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GGM Welcomes Jacqueline E. Campbell
Jacqueline Campbell joins German, Gallagher & Murtagh as a Partner in the Philadelphia office, where she started her defense litigation career. She continues to focus her practice on commercial vehicle, construction accident, premises liability, product liability, and professional liability cases. Jacqueline is a hands-on trial attorney involved in all aspects of a case, from initial accident response and investigation through trial and appeal. She is sensitive to the business objectives and core values of her clients and works closely with them to develop the best defense strategy for each case. Jacqueline has successfully tried several complex injury cases to verdict in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.
Jacqueline is a proud graduate of the University of Delaware and Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. As a board member of the HenLaw Society, she is actively engaged in mentoring students interested in pursuing a career in law.
About GGM
With 40 years of service to clients, German, Gallagher & Murtagh is an AV® Peer Review rated firm of dedicated trial attorneys. Since it’s founding in 1980, the firm’s litigators have regularly represented insurance carriers, employers, Fortune 500 companies, product manufacturers, healthcare providers, municipalities, retailers and transportation companies in state and federal courts, and before administrative agencies. Over the years, our firm has earned a reputation for excellence, integrity, and innovation in civil litigation.
GGM is a full-service law firm headquartered in Philadelphia with an office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to support its significant New Jersey practice. The firm’s experienced litigators have robust trial experience that enables them to effective resolve cases out of court. The ability to litigate matters swiftly, economically, and successfully has been a trademark of the firm since its inception. As a founding member of ALFA International, GGM brings the added value of immediate access to a global network of 150 independent law firms around the world. ALFA’s mission is to provide clients with high-quality, cost-efficient legal services worldwide. GGM is able to draw on the ALFA network to provide clients with representation in all litigation matters nationwide.
GGM Update on Resumption of In-Person Civil Jury Trials in Philadelphia
On July 7, 2021, the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County provided an update on its plan to resume in-person proceedings in Philadelphia. The most significant changes are:
- All arbitrations will be in person starting August 2; new notices will be issued.
- All case management and pre-trial conferences will be in person starting September 1.
- Discovery hearings, settlement conferences, and rule hearings will continue via Zoom.
Below is an overview of the Court’s plan for hearings and conferences, an update on jury trials held since March 2021, and the plan for jury trials going forward. Of the 210 in-person jury trials that were scheduled from March 2021 through June 2021, 51 juries were selected and 42 cases went to verdict.
Case Management Conferences: Starting September 1, 2021, conferences will be conducted in person in City Hall.
Discovery Court: Hearings will continue via Zoom until further notice. The Protocol for Discovery Motions filed after March 15, 2021, can be found here.
Hearings on Motions, Petitions, and Rules to Show Cause: Hearings will continue via Zoom unless otherwise ordered by the presiding judge.
Arbitrations: Arbitrations will continue via Zoom until July 30, 2021. After August 2, 2021, all hearings will be in person at the Arbitration Center. New notices will be issued for those cases on or after August 2, 2021. The Protocol for the Compulsory Arbitration Program can be found here.
Settlement Conferences: Conferences will continue via Zoom unless otherwise ordered by the presiding judge. Mandatory conferences will trial judges have been successful at resolving complex track cases. Those conferences will continue for cases scheduled for trial in 2021 but phased out thereafter so that judges can focus on jury trials.
Pre-trial Conferences: Starting September 1, 2021, conferences will be conducted in person in City Hall.
Non-Jury Trials: Non-jury trials will continue to be conducted via Zoom until there are enough courtrooms available for an in-person trial, which may happen in September 2021.
Update on July Trials in 2021: Since March 2021, 210 in-person jury trials were scheduled (61 were major jury cases) and 51 juries were selected. Of those cases, there were 27 verdicts for the plaintiff, 15 defense verdicts, and 9 cases that settled. Currently, 44 jury trials (15 major jury) are scheduled for July 2021 and 62 jury trials (21 major jury) are scheduled for August 2021. The Court will remain at its current rate of six (6) jury trials per week through August 2021. The Court continues to monitor the COVID-19 data and will consider increasing to eight (8) jury trials per week starting in September 2021.
Plan for Future Jury Trials: Cases will be placed in two separate tracks. The first track will contain cases filed on or after January 1, 2021. Those cases will proceed as they did pre-pandemic, i.e., expedited cases will have a pre-trial conference within 12 months and be listed for trial the following month. The Court is focused on keeping cases in this track on schedule. Case Management Orders will be timely issued and motions to extend deadlines will be routinely denied absent extraordinary circumstances.
The second track will contain all pre-2021 cases disrupted by the pandemic. Cases with projected pre-trial conferences in 2020 will have a pre-trial conference by the end of August 2021 and either placed in a trial pool or scheduled for a trial date at the conference. The trial pool cases will be scheduled to start trial in the fourth quarter of 2021. Cases with a trial date certain will be scheduled to occur sometime between October 2021 and March 2022.
