White and Williams LLP

Million Dollar Lien Recovery in 1% Strict Contributory Negligence State (Alabama)

White and Williams Partner Brett Tishler recently made a $1,000,000 lien recovery for a client in an aluminum smelting explosion accident, that resulted in horrific burns and the ultimate death of the worker. The matter was venued in a difficult, 1% contributory negligence jurisdiction...

Subrogation Department Settles Fire Rekindle Case

Ben Staherski, a Partner in the Subrogation Department, recently settled a case at mediation in a matter he litigated through discovery in Arizona. The case involved a claim against a major municipality in Arizona under the theory that the fire department failed to perform proper fire suppression...

Ohio Court Refuses to Annualize Multi-Year Policies' Per Occurence Limits

White and Williams recently obtained summary judgment against an insured on behalf of an insurer and a guarantor, establishing that two multi-year insurance policies provide per occurrence limits on a per policy rather than a per year basis, which shielded potential exposure by over $100 million...

White and Williams Selected in the 2024 Best Law Firms ranked by Best Lawyers®

White and Williams LLP is proud to be selected in the 2024 Best Law Firms ranked by Best Lawyers®. The firm was recognized in the National Rankings in four practice areas including both Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Insurance Law (Tier 1). In addition...

White and Williams Announces New Managing Partner

White and Williams LLP is proud to announce Timothy E. Davis will serve as the firm’s next Managing Partner. His term began on January 1, 2024, at the conclusion of Andrew Susko’s term. Davis has held numerous leadership positions at the firm, including Chair of the Business Department; Co-Chair...

White and Williams Announces Partner and Counsel Promotions

PHILADELPHIA–White and Williams LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of the following attorneys: Paul A. Briganti, Patrick A. Haggerty, Timothy (T.J.). Keough, Randy J. Maniloff, and Eric A. Sauter. All five attorneys have been promoted to the Firm’s partnership. The Firm has also promoted...

Supreme Court Hits the Brakes on Boy Scouts Chapter 11 Plan

In a terse last-minute order, the United States Supreme Court stayed implementation of the Boy Scouts of America’s (“BSA”) confirmed Chapter 11 plan, which would have stripped thousands of survivor claimants of their ability to assert claims outside the plan’s contours. See Lujan Claimants et al...

An Easy Financing Source Pushes Some Small Businesses Into Bankruptcy

Small businesses struggling to find funding have turned to alternative options such as merchant cash advances in recent years. Such deals have threatened the existence of some of these mom-and-pop operations according to The Wall Street Journal...

White and Williams Celebrates 125th Anniversary

White and Williams LLP, a global-reaching law firm headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. Since its founding in 1899, the Firm has grown to two hundred lawyers with offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and...

White and Williams Announces Sarabeth Gaver and Siobhain Minarovich as Co-Chairs to Women’s Initiati

As we continue our celebration of Women’s History Month at White and Williams LLP, it is important to recognize the efforts of the women who help improve our company every day. Our commitment to fostering success in young women entering the professional world is exemplified by the White and...

Subrogation Department Settles Water Damage Case for Seven Figures

William J. Schmidt (Bill), a partner in the Subrogation Department at White and Williams LLP, recently settled a water damage case for 73 percent of the claimed damages, resulting in a seven-figure settlement. The case involved the water sensors located in a cistern at a high-value condominium...

A Look at What's to Come: Looming Changes to Pennsylvania Statutory Liability Caps

Perhaps unsurprisingly for plaintiffs’ and defense attorneys who have been following the ongoing saga related to statutory damages caps, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court granted an appeal in Freilich v. SEPTA, 302 A.3d 1261 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2023) which seeks to challenge the constitutionality of the...

Top Developments March 2024: Complex Insurance Coverage Reporter

Delaware Supreme Court concludes that a letter from a lawyer informing an insured of possible lawsuits without identifying potential plaintiffs or demanding payment is not a “claim for damages” within the meaning of claims-made CGL and umbrella liability policies. Citing case law from Delaware...

