The Washington law firm Arent Fox said Monday that it has named longtime partner Mark M. Katz as its new chairman, a leadership change that comes as the legal sector copes with an economic downturn that has curtailed business and prompted layoffs.

Katz, 52, succeeds Marc L. Fleischaker, who served as chairman of the firm's executive committee for 14 years. Fleischaker will remain at the firm, concentrating on antitrust and civil rights cases.

Like many of its counterparts, Arent Fox has faced declining revenue as corporate clients cut back on legal work, particularly in commercial real estate and finance, Katz said Monday in an interview. Although the firm cut 13 associates and 15 staff members and is in the early stages of restructuring how it bills clients, Katz said Arent Fox wasn't hurt as deeply by the recession because it decided to grow more cautiously during the boom.

"Some of the firms that grew very rapidly and worked on a mega-international platform seem to be running into difficulties," he said. "We've grown on a patient pace, and that's helped us."

As of 2008, the latest year for which statistics from the economic development group Greater Washington Initiative are available, more than 40,000 lawyers worked in the Washington region, second only to the New York area. Nearly 64,000 people work in the legal profession in the Washington region, which employs more people in that sector on a per-capita basis than any U.S. metropolitan area.

Indianapolis-based Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman P.C. has merged with a law firm in Cleveland. The deal brings Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP into the Indianapolis market after establishing offices in Columbus, Ohio, New York state, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Shanghai. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the combined firm will be know as Benesch/Dann Pecar in Indianapolis.

Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman P.C. was founded in 1911 and the Indianapolis office has 26 attorneys.

Indianapolis-based Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman P.C. has merged with a law firm in Cleveland. The deal brings Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP into the Indianapolis market after establishing offices in Columbus, Ohio, New York state, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Shanghai. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the combined firm will be know as Benesch/Dann Pecar in Indianapolis.

Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman P.C. was founded in 1911 and the Indianapolis office has 26 attorneys.

The Berenstein, Moore, Heffernan, Moeller & Johnson L.L.P. law firm announce that Karrie R. Hruska has become a partner in the Sioux City firm. Hruska joined the firm in November 2008 after 10 years in private practice in Sioux City.

She concentrates her practice in the areas of probate law, estate planning, litigation, business and family law. Hruska earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Dakota and her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

While at Iowa she was selected to be a member of the Stephenson Trial Advocacy Team. She is currently licensed to practice law in Iowa and South Dakota, and is a member of the Iowa Bar Association, the South Dakota Bar Association and the Woodbury County Bar Association.

She also has served on the executive board of the Young Lawyers Division of the Iowa State Bar Association and has served on the Mock Trial Committee of the Iowa State Bar Association since 2000.

Boardman Law Firm announced that Andrew Hebl has joined the firm as an associate. Andrew will work with the firm’s insurance litigation team.

“We are excited to add Andrew to our trial team,” comments Boardman litigation attorney Claude Covelli. “He’s smart, personable, and a hard worker–a great combination.”

Andrew received his J.D. from Michigan State University in May, 2008, and received his undergraduate education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Prior to joining Boardman, Andrew was Judicial Law Clerk to Justice Patience Drake Roggensack. He is fluent in German and Portuguese.

Boardman’s insurance litigation attorneys work with corporate and claims counsel to resolve a variety of insurance issues, and have argued appeals before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court.

Boardman Suhr Curry & Field is one of the largest and oldest law firms based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Boardman’s attorneys provide services to individuals, businesses and organizations in a variety of areas, including estate planning, family law, banking, labor and employment, litigation, real estate, taxation, and more.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Nick Sayers  | Boardman Law Firm
608-283-7577
nsayers@boardmanlawfirm.com
www.boardmanlawfirm.com

David J. Tigges may be the youngest attorney to lead the McNair Law Firm, but don’t look for an iconoclast in this Hilton Head Island resident.

The real estate, banking and hospitality industry lawyer has a deep reverence for the traditions of the firm, founded in 1971 by the late former Gov. Robert E. McNair. Tigges, 47, is the third partner in the firm to hold the CEO post, after William Youngblood and Wayne Corley, since a reorganization of the firm in 1988 created the position.

“Everyone brings a little different view,” Tigges said. “I would not characterize this as a generational change. The legal community as a whole is undergoing a transformation.”

Tigges said he plans no sweeping changes in the firm’s direction.

“We want to grow when opportunity presents itself,” Tigges said, “but we are not looking to grow just for growth’s sake.”

Much of Tigges’ first six months in the post will be focused on moving the firm’s headquarters from Columbia’s Wilbur Smith Building to a new office tower half a block from the Statehouse on Main Street.

David J. Tigges has been elected managing shareholder/CEO of the McNair Law Firm. He succeeds Bill Youngblood, who had led the 126-lawyer, nine-office firm since 2003.

