F&P is Awarded “Best Law Firms” Designation for 2022
Best Lawyers and U.S. News & World Report have released their 2022 “Best Law Firms” rankings last week. F&P is pleased to announce that we have been recognized for the fourth consecutive year and in multiple categories.
F&P has been awarded in the following designations for 2022:
- Metropolitan Tier 1
- Baltimore
- Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
- Baltimore
- Metropolitan Tier 2
- Baltimore
- Employment Law – Management
- Litigation – Construction
- Washington, D.C.
- Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
- Baltimore
Designations are given to firms that consistently show professional excellence and who are given high ratings from both clients and peers. To be included in the 2022 edition, firms are vetted by the Best Lawyers and U.S. News & World Report through client and lawyer evaluations, peer reviews, and additional information provided by the firm. Only the top-scoring firms are selected as finalists and awarded designations throughout three tiers.
This year the evaluations exceeded 8 million, comprised of over 115,000 attorneys and more than 22,000 firms, with just over 2,000 firms receiving recognition.
For more information and to view all of the rankings, visit bestlawfirms.com
F&P’s Baltimore and Herndon Offices Welcome New Attorneys
Franklin and Prokopik is pleased to welcome four associates and one counsel to its Herndon and Baltimore offices.
Scott Phillips brings almost 30 years of litigation experience to our Baltimore liability team. He handles all aspects of case management and analysis, including witness depositions, expert witness development, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals. Scott’s practice includes the defense of toxic tort claims (including asbestos, radiation from cell phones, and alleged defective/unsafe pharmaceuticals), aviation accidents, and claims involving trade secret/non-compete covenants, commercial leases, wage and hour violations, injunctions, construction defect, and mechanic’s liens.
Stephanie Broznowicz and Gina Musto joined the Baltimore office in workers’ compensation. Before joining F&P, Stephanie served as the Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Angela M. Eaves, the administrative judge of the Circuit Court for Harford County. In that position, Stephanie assisted a total of 12 judges with preparing their daily dockets, wrote multiple opinions, and performed legal research on complex issues.
Prior to Franklin & Prokopik, Gina was on the Executive Board for the Journal of Business & Technology Law and the Vice President of the International Law Society. While in law school, Gina served as a law clerk at Council, Baradel, Kosmerl, & Nolan, and interned for the Department of Justice, Civil Division. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and the Baltimore County Bar Association (BCBA).
Caitlin Vannoy is a liability associate in Franklin & Prokopik’s Herndon Office. Before joining the firm, she served as a Counselor in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. With a background in nursing, Caitlin brings a wealth of knowledge of the health care industry to the firm’s liability team. Caitlin also brings experience from both the non-profit and public policy sectors.
Also joining Herndon’s liability team, Hariton Wilson previously served as a judicial clerk in the Baltimore City Circuit Court, and subsequently as a law clerk and associate attorney for two small boutique firms in Northern Virginia. Hariton’s experience has focused on litigation of business and real estate law disputes, including disputes arising from parties to residential sales contracts and disputes between business owners. Hariton also handled matters involving contractors and homeowners in disputes over construction or renovation contracts.
Principal Tamara Goorevitz Appointed to USLAW Network’s Executive Committee
F&P is pleased to share that USLAW has appointed Firm Principal Tamara Goorevitz to the USLAW Network’s Executive Committee for 2021-2022. The appointment was announced during USLAW’s annual Fall Member Business Meeting in Colorado Springs. Tamara previously served as the Chair of the Transportation & Logistics Practice Group for USLAW from 2018-2020 and on the USLAW Board of Directors.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, USLAW consists of over 100 full-service law firms with more than 6,000 active attorneys worldwide. These firms can only become a part of the network by invitation and focus their practice areas primarily on commercial and business law, employment and labor law, and litigation.
Click here to learn more about USLAW and its mission.
F&P Secures a National Ranking for Law360’s 2021 Glass Ceiling Report
F&P continues to shatter the glass ceiling by securing a national ranking for Law360’s annual report. The firm ranked 16th for firms with 100 or fewer attorneys; 44% of our associates are female, 36.4% are equity partners, and 61.5% are non-equity partners. The methodology behind this year’s rankings (a redesign of the Glass Ceiling Report) shows how the percentage of women across the three attorney levels compares with the field of new hires. This redesign was due in part to the effect that the pandemic had on female attorneys.
In 2020, 54% of students enrolled in law school were female and outnumbered men for the fifth year. Despite this trend, a relatively small number of female attorneys will achieve equity partner or acquire a seat on the executive committee, and the struggle remains for female representation. F&P strives to maintain a focus on hiring a diverse workforce and appreciates Law360 for recognizing the firms making efforts to close the gender gap.
Links to the complete articles can be found below (Law360 subscription required.)
https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1416557/glass-ceiling-report-representation-in-the-ranks
https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1415466/glass-ceiling-report-how-does-your-firm-stack-up-
“Best Lawyers” Announces 2022 Honorees
“Best Lawyers” recently announced the designees for “Best Lawyers” and “Ones to Watch” for 2022. These selections are determined entirely by peer review and assessed by colleagues in the same geographical and legal practice areas. Criteria include legal expertise, ethics, and professionalism and are awarded to attorneys who have been in practice for more than ten years. “Ones to Watch” are selected by the same methodology and are given to attorneys who are still early in their careers and have been practicing for less than ten years.
Honorees for 2022 include:
“Best Lawyers”
Ralph Arnsdorf
Tamara Goorevitz (new for 2022)
Bert Randall
Lynn Fitzpatrick
“Ones to Watch”
John Archibald (new for 2022)
Michael Bennett (new for 2022)
James Hetzel
Heather Rice (new for 2022)
Bryce Ziskind
Elena Patarinski
To learn more about “Best Lawyers,” visit www.bestlawyers.com.
Andrew Stephenson to Speak At ACTA Annual Conference
F&P principal Andrew Stephenson is slated to speak at the American College of Transportation Attorneys’ (ACTA) Annual Conference. This year’s event returns in-person at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel on August 19-20.
Andrew will be speaking on, “Defending Against the Manufacturing of Medical Bills for Claims” along with Travis Ginest of Independent Drivers Association,
ACTA is comprised of 25 select members who each have more than 20 years of experience in the trucking industry. ACTA is a non-profit which serves as a legal resource for transportation defense lawyers,
Summer Welcomes New F&P Associates
This summer, F&P welcomes two workers’ comp associates in Maryland and Virginia. Associate Marleigh Davis is also returning to Baltimore as a worker’s compensation attorney.