Randy Maniloff Interviews Retired Supreme Court Justice

White and Williams Partner, Randy Maniloff, just published an interview, on the ABA Journal website, that he did with retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer about the release of his new book, Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, not Textualism...

US Supreme Court Declines to Review Second Circuit Ruling, Syndicated Term Loans Are Not Securities

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in the Kirschner case, in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a 2020 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that syndicated loans are not securities...

Rochelle Gumapac Elected President of the Defense Counsel of Delaware

White and Williams congratulates Rochelle Gumapac on her election as President of the Defense Counsel of Delaware (DCD). Rochelle is Managing Partner of the firm’s Rhode Island Office and the firm’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer...

Patti Santelle Featured in The Pennsylvania Lawyer, Article

Patricia (Patti) Santelle, Chair Emeritus/Former Managing Partner, was recently featured in an article in The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine entitled “Contests at Sea and in the Courtroom.”...

White and Williams Attorney, Andrew E. Arthur, Selected as American Bankruptcy Institute DEI Mentor

White and Williams Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy associate, Andrew E. Arthur, has been selected for the 2024-25 class of mentees for the American Bankruptcy Institute's (ABI) Diversity Group Mentorship Program. The program seeks to build personal and professional relationships while...

Negligent Undertaking Claim Against Amazon May Succeed Where a Products Liability Claim Fails

In Johnson v. Amazon.com, Inc., No. 4:22-CV-04086, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59196, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas held that Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) can be liable for negligent undertaking claims when products sold on its website are defective...

White and Williams Secures Superior Court Affirmance of Dismissal of Decade-Old Malpractice Claim

White and Williams recently scored a major victory for a Philadelphia-area pediatric hospital in a medical negligence case that had been ongoing for nearly 13 years. In a published opinion, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas’ dismissal of the action...

Benefits of Subchapter V Under the Bankruptcy Code to Private Equity Funds in Managing Distressed

Following EisnerAmper’s 2022 article on the “Benefits of Subchapter V Under the Bankruptcy Code to Private Equity Funds in Managing Distressed Assets,” which detailed how the provisions of Subchapter V of the Bankruptcy Code provide for an efficient and relatively inexpensive method by which...

EEOC Guidance Provides Employers With A Roadmap For Effective Workplace Anti-Harassment Policies

Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published its updated guidance on harassment in the workplace (the “Guidance”) which provides a comprehensive resource on federal workplace harassment law. The Guidance was issued on April 29, 2024 and took effect immediately. It is...

Philadelphia Delays 2025 Assessment Notices in Face of Billion Dollar Loss in Commercial Assessment

It is no secret that Philadelphia (the City), like many major cities, is facing record high commercial vacancy rates. This is problematic for the City as it is undergoing a citywide reassessment for real estate taxes. The lower demand for commercial properties and higher interest rates have led...

Nancy Conrad to Serve as President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association

White and Williams is honored to announce that Nancy Conrad, Managing Partner of the Lehigh Valley office and Chair of the Higher Education Practice Group, will serve as President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) for the 2024-2025 term. She will be the seventh woman to serve as President...

White and Williams Partner, Randy Maniloff, interviewed Alex Hortis on New Book for ABA Journal

White and Williams Partner, Randy Maniloff, recently interviewed Alex Hortis on his new book, The Witch of New York, for the ABA Journal...

White and Williams Elects Four Lawyers to Partnership, Promotes Six Associates to Counsel

White and Williams is pleased to announce the election of Edward Beitz, Justin Fortescue, Jennifer Santangelo and Amy Vulpio to the partnership and the promotion of Paul Briganti, Joshua Galante, Dana Spring Monzo, George Morrison, Craig O’Neill and Steven Urgo from associate to counsel.<br/>The newly elected…

White and Williams Secures Reversal of Critical Ruling Involving Confidential and Proprietary Busine

White and Williams Recovers High-Six Figure Damages for Insurer in Settlement of Unpaid Premium Disp

White and Williams Defeats Claims Brought by Insured’s Alleged Successor in Environmental Coverage D

White and Williams' Insurance Practice Receives Top Honors