SIU Spotlight – NEWS & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Three Members of SIU Practice Group Elected Shareholders
Matthew A. Gray (Melville, NY) primarily defends insurance carriers in disputes involving New York Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims. A member of the firm’s Fraud/Special Investigation Practice Group, he is experienced in defending clients against intentional/staged losses and medical provider fraud. He has extensive motion practice experience and with alongside his fellow colleagues to obtain favorable decision for each of his clients, whether through litigation or arbitration. Matthew holds a B.A. and M.A. from St. John’s University and earned his J.D. from the Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. He is admitted to practice in New York.
Jonathan C. Magpantay, CPCU (Mount Laurel, NJ) focuses on large loss and medical provider fraud, including the filing of affirmative litigation recovery and RICO actions across the country. A Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), he also handles insurance coverage disputes, bad faith litigation and general defense litigation. He has broad experience in New Jersey Personal Injury Protection (PIP) litigation and appears regularly before the courts and administrative bodies. Jonathan is a member of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ) and the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA). A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers University School of Law, he is admitted to practice in New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and Michigan.
Michael J. Sweeney, CPCU (Mount Laurel, NJ) investigates and defends large loss and medical provider fraud matters. He has litigated and filed affirmative litigation recovery and RICO actions in many states, recovering tens of millions of dollars in restitution and recovery on behalf of the insurance industry. A Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Michael has extensive experience handling insurance coverage disputes, SIU investigations, bad faith allegations, and general defense litigation. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Villanova University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey.
2024 New York Metro Super Lawyer Rising Stars
Matthew A. Gray (Melville, NY) was among five attorneys from our New York City and Long Island offices selected to the 2024 edition of New York Metro Super Lawyers magazine. Matthew was listed in the Insurance Coverage practice area. 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 2.5 percent are selected for Super Lawyer Rising Stars. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. A description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html.
Thought Leadership
February 19, 2025 – Jeffrey Rapattoni (Mount Laurel, NH) co-presented the webinar “Bad Faith Legal Update” to members of International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU). Topics included current legislation affecting the SIU and anti-fraud professionals, case-specific legal decisions affecting the SIU community, as well as trending decisions and pending legislation.
January 16, 2025 – Jeffrey Rapattoni (Mount Laurel, NJ) discussed “Ethical Considerations for the SIU” at the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) Mid-Atlantic Major Medical Fraud Task Force Training Event in Philadelphia. Designed for NICB agents covering Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, the program will provided information and strategies related to the prevention, detection, and prosecution of insurance fraud and crime.
October 29, 2024 – Jeffrey Rapattoni (Mount Laurel, NJ) presented the webinar “Legal/Ethics Update” at the Ohio Chapter of IASIU Fall Training.
October 22, 2024 – Matthew Burdalski and Ari Brownstein (both of Mount Laurel, NJ) presented “Cracking the Case: Investigating Chiropractic Care from Record Review to Examination Under Oath” at the New Jersey Special Investigators Association’s 33rd annual seminar.
October 3, 2024 – Jeffrey Rapattoni (Mount Laurel, NJ) delivered two presentations at the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s Medical & Work Comp Fraud Conference. In “Ethics and the Investigator,” he discussed the evolving legal landscape and its impact on ethical practices in the SIU industry, offering best practices for maintaining efficiency while upholding ethical standards. In “Measuring an SIU Program’s Success – in an Ever-Changing Environment,” Jeff and Jay Bobrowsky, CIFI, FCLS, from the State Compensation Insurance Fund of California, explored the challenges SIU managers face in balancing program goals with customer service and accountability in a shifting market.
August 26–27, 2024 – Jeffrey Rapattoni (Mount Laurel, NJ) participated in three seminars at the 2024 IASIU Conference. He presented “SIU Ethics,” “Building a Better Major Case: From Investigation to Suit,” and “Legal Updates.”
June 27, 2024 – Sean Greenwalt (Tampa, FL) co-presented at the Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee’s (FIFEC) annual conference. “No Tipping, Please: Responding to Gratuitous Payment, Coverage, and Policy Disputes,” tackled all the new and old challenges to PIP exhaustion and policy limits.
SIU Spotlight, Issue 2, Vol. 1, March 2025 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers. This publication is not intended to provide legal advice for a specific situation or to create an attorney-client relationship. We would be pleased to provide such legal assistance as you require on these and other subjects when called upon. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING pursuant to New York RPC 7.1 Copyright © 2025 Marshall Dennehey, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted without the express written permission of our firm. For reprints or inquiries, or if you wish to be removed from this mailing list, contact tamontemuro@mdwcg.com.