rutgers University. After graduating Samford University Cumberland School of Law, he clerked for United States District Court Judge Daniel Thomas in the Southern District of Alabama and for Justice Hugh Maddox of the Alabama Supreme Court. He is a board certified civil trial lawyer by The Florida Bar and The National Board of Trial Advocacy and is the past Chair of the Civil Trial Certification Committee. For 31 years he has litigated complex commercial cases and cases involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death in federal and state courts throughout Florida. Mr. Russomanno is recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America in both commercial and personal injury. He is also recognized in Florida Trend Magazine as one of the top lawyers in Florida Legal Guide. In 2001, he was selected as Trial Lawyer of the Year by The Florida Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Russomanno is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and The International Society of Trial Lawyers. He is a past president of The Florida Bar, The Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, the Florida Board of Trial Advocates, ABOTA-Miami Chapter, the Dade County Bar Association and the Miami Justice Association. He is a current member of the ABA House of Delegates and a member of the AAJ and FJA Board of Governors. Mr. Russomanno is the recipient of the Judge David Dyer Professional Award which is the highest honor of the Dade County Bar Association. He has been an adjunct faculty member for the past 30 years and lectures extensively in the areas of ethics and trial advocacy. IATL 6
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS Report of Admissions Committee On March 26, 2008 the Admissions Committee met at The Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, FL where we considered 33 candidates in Phase I. Of these, 22 were passed on to Phase II and 6 were deferred for further investigation. In Phase II, we approved 10 candidates for the Board s approval for admission David L. Cleary into the Academy. One of the Phase II candidates was deferred for further investigation. The Academy currently has 944 Fellows, which break down into the following categories: Dues paying members 533 Fellows under the age of 70 (485 from the U.S. and 48 International). 186 Fellows over the age of 70 (165 from the U.S. and 21 International). 33 Pending Fellows (20 from the U.S. and 13 International). Non dues paying members 192 Honorary or Emeritus Fellows (169 from the U.S. and 23 International). Our International Fellows represent 36 different countries. On average 27 Fellows turn 70 each year, which means the Academy needs to induct at least this many Fellows each year to maintain stable membership figures. The states that are currently under quota by five or more slots are: Connecticut, Washington D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. I appreciate the response from Fellows for nominations. Your efforts ensure that the Academy continues to admit highly qualified candidates. To all Admissions Committee members, don t forget our next meeting in Aspen, Colorado, which is scheduled for September 22, 2008 and remember is it not just the hard-working State Chairs who are responsible for new nominees. IATL 7
2007/2008 Inductees INDUCTEES IN KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 27, 28 & 29, 2008 Rosemary Alito Newark, NJ Roy E. Barnes Marietta, GA Rory Brady Dublin, Ireland Anne Bremner Seattle, WA John W. Clark Palo Alto, CA William H. Clendenen, Jr. New Haven, CT Otway B. Denny, Jr. Houston, TX Marc DeSisto Providence, RI Dennis M. Donnelly Chatham, NJ James L. Eisenbrandt Overland Park, KS Frederick R. Hovde Indianapolis, IN Terrence J. Lavin Chicago, IL Jeffrey S. Leon Toronto, ON, Canada Edward B. Lowry Charlottesville, VA Martin R. Lueck Minneapolis, MN Patrick A. Malone Washington, DC John H. Martin Dallas, TX Lewis A. Remele, Jr. Minneapolis, MN Thomas B. Shuttleworth, II Virginia Beach, VA Jack B. Swerling Columbia, SC IATL 8
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS INDUCTEES IN KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA, CONTINUED Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 27, 28 & 29, 2008 Joel Grant Woods Phoenix, AZ James R. Wyrsch Kansas City, MO INDUCTEES IN NEW ZEALAND Tuesday and Friday, November 6 & 9, 2007 Judith M. Ablett Kerr Dunedin, New Zealand Colin R. Carruthers Wellington, New Zealand Stuart B. Grieve Auckland, New Zealand John Haigh Auckland, New Zealand Thomas J. Nolan Palo Alto, CA Joseph Victor Williams Wellington, New Zealand IATL 9
