On the Pulse...Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin Amusements, Sports & Entertainment Practice Group

Marshall Dennehey's Amusements, Sports & Entertainment Practice Group is nationally recognized for our depth and experience in a wide range of amusement, sports and leisure risks, including sports and amusement facilities, arenas and concert venues, professional, amateur and sports teams, theme parks, water parks, carnivals, skating rinks, bowling centers, gyms, health clubs golf, miniature golf, and more.

Our practice group attorneys are located in the firm's 20 offices and regularly practice in the state and federal courts in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Ohio.

Attorneys in our practice group approach every new case from the point of view of an industry insider so that we never have to "reinvent the wheel" in a case involving sports, entertainment, or leisure activity. We are often called upon to present safety seminars and consulting services for insurance companies, trade associations, and individual clients.

Our attorneys network with our clients as members of industry, trade, and professional associations, including IAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), OABA (Outdoor Amusement Business Association), ISIA (Ice Skating Institute of America), NJAA (New Jersey Amusement Association), WWA (World Waterpark Association), and IRGA (International Recreational Go-Kart Association).

The Amusement, Sports & Entertainment Practice Group is unique in many ways that distinguish us from our peers.

An important asset to our litigation group has been membership in the International Amusement and Leisure Defense Association, Inc. (IALDA), a national networking group of defense counsel and insurance claims professionals who primarily represent clients engaged in sports, recreation, and leisure services to the public. IALDA maintains a database on expert witnesses and consults on national litigation strategies and risk management guidelines.

Our attorneys have played an innovative role in the development of risk management guidelines and national insurance programs for amusement industries, including the roller skating and bowling industries.

Marshall Dennehey is often called in to investigate catastrophic claims shortly after they occur in order to secure the accident scene, interview witnesses, coordinate the investigation, and provide crisis management information.

Over the past 35 years, our practice group has developed an impressive list of clients, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Villanova University, Six Flags Great Adventure, Busch Entertainment, Sesame Place, Lincoln Financial Field, as well as hundreds of local amusement facilities, carnivals, arenas, and concert venues. We pride ourselves on our relationship with our clients, which has been nurtured over the years through our litigation defense and our involvement in state, regional, and national trade associations.

Our insurance company and TPA clients include ACE, AIG, CNA, Liberty Mutual, Markel, H&W Risk Management, AON, Marsh, Capital Specialty Insurance Company, Gallagher Bassett, North Pointe Insurance, and QBE to name just a few of our regular clients.

For further information or to make a case referral, please contact either Lary Zucker, Mark Thompson, or Ralph Bocchino. Their contact information is below.

Lary I. Zucker, Esquire
Woodland Falls Corporate Park
200 Lake Drive East, Suite 300
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 414-6001
LIZucker@mdwcg.com

Mark Thompson, Esquire
315 E. Robinson Street
Suite 475
Orlando, FL 32801-2719
(407) 246-0877
MGThompson@mdwcg.com

Ralph Bocchino, Esquire
1845 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4717
(215) 575-2634
RPBocchino@mdwcg.com

*Lary, a shareholder in our Cherry Hill, New Jersey, office, can be reached at (856) 414-6001 or LIZucker@mdwcg.com.

Defense Digest, Vol. 15, No. 3, September 2009