Cases with projected pre-trial conferences in January 2021 through July 2021 will be scheduled for pre-trial conferences starting in September 2021. The trial pool cases will be scheduled to start trial sometime between October 2021 and March 2022. Cases with a trial date certain will have trial scheduled to start sometime between January 2022 and June 2022. Note that the projected pre-trial conference date on the docket is a placeholder for determining the priority of scheduling the actual conference. It is too early for the Court to determine when a case with a projected pretrial conference on or after July 2021 will be scheduled for trial. The Court urges parties to have all discovery completed and expert reports exchanged before the conference.
The Court’s Protocols and Guidelines for Conducting In-Person Civil Jury Trials can be found here
Jacob Lehman co-chairs ALFA Professional Liability and Insurance Group Virtual Seminar
Jacob Lehman co-chairs ALFA Professional Liability and Insurance Group Virtual Seminar Together with Houston ALFA Member Firm Partner, David Prasifka, Mr. Lehman organized and hosted a combined presentation of the ALFA Professional Liability and Insurance Groups. The seminar, entitled “Professional Liability and Insurance Practice Challenges – Confronting the New Normal” covered topics ranging from emerging trends in bad faith litigation and COVID-19 related insurance claims to social inflation and large jury verdicts in the post-COVID environment and was followed by a virtual social event.
The Legal Intelligencer Names Andre J. Webb a Lawyer on the Fast Track
German Gallagher & Murtagh is pleased to announce that Andre J. Webb has been named one of Pennsylvania Legal Awards 2021 Lawyers on the Fast Track. Each year, The Legal Intelligencer recognizes young lawyers across Pennsylvania who have worked tirelessly in their professional, personal and civic lives to improve the legal landscape and the future of others.
The Intelligencer notes that Mr. Webb has been a faithful servant of the bar since the inception of his career. Currently, he is the chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association (after serving three years on the executive committee), and he also is a member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association. In addition, he has been on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel for several years and serves as a Zone 1 Delegate for the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Mr. Webb is a committed servant of the Philadelphia legal community. He has given many years, and many more hours, to building a better legal community in Philadelphia. His commitment to facilitating success for other young attorneys is evident in his agenda as chair of the Young Lawyers Division. As chair, Mr. Webb has chosen to focus on professional development for young lawyers. By crafting a year’s worth of events focused on: networking and creating meaningful connections through innovation; professional development in honing intangible and transferable skills; and fostering local relationships in the community to assist in effectuating lasting change.
The winners of this year’s Pennsylvania Legal Awards were recently honored at a dinner and reception.
See The Legal Intelligencer’s full article highlighting Mr. Webb’s award here.
Matthew McColgan Elected as Young Lawyer Representative of the PADC
We are please to announce Matthew McColgan has been appointed the Young Lawyer Representative on Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel’s Executive Committee (2021-2022).
GGM Announces 2021 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
GGM is pleased to announce that Dean F. Murtagh, Gary R. Gremminger, John P. Shusted, Gary H. Hunter, and Jeffrey D. Laudenbach have been named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, and Jacob C. Lehman and Andre J. Webb have been named Rising Stars for 2021.
A Thomson Reuters business, Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected for this honor. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
Matthew McColgan presents to the ALFA International Future Leaders Forum
Matt McColgan presented to the ALFA International Future Leaders Forum and lead discussion on overcoming COVID-related obstacles in defending against personal injury claims during the time of remote discovery and in managing comprehensive in-person medical exams.
German Gallagher & Murtagh is pleased to announce that Andre J. Webb has been named a Partner of the Firm
German Gallagher & Murtagh is pleased to announce that Andre J. Webb has been named a Partner of the Firm. Andre is a member of the casualty litigation department, where he defends insured and self-insured entities in a variety of litigation matters. Andre’s professional activities extend beyond the courtroom as he is very active in the legal community. He is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Board of Governors, serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Young Lawyers Division, and is an Executive Committee member of the of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel. Andre was recently selected by The National Black Lawyers for inclusion in its list of “Top 40 under 40”, and was appointed to serve in the ALFA International Future Leaders Forum as the liaison to the Insurance and Professional Liability Groups.
Jacob Lehman Obtains Summary Judgment for Equipment Rental Company in Product Liability Action
Mr. Lehman obtained a dismissal on behalf of his client, a national equipment rental company, in a product liability, negligence and breach of warranty action in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. This dismissal came after the Court’s grant of a contested motion for summary judgment. Mr. Lehman was able to convince the Court to hold oral argument on his client’s motion, and at argument demonstrate that his client had no relationship to the product sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact.
German Gallagher & Murtagh congratulates our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for being regionally ranked by “Best Law Firms”
German Gallagher & Murtagh congratulates our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for being regionally ranked by “Best Law Firms” for Philadelphia Tier 1 Workers’ Compensation Law – Employer. GGM represents insurance carriers and self-insured corporations in workers’ compensation matters at all levels of administrative and appellate proceedings.