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS In Memorium Thomas D. Barr New York, NY richard m. egbert Boston, MA Charles S. Fisher, Jr. Topeka, KS Robert L. Floyd Miami, FL Daniel J. Ryan Rosemont, PA Paul E. stallings Houston, TX John J. Sullivan Sarasota, FL John G. Tucker Palestine, TX Thomas Wolf Rochester, MN The Honorable George E. Woods Rochester Hills, MI IATL 10
Fellows Honored INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS W. COLEMAN ALLEN, JR. (Richmond, VA) received the prestigious Lighthouse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyer s Association at its February 2008 annual meeting in New Orleans. It is presented annually to America s most outstanding trial lawyer in the field of academics, legal scholarship and trial advocacy. D. LEON ASHFORD, FOURNIER J. BOOTS GALE, DAVID H. MARSH, H. THOMAS WELLS, JR. and JERE F. WHITE, JR. (Birmingham, AL) were among the Top 10 attorneys in the state to receive the highest point totals of those attorneys selected for inclusion in the 2008 edition of Alabama Super Lawyers. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers. Mr. Marsh was Top Point Getter and Mr. Ashford was 2nd Top Point Getter. FRANK L. BRANSON, III (Dallas, TX) has been featured in the following publications: the May 2008 issue of D CEO magazine in an article entitled The Hit Men 18 Tough Lessons from Dallas Masters of the Corporate Lawsuit; Texas Best Lawyers in their Exceptional Case section of the magazine; and in the June 2008 issue of dmagazine.com in their Best Lawyers Profiles section of the magazine. In addition, The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, P.C. has been accepted into membership by the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, a highly selective alliance of small to medium-size, independent law firms. JAMES L. BRANTON (San Antonio, TX) received the 2008 Joe Frazier Brown, Sr. Award of Excellence on May 9, 2008. The Joe Frazier Brown, Sr., Award of Excellence, a long-term tribute in honor of the distinguished attorney who taught and influenced many attorneys, recognizes a lawyer who demonstrates service to others, idealism, intelligence and a high degree of integrity. WILLIAM C. CALLAHAM (Sacramento, CA) and AGOSTINHO PEREIRA DE MIRANDA (Lisbon, Portugal) participated in an open exchange of ideas and practices by comparing the Portuguese and American legal systems which was held by the American Board of Trial Advocates. Portuguese and American judges, justices and lawyers, Portuguese ministers and professors, as well as guests and members of the media participated in the event held at the Catholic University Law School on May 14, 2008. Justices and lawyers from Latvia served as panelists. They recounted the outcome and results of their experiences when a similar conference was held in Riga, Latvia, in June 2006. The conference covered several elements, such as the relationship between judges, lawyers and bar associations; the professional activities of judges and lawyers in Portugal and America; and the applicability of the American experience in Portugal. EARL A. CHERNIAK, Q.C. (Tonronto, ON, Canada) was awarded the Law Society Medal on June 5, 2008 by The Law Society of Upper Canada. Established in 1985, the Law Society Medal is the Law Society s highesthonour and is presented to outstanding Ontario lawyers whose service reflects the highest ideals of the profession. The award is given for outstanding service whether in a particular area of practice, in the academic sphere, or in some other professional capacity. THOMAS W. CHRISTIAN (Birmingham, AL) was recently selected as an Alabama Super Lawyer. Mr. Christian received one of the highest honors being recognized as one of the State s Top 50 defense civil litigators. NANCY SHER COHEN (Los Angeles, CA) was named one of the Top Women Litigators 2008 in the May 2008 edition of the Daily Journal. In a ceremony held on April 8, Past President of The Florida Bar, HOWARD C. COKER (Jacksonville, FL), received an award of special recognition from the Jacksonville City Council for his exemplary contributions to the community and legal profession. He was honored, in part, for being chosen in 2007 as the Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Florida Board of Trial Advocates and as the Jacksonville Lawyer of the Year by the Financial News and Daily Record. He also had the honor to act as a leader in a US/Russia Joint Conference on the Rule of Law last month in St. Petersburg, Russia. The conference was co-sponsored by People to People Ambassador Programs and the law faculty at Russia s St. Petersburg State University. Additionally, he was recognized for raising the greatest number of dollars on behalf of the non-profit adult literacy agency, Learn to Read, Inc. ROBERT E. COOPER (Birmingham, AL) was recently selected as an Alabama Super Lawyer for his defense of medical malpractice cases. IATL 11
