2016 PENNSYLVANIA SUPER LAWYERS

Rawle & Henderson LLP is pleased to announce that 12 attorneys have been selected as 2016 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers by Law & Politics and the publishers of Philadelphia Magazine. The process started with thousands of ballots being sent to attorneys in Pennsylvania. Then practice-specific “Blue Ribbon” panels reviewed the selections and listed the nominees with the highest scores. The attorneys chosen represent the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania.

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Thomas A. Kuzmick is Chair of the Product Liability Section and his practice has concentrated on product liability and catastrophic injury litigation for over 30 years. He has tried in excess of 50 cases to verdict in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, most of which included damages of seven and eight figures. Clients regularly retain Tom shortly before trial to defend catastrophic injury cases. He is frequently invited by legal and manufacturing organizations both locally and internationally to lecture on product liability litigation. Over his career he has been designated as coordinating counsel in product liability and toxic tort litigation for several clients throughout the United States. Tom has been designated Liability Catastrophic Injury Counsel (LCIC) for a major international insurance carrier. He has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.  He is a graduate of Moravian College and received his law degree from Temple University School of Law.  Tom has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 13 consecutive years, 2004-2016. Tom was a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee from 1994-2016.

Jack Snyder, Chair of the Catastrophic Loss and Medical Professional Liability Sections, focuses his practice on the defense of catastrophic losses, with emphasis on construction, industrial, pharmaceutical, medical malpractice and product liability matters. He is regularly retained in high exposure cases (demands commonly in the $30 million to $80 million range), often weeks to several months before trial, to try a case to verdict. He successfully defended Ride The Ducks International in the maritime litigation arising out of the allision of a tug-driven barge and a tourist duck boat on the Delaware River in 2010. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. For six years, Jack was a Hearing Committee member of the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was also liaison counsel to the Medical Care Availability & Reduction of Error Fund (M-Care), formerly CAT Fund, on behalf of physicians in the Philadelphia Phen-Fen litigation. Jack was a Scholar-Athlete at St. Joseph’s University and the captain of the basketball team.  He earned his J.D. from Temple University School of Law. Jack is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He has been rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell.

CIVIL LITIGATION

Maureen E. Daley has 20 years of trial experience and she has successfully litigated cases in the state and federal courts. In addition to an active trial practice, she serves as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, a private arbitrator and mediator. Maureen earned a B.S. degree from West Chester University and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law. She devotes her practice to the defense of corporate entities, including commercial motor vehicle matters, products and premise liability, and insurance coverage matters. In addition, she has provided support and representation in all facets of employment relations matters and municipal law. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania. She has been admitted pro hac vice in the states of Delaware, Georgia and Tennessee. Maureen was recognized as a Rising Star in 2007 and was designated as Super Lawyer this year for the ninth straight year. She was also designated previously as one of the “Top 50 Female Lawyers” in Pennsylvania.

Fred B. Buck, Chair of the Firm’s Professional Liability Section, has been an active litigator and trial lawyer for over 30 years. Fred earned an A.B., cum laude, from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law. He has represented clients in high exposure cases in many diverse areas of the law, including general negligence, civil rights, product liability, professional liability, commercial motor vehicle, and construction site accidents. He has tried many jury and nonjury cases in the Courts of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, Berks, Bucks, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike and York Counties as well as in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania.  He has argued appeals in the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  Fred is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is an adjunct professor of law at the Villanova University School of Law.

Daniel J. Rucket concentrates his practice in general casualty defense litigation, including construction site accidents, premises liability, catastrophic injury, construction defects, products liability, stucco home water infiltration claims, motor vehicle accidents, subrogation defense, and general negligence.  He graduated from the William & Mary Law School and subsequently clerked for the Honorable Albert R. Subers in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. Dan is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Prior to being named Super Lawyer from 2010 through 2016, he was selected as a Pennsylvania Rising Star in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & TOXIC TORTS

