Education

Cornell Law School, J.D.; Cuccia Cup Moot Court Champion

University of Pittsburgh, B.A., cum laude

Experience

  • Jim assisted with the defense of recent MPC matters including:
  • Defense and settlement of a litigation in New York Supreme Court. The member firm was accused of failing to identify potentially winning argument in an arbitration involving rights to a trademark for a well-known brand of alcoholic beverages. This settlement involved coordination with insurers for a co-defendant and with the two lead excess insurers on the MPC program.
  • Took a leading role in a team charged with managing a two pronged UK litigation, arising out of an error in handling an escrowed settlement. The member firm faced a significant claim from its former client. Jim’s role largely involved liaison with numerous excess and reinsurers based in the US, Caribbean and Europe. Jim also coordinated the funding of a complicated three phase settlement and managed the provision of reports by counsel.
  • Defense and settlement of one of a large claim arising out of the collapse of a number of Cayman Islands domiciled investment funds. The case involved a number of claimants in various jurisdictions and a number of defense firms. Jim took a lead role in facilitating communications among a large group of lawyers and insurers and coordinated the funding of a pair of large settlements.

Admissions

Pennsylvania, 1989

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1990

Vermont, 1991

U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont, 1992

Memberships & Activities

Defense Research Institute

Pennsylvania Bar Association

ABA Standing Committee on Attorney Malpractice

Vermont Bar Association

Community Involvement

Burlington Country Club, Director

Scoutmaster

Volunteer Sports Coach

Licensed Umpire

Justice of the Peace

Presentations

Speaker, Current Trends, American Bar Association Fall 2011 National Legal Malpractice Conference (San Francisco, California, September 14-16, 2011)

Regular panelist at claims/risk management seminars of MPC Insurance.