The firm is the Midlands' third largest. Tigges was with Bethea, Jordan & Griffin in Hilton Head Island when he negotiated the firm's merger with McNair in 2004. Tigges headed two offices in Beaufort County while specializing in business and tax law.

Tigges will spend about three days a week at the firm's Columbia headquarters. The firm will move this summer to the new Main & Gervais office building from the Tower at 1301 Gervais, its home for more than 30 years.

Construction Accident Lawyers – Block O’Toole & Murphy Every year thousands of construction workers are seriously injured in New York City. Construction workers find themselves confronted by dangerous, unsafe work conditions on a daily basis. New York State has enacted laws and regulations to protect all workers, whether they are ironworkers, construction workers, electricians, mechanics, bricklayers, painters or carpenters. However, these laws and regulations can be very difficult for the injured worker to navigate without the help of experienced construction lawyers. Block O’Toole & Murphy is one of New York’s premier construction accident law firms. These “Lawyers with Hardhats” have a long and proud tradition of representing laborers of all kinds who have been injured on the job. They are well versed in labor law, and have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injured workers. They also represent documented as well as undocumented workers. Today, The Insider Exclusive takes an inside look at the New York law firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy, and their outstanding record for seeking justice for workers injured on the job. Joining us from the firm are Jeffrey Block, Stephen Murphy, Daniel O’Toole, Joseph Donahue and David Scher. We will also examine some of the firm’s multimillion-dollar verdicts and learn more about some of their clients, including Oscar Torres, Carlos Tirado and Carmine Christiano. Remember, this firm won’t be outworked. And they will not rest until their clients get justice.

Jeffrey Block is highly regarded for his career in the courtroom and is often called upon by fellow trial attorneys to serve as trial counsel on their significant cases. In fact, over the last two years, he has been elected as a "Super Lawyer" in New York State, recognizing him as one of the top 5% of New York personal injury trial lawyers. Jeffrey is a leading trial attorney but is also respected for his negotiation skills. His negotiation instincts have served his clients extremely well throughout his career. He is known as a tireless worker who never settles for anything but the best for his clients. Jeffrey is heavily involved in many charities and enjoys being in the position to make a difference in people's lives in and out of the courtroom.

Stephen Murphy is a lifetime New Yorker with Irish roots. He comes from a family of firefighters, police officers, prosecutors and teachers. Both of his grandfathers were members of the Fire Department. His grandfather, Stephen J. Murphy, served the City of New York as Interim Fire Commissioner. His maternal grandfather, Walter Matthews, reached the rank of Assistant Chief of Department. Stephen joined the firm Block & O'Toole in early 2005 after a successful and rewarding career as a homicide prosecutor. He handles a wide range of cases including labor law and construction accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, trucking collisions, medical malpractice and motor vehicle cases. Stephen began his legal career working as an Assistant District Attorney under Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. He honed his skills in the criminal courtrooms in Brooklyn, prosecuting persons accused of violent crimes. In early July 2003, Stephen traveled to Sarajevo on behalf of the United States Justice Department to assist in the implementation of a new justice system in post-war Bosnia & Hercegovina. Stephen is also an adjunct professor of law at the St. John's University School of law. He teaches trial advocacy and lectures on criminal and civil trial practice and evidence.

Daniel O’Toole is one of New York's premier catastrophic injury trial attorneys, having graduated from the Fordham University School of Law in 1992. During the course of his career he has obtained in excess of $150,000,000.00 worth of settlements and verdicts, all by the age of 40. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Labor Law Committee for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is active at his church and serves on the Parish School Advisory Board as well as Chairman of his parish's Capital Campaign Committee. Daniel is an active supporter and sponsor of the St. Jude Children's Hospital, The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), The Butterfly Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), Candlelighters of New York City and Judges and Lawyers Cancer Alert. He recently funded the construction of a classroom at a school for autistic children in Connecticut and is a major donor of an autism school near his home in New Jersey. Additionally, Daniel provides multiple needs based scholarships for children on annual basis for parochial grammar and high schools in New York and New Jersey.