A practicing trial attorney for 37 years, Peter J. Neeson is Chair of the Environmental Law and Toxic Torts Sections. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Aero Space Mechanical Engineering and from the University of Miami, cum laude, with a J.D.  He has been involved in numerous toxic tort matters in multi-district litigation and class action cases in both state and federal courts, including benzene, underground storage tank, silica, orthopedic bone screw and asbestos litigation among others. Peter has been selected as National Coordinating Counsel in the FRT, asbestos, latex glove and PPA drug litigation. In 2007, he served as Chair of TIPS (Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the ABA).  In 2012, Peter received the prestigious TIPS James K. Carroll Leadership Award in part for his efforts in founding the TIPS Trial and Leadership Academies. Since 2009, Peter has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Judicial College, the organization which trains the country’s state court judges. He now serves as Chairman of the Board.  He has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

TRANSPORTATION

Timothy J. Abeel is Chair of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Section and has defended transportation companies in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware for more than 30 years. Tim graduated, magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany and received his J.D. from the Temple University School of Law. Tim was one of the founders of the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA) and he served as President of TIDA in 2000-2001. From 1994 to 2003, he was a member of the TIDA Board of Directors. His clients include some of the largest transportation companies and insurers of commercial motor vehicles in the United States. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Rawle & Henderson LLP.   Tim has been rated AV Preeminent and has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 13 consecutive years.

Gary N. Stewart is a partner in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Section in our Harrisburg office. Gary is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island, as well as before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey, the District of Massachusetts, the District of Rhode Island, the District of Connecticut and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First and Third Circuits.  He graduated magna cum laude from the Harrisburg campus of Widener University School of Law.  Gary was the recipient of the James C. Crumlish Jr. Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Administrative Law.  He received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, and holds U.S. Coast Guard professional licenses as Master of Oceans, Steam or Motor Vessels up to 1600 gross tons as well as Chief Officer, unlimited tonnage, all oceans.  Gary served as the law clerk for the Honorable Rochelle Friedman, Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.  He has been selected by his peers, as a Transportation/Maritime Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2016, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2007.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Claudio J. DiPaolo, Chair of the Firm’s Workers’ Compensation Section, has practiced insurance defense litigation for nearly 20 years, with a concentration in workers’ compensation litigation. He has defended workers’ compensation matters on behalf of self-insured corporations, insurance carriers, third party administrators and various political entities. He has also handled a wide variety of matters, including employment, commercial motor vehicle, products liability, premises liability, insurance coverage, errors & omissions, and medical malpractice.  Claudio studied Art History and Political Science at Duquesne University, and earned his J.D. degree from the Delaware campus of the Widener University School of Law.  He has made presentations to clients nationwide on workers’ compensation topics, including the interplay between workers’ compensation and other laws and its effects on business enterprises. He  has counseled clients regarding compliance with federal, state, and local laws, and preventing workers’ compensation liability for workplace injuries.  He has been successful in recovering workers’ compensation costs for clients through subrogation, errors & omissions, special fund reimbursements, and various other statutory credits.  Claudio is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

APPELLATE

Carl D. Buchholz, III, is Chair of the Maritime, Insurance Coverage and Appellate Sections. His federal appellate practice includes an argument before the United States Supreme Court, as well as numerous arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His state appellate practice includes seven arguments before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as well as over 35 oral arguments before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania Superior Court.  From 2006–2012, Carl served as a member of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, including a term as Board Chair.  Prior to his appointment to the Disciplinary Board, Carl served a six-year term as Chair and Board Member of the Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court designated Carl as Chair of the Disciplinary Board.  Carl graduated with a B.A. from Muhlenberg College and earned his J.D. from Villanova Law School, where he was a member of the Villanova Law Review and graduated with honors. He has been rated AV Preeminent and has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for the last 13 years.

MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

Charles A. Fitzpatrick, III, has extensive experience defending medical malpractice, nursing home liability, pharmaceutical and catastrophic injury cases.  He has tried over 125 cases to verdict. Charles  is a member of the bar of Pennsylvania and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.  He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University and the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Navy, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Charles has lectured extensively to attorneys and physicians on the law of medical malpractice. He has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for 33 consecutive years. He was chosen as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for the 13th consecutive year.

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