This periodic newsletter will highlight recent legal and business developments within the firm, as well as changes in policy and personnel. We hope you find it useful. If in the future, if you have any information that you would like to share, please contact Jackie Ramirez.
Legal News
Representing HHC, Chuck Bach recently won a jury verdict in a Manhattan medical malpractice case against one of the most successful plaintiff's lawyers in New York, Tom Moore, who was seeking a whopping $30 million in damages on behalf of his client. Way to go Chuck! This victory comes on the heels of defense verdicts obtained by Robin Dolsky and Rayf Berman on behalf of Beth Israel and NYU in recent months.
Practice Development
Ayman Soliman and Steve Seidman continue to build their healthcare practice. Recently, they assisted the New York Spine Institute in negotiating and preparing the agreements for the purchase of an MRI facility in Garden City.
They also protected the interests of the Queens Surgi-Center by convincing a New York tabloid newspaper not to publish a story about the alleged incompetence of several of its physicians. Ayman and Steve showed the newspaper reporter that the source for the reporter's story was a disgruntled former colleague of the surgi-center's director, and that in fact the surgi-center has an excellent record in providing care to its patients. Needless to say, our client was grateful to avoid this adverse and false publicity.
Vince Gallo was retained by a new client, Arch Insurance Company, to represent Transcare, an ambulette company that handles transport of patients in the metropolitan area, in a medical malpractice case.
Mike Sullivan was retained by another new client, Cambridge Realty Company, a building owner in the Bronx, to represent its interests in a premises liability case.
Chuck Bach, Bruce Gilpatrick and Terry St. John have been retained by Occidental Chemical to defend its interests in a large number of asbestos cases in New York.
Personnel Moves
Au Revoir for now to Gabrielle LaMarche, Kathleen Gallo and Michele Butler, all of whom will be leaving us shortly on maternity leave. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to having them back with us later in the year.
Welcome to our newest associate Patricia Thornton and legal assistants Anica Scott-Garrell and Katherine Schaumburg.
Darshan Patel is now overseeing the legal assistant department.
Yasmin Ali will be devoting some of her time to help us clear up the backlog in processing authorizations while continuing her usual terrific work handling Answers.
Miscellaneous
Our new Long Island office at 1050 Franklin Avenue in Garden City will open on May 1. The office can accommodate up to 12 attorneys and 6 support personnel. Peter DeNoto will be the partner-in-charge of the office. He will be joined by the following attorneys and staff: Tony Heller, Louise Derevlany, John McNaboe, Corey Schmidt, Mike Napoli, Laura Murphy, Kathy Pipas, Ayman Soliman, Patricia Blinn, Nicole Falco and Laura Pfeifer.
The associates committee, comprised of Brian Healy, Laura DelVecchio, Patrick Murphy and Vimala Ruszkowski, met recently with Dan Ratner to offer their suggestions and concerns on a variety of subjects. Some of these issues are being addressed immediately, including additional messenger service to and from the White Plains office and reducing the backlog in processing authorizations. In addition, as a direct outgrowth of the meeting, John McNaboe has been appointed to study and recommend a more formal pro bono program. The firm is looking closely at the other issues raised by the committee.
HPM&B extended its tradition of supporting the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which raises money for children's cancer research through its annual head shaving event tied to St. Patrick's Day. This year, P.J. Murphy and Peter Sommerfield lent their heads to the cause, raising almost $15,000, with HPM&B contributing $5,000.