Joseph Donahue has successfully represented workers in various trades, including construction workers. In 1997 he began his career as a trial lawyer as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. As an Assistant District Attorney Joseph investigated thousands of criminal cases, presented hundreds of cases to the New York State Grand Jury and successfully obtained jury verdicts on behalf of crime victims. He began his career in private practice at a prominent New York City law firm specializing in medical malpractice litigation. He represented hospitals and physicians against claims of medical malpractice in the fields of cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, general surgery and failure to diagnose cancer. Joseph also handled substantial personal injury cases, including negligent security matters. In March 2008 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is a 1994 graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore Maryland and a 1997 graduate of The City University of New York School of Law. Joseph is licensed to practice in the Federal and State Courts of New York and New Jersey.

http://www.insiderexclusive.com/component/content/article/1-shows/117-construction-accident-lawyers-block-otoole-a-murphy-

Construction Accident Lawyers – Block O’Toole & Murphy Every year thousands of construction workers are seriously injured in New York City. Construction workers find themselves confronted by dangerous, unsafe work conditions on a daily basis. New York State has enacted laws and regulations to protect all workers, whether they are ironworkers, construction workers, electricians, mechanics, bricklayers, painters or carpenters. However, these laws and regulations can be very difficult for the injured worker to navigate without the help of experienced construction lawyers. Block O’Toole & Murphy is one of New York’s premier construction accident law firms. These “Lawyers with Hardhats” have a long and proud tradition of representing laborers of all kinds who have been injured on the job. They are well versed in labor law, and have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injured workers. They also represent documented as well as undocumented workers. Today, The Insider Exclusive takes an inside look at the New York law firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy, and their outstanding record for seeking justice for workers injured on the job. Joining us from the firm are Jeffrey Block, Stephen Murphy, Daniel O’Toole, Joseph Donahue and David Scher. We will also examine some of the firm’s multimillion-dollar verdicts and learn more about some of their clients, including Oscar Torres, Carlos Tirado and Carmine Christiano. Remember, this firm won’t be outworked. And they will not rest until their clients get justice.

Jeffrey Block is highly regarded for his career in the courtroom and is often called upon by fellow trial attorneys to serve as trial counsel on their significant cases. In fact, over the last two years, he has been elected as a "Super Lawyer" in New York State, recognizing him as one of the top 5% of New York personal injury trial lawyers. Jeffrey is a leading trial attorney but is also respected for his negotiation skills. His negotiation instincts have served his clients extremely well throughout his career. He is known as a tireless worker who never settles for anything but the best for his clients. Jeffrey is heavily involved in many charities and enjoys being in the position to make a difference in people's lives in and out of the courtroom.

Stephen Murphy is a lifetime New Yorker with Irish roots. He comes from a family of firefighters, police officers, prosecutors and teachers. Both of his grandfathers were members of the Fire Department. His grandfather, Stephen J. Murphy, served the City of New York as Interim Fire Commissioner. His maternal grandfather, Walter Matthews, reached the rank of Assistant Chief of Department. Stephen joined the firm Block & O'Toole in early 2005 after a successful and rewarding career as a homicide prosecutor. He handles a wide range of cases including labor law and construction accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, trucking collisions, medical malpractice and motor vehicle cases. Stephen began his legal career working as an Assistant District Attorney under Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. He honed his skills in the criminal courtrooms in Brooklyn, prosecuting persons accused of violent crimes. In early July 2003, Stephen traveled to Sarajevo on behalf of the United States Justice Department to assist in the implementation of a new justice system in post-war Bosnia & Hercegovina. Stephen is also an adjunct professor of law at the St. John's University School of law. He teaches trial advocacy and lectures on criminal and civil trial practice and evidence.

Daniel O’Toole is one of New York's premier catastrophic injury trial attorneys, having graduated from the Fordham University School of Law in 1992. During the course of his career he has obtained in excess of $150,000,000.00 worth of settlements and verdicts, all by the age of 40. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Labor Law Committee for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is active at his church and serves on the Parish School Advisory Board as well as Chairman of his parish's Capital Campaign Committee. Daniel is an active supporter and sponsor of the St. Jude Children's Hospital, The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), The Butterfly Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), Candlelighters of New York City and Judges and Lawyers Cancer Alert. He recently funded the construction of a classroom at a school for autistic children in Connecticut and is a major donor of an autism school near his home in New Jersey. Additionally, Daniel provides multiple needs based scholarships for children on annual basis for parochial grammar and high schools in New York and New Jersey.

Joseph Donahue has successfully represented workers in various trades, including construction workers. In 1997 he began his career as a trial lawyer as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. As an Assistant District Attorney Joseph investigated thousands of criminal cases, presented hundreds of cases to the New York State Grand Jury and successfully obtained jury verdicts on behalf of crime victims. He began his career in private practice at a prominent New York City law firm specializing in medical malpractice litigation. He represented hospitals and physicians against claims of medical malpractice in the fields of cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, general surgery and failure to diagnose cancer. Joseph also handled substantial personal injury cases, including negligent security matters. In March 2008 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is a 1994 graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore Maryland and a 1997 graduate of The City University of New York School of Law. Joseph is licensed to practice in the Federal and State Courts of New York and New Jersey.

http://www.insiderexclusive.com/component/content/article/1-shows/117-construction-accident-lawyers-block-otoole-a-murphy-