Marshall Dennehey Announces 2020 Shareholder Class

Marshall Dennehey is pleased to announce that 12 associates and four special counsel have been elevated to shareholder. Additionally, the firm has promoted one associate to the position of special counsel. These new shareholders and special counsel represent the firm's four core departments – casualty, professional liability, health care and workers' compensation – and come from 10 of the firm's 20 regional offices.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the new shareholders are:

Christine Pellegrini Busch, formerly special counsel, now shareholder in the firm's Casualty Department. Christine has more than 20 years of defense litigation experience and currently handles asbestos and toxic tort, environmental litigation, and motor vehicle and bad faith litigation. Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey, she served tenures as an adjunct professor at both Villanova School of Law and the Temple University Beasley School of Law. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and earned her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jonathon Cross, formerly special counsel, now shareholder in the firm’s Professional Liability Department. As a former athlete and Division-I college baseball coach, Jon defends sports and recreation facility owners, coaches and instructors, youth athletic organizations, professional athletes and more when claims are made against them. He is also experienced in litigating sports-related concussion claims, and he often provides legal counsel to contractors, architects and engineers, accountants and more in professional liability matters. Jon is a graduate of Lafayette College and Villanova University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the new shareholder is:

Brett Shear, formerly associate, now shareholder, in the firm’s Health Care Department. Brett represents physicians, medical professionals and hospitals in a wide variety of health care liability and medical malpractice actions. He is a graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Brett is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

In Scranton, Pennsylvania, the new shareholders are:

Michael Connolly, formerly associate, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Michael primarily handles matters involving premises liability, automobile, and general liability.  He has defended a number of industrial workplace accident cases, and regularly deals with matters involving Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). He also litigates wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases pertaining to surface mining accidents, motor vehicle, product liability and UIM claims. Michael is a graduate of the University of Scranton and the Drexel University Kline School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Mark Kozlowski, formerly associate, now shareholder in the firm’s Professional Liability Department. Mark focuses his practice on civil rights, constitutional law and municipal liability. He is a graduate of Kutztown University and Michigan State University College of Law, and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

In Mount Laurel, New Jersey, the new shareholder is:

Matthew Burdalski, formerly associate, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Matt is a member of the firm’s Fraud/Special Investigation Practice Group where he focuses primarily on large loss fraud and medical provider fraud. He is also experienced in insurance coverage litigation, representing numerous insurance carriers across multiple states for the purposes of SIU investigation, bad faith litigation and general defense litigation. Matt is a graduate of West Chester University and Widener University School of Law and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In Roseland, New Jersey, the new shareholders are:

Julie Dorfman, formerly associate, now shareholder in the Casualty Department. Julie focuses her practice in maritime litigation and general liability matters involving personal injury, premises liability, sidewalk liability, condominium/community association law, product liability, marine, inland marine, construction accidents, and more. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Seton Hall University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York.

Ida M. Fuda, formerly associate, now shareholder in the Workers’ Compensation Department.  Ida defends entities in a variety of industries, including national retail companies, national manufacturers, regional healthcare facilities, and small employers in workers' compensation matters.  Ida has a diverse background including extensive experience in the areas of general liability, professional liability, and medical malpractice defense.  She is a graduate of The College of New Jersey and Pace University School of Law. Ida is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Rachel Ramsay-Lowe, formerly associate, now shareholder in the Workers' Compensation Department. Rachel defends insured entities such as national department stores, retail chains and various other small employers in matters relating to workers' compensation in New Jersey. Her legal career began at a plaintiff's firm, where she handled hundreds of cases representing petitioners in workers' compensation claims. Rachel is a graduate of Stetson University and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

In Melville, New York, the new shareholders are:

Colleen Cronin, formerly special counsel, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Colleen has more than 20 years of experience representing companies in complex product liability and toxic tort litigation matters, including asbestos. Her clients include product and equipment manufacturers, contractors, suppliers and premises owners. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and Hofstra University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in  New York and New Jersey.

Andrew Warshauer, formerly special counsel, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Andrew devotes the entirety of his practice to toxic tort litigation and product liability law, primarily focusing on the defense of companies in the New York asbestos litigation. A civil litigator for over 20 years, he has litigated hundreds of cases venued in New York’s state and federal courts. Andrew is a graduate of  Binghamton University and The George Washington University Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York.

In Tampa, Florida, the new shareholders are:

Samuel Higginbottom, formerly associate, now shareholder in the firm’s Tampa office. Sam  represents clients in the fields of retail liability, automobile litigation, trucking accident litigation, and in various other types of general litigation in Florida’s state and federal courts.  His clients include trucking companies, retail stores, restaurant chains, grocery chains, international hotel chains, pawnbrokers, and various insurers and service providers to these industries. Sam graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 2005 with a B.S. in Marine Engineering. He later attended The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law where he received his juris doctor. He is admitted to practice in Florida.

Lindsay McCormick, formerly associate, now shareholder, in the firm’s Professional Liability Department. Lindsay focuses her practice in the areas of construction defect litigation and general professional liability defense. She provides counsel to subcontractors, general contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, architects and engineers in claims brought against them in a variety of construction projects and disputes. She is also experienced handling condominium association claims and directors/officers claims for real estate agents, brokers and appraisers. Lindsay is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida State University College of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida.

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the new shareholder is:

Harris Kirsch, formerly associate, now shareholder, in the firm’s Casualty Department. Harris  represents clients in automobile litigation, commercial premises liability, construction litigation, third party water litigation claims, personal injury protection claims and general casualty matters. He is frequently retained by insurance carriers to assist in the defense of homeowner associations, property management companies and other companies for a multitude of premises liability claims. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Florida School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Florida.

In Wilmington, Delaware, the new shareholder is:

Jessica Tyler, formerly associate, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Jessica focuses her practice on general liability, automobile liability, premises liability, professional liability, and construction defect litigation. Jessica is also experienced in defending toxic tort actions and has obtained summary judgment in cases with six figure demands. She additionally handles cases in the firm's Fraud/Special Investigative Practice Group where she evaluates medical provider fraud and manages PIP disputes throughout the state of Delaware. She is a graduate of Arcadia University and Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

In Cincinnati, Ohio, the new shareholder is:

David Williamson, formerly special counsel, now shareholder in the firm’s Casualty Department. Dave’s practice includes defending insurance company clients in disputes with insureds, other insurers, and claimants. He also defends clients in personal injury cases, transportation law, workplace injury litigation, property disputes, and public liability cases. He is a graduate of Hanover College and the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He is admitted to practice in both the state and federal courts of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

New Special Counsel

Ian Antonoff, associate in our New York, New York office, has been promoted to Special Counsel in the firm’s Professional Liability Department. Ian defends design professionals and contractors in construction defect actions involving claims ranging from water infiltration to overall design and structural issues. He also defends contractors in connection with personal injury claims resulting from construction site accidents. He is a graduate of Montclair State University and Seton Hall University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.