Fellows Honored PHILIP H. CORBOY (Chicago, IL) received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the John Marshall Law School at its commencement on January 27, 2008. The law school describes Mr. Corboy as the premiere personal injury lawyer in Chicago and a mentor to almost all of the other top personal injury lawyers in the city. This honorary degree was in recognition of Mr. Corboy s outstanding legal career and his generosity to various causes, including his underwriting of a scholarship that benefits Chicago police officers enrolled at The John Marshall Law School. MICHAEL DeMARCO (Boston, MA) became a Member of The London Court for International Arbitration as well as a Fellow of The American Bar Foundation. AGOSTINHO PEREIRA DE MIRANDA (Lisbon, Portugal) was name an international member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He became ABOTA s 12th international member. International Member is an honorary category of membership, by invitation only, given to persons who believe in the general principles of ABOTA and in the preservation and promulgation of the right to jury trial in contested litigation. ABOTA s membership criteria include high personal character and an honorable reputation. CHRISTINE L. DONOHUE (Pittsburgh, PA) was elevated to the Bench of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania on January 7, 2008. JAMES L. EISENBRANDT (Overland Park, KS) was presented the Charles M. Shaw Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy by the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at their annual meeting in April 2008. PAUL T. FORTINO (Portland, OR) has been named to the Board of Regents of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). He is the regent for the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The ACTL s affairs are managed by the Board of Regents, which consists of five officers and 15 Regents. Each of these has an assigned jurisdiction of states and/or provinces, as well as liaison responsibility for a number of general committees. The Regents are elected to four-year terms by the members at the Annual Meeting. Fortino is one of 10 Perkins Coie attorneys that have been elected fellows of the ACTL. THOMAS G. FRITZ (Rapid City, SD) will chair the Western States Bar Conference in Tucson, Arizona in April 2009 as President of the conference for 2009. NEIL G. GALATZ (Las Vegas, NV) was awarded the Pursuit of Justice Award by the American Bar Association. This award is presented two to four times per year to a local attorney who has shown outstanding merit and excelled in insuring access to justice. ROBERT T. HALL (Reston, VA) was honored on March 10, 2008 by Mary Mount University s Graduate School of Forensic Psychology for Representing the Spirit of the Law to its students. JOEL HIRSCHHORN (Coral Gables, FL) has been included in The Best of the U.S. 2008 List of Best Lawyers, The 2008 South Florida Legal Guide among the Top Lawyers in South Florida, and Best Lawyers in America (2008). ROBERT C. JOSEFSBERG (Miami, FL) was recipient of the inaugural 2007 Legal Legends Award from the 11th Judicial Circuit Historical Society. The Legal Legends Award recognized Mr. Josefsberg for 45 years of outstanding service in the legal industry as one of Miami-Dade County s premiere trial lawyers. For this honor Mr. Josefsberg was also voted a 2008 Miami Today Gold Medal for individuals. The annual Gold Medal Awards ceremony is a time to recognize local business leaders for their career achievements. HARVEY L. KAPLAN (Kansas City, MO) has been named Product Liability Lawyer of the Year 2008 in the Who s Who Legal Awards. The winners were formally announced in The International Who s Who of Business Lawyers 2008, a compendium edition of all the individual Who s Who Legal publications, which was released in May, covering 29 practice areas and nearly 100 countries. Editor in chief Callum Campbell said This is the first time Harvey Kaplan has won this award. He received votes from interviewees across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland and Latin America, and was described as an outstanding legal mind and the leading authority in the field in the course of the research. He received more votes than any other individual worldwide and is without doubt the leading lawyer for product liability defense work. IATL 12
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF TRIAL LAWYERS JAMES KRUEGER (Maui, HI) has been named 2008 Hawaii Super Lawyer. PAUL N. LUVERA (Seattle, WA) was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Washington State trial Lawyers on November 30, 2007. The award was given for his unmatched, outstanding contributions as a trial lawyer. ROBERT T. LYNCH (San Francisco, CA) has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). DAVID H. MARION (Philadelphia, PA) was named Chairman of the Philadelphia Bar Association s Senior Lawyers Professional and Public Service Committee. The purposes of this committee are to: provide assistance and service to the courts, the Bar Association and the public, while finding useful outlets for the wisdom and experience of senior members of the Philadelphia Bar; provide assistance to senior lawyers, their clients and families, in dealing with issues such as retirement, illness or death; and provide opportunities for comradery and exchange of views among senior members of the Philadelphia Bar. He was recently installed as Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society s (TER) National Chancellor at its 87th National Convention. LUIS CARLOS RODRIGO MAZURÉ (Lima, Peru) has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board to the President of the Judiciary in Peru. The Advisory Board analyzes and opines on the matters on which the President of the Judiciary seeks its advice, opines on matters related to judicial practice, government and institutional management submitted to it, suggests measures to improve the Judiciary s relationship with other institutions of the justice system and others, and promotes the analysis and debate of matters which are crucial for the justice system in general and for the Judiciary in particular. PATRICK J. McGRODER, III (Phoenix, AZ) was listed in the 2008 Edition of Lawdragon as one of the best 500 lawyers in America and was awarded the 2008 Ken Clancy Memorial Professionalism Award in recognition for Unfailing Commitment to the Principals of Professionalism, Decency and Civility in the Legal Profession. GERALD A. McHUGH, JR. (Philadelphia, PA) was honored by Friends for Effective Education, a non-profit group that supports education of low income children, for lifetime service to his West Philadelphia neighborhood. ROBERT R. MICHAEL (Rockville, MD) has been awarded the following awards: Maryland Super Lawyers 2008 - Top Ten; Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers 2008 - Top Ten and second highest vote getter; and Trial Lawyer of the Year - Trial Lawyer Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC. ED MIDDLEBROOKS (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was recently recognized as one of the 2007 Top Trial Lawyers. ALEX W. NEWTON (Birmingham, AL) was named by the Birmingham Bar Association 2008 Lawyer of the Year. NICK C. NICHOLS (Houston, TX) was recently honored by the Association of Rice Alumni of Rice University as a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2008 Laureates Dinner. Mr. Nichols was also included and recognized in the Rice University Athletic Department s Book of Champions in the varsity basketball section. In appreciation for the Academy s 2007 Irish Program, the Bar Council of Ireland invited PIERCE O DONNELL to deliver the Inaugural Daniel O Connell lecture, a very prestigious event in the Round Hall of the Four Courts in Dublin attended by many members of their Judiciary and academics. ANN B. OLDFATHER (Louisville, KY) has been named as one of the Kentucky Super Lawyers 2008 - Top Ten and second top point getter as well as one of the top 25 Woman. ROBERT L. PARKS (Coral Gables, FL) was recently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Floridians in Florida International Magazine. In addition, he was also recently selected for the 2008 Super Lawyers distinction and will also be honored in Florida Trend Magazine s Legal Elite issue, which comes out in July 2008. HARRY M. REASONER (Houston, TX) is the recipient of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation s prestigious Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award for 2008, which recognizes individuals who have contributed to greater understanding and peace through service to humanity, and whose significant achievements have enriched their profession or vocation. My time as a Rotary Fellow profoundly influenced my life, seeing our society through the perspective of another culture, Mr. Reasoner said in accepting the Service to Humanity Award. IATL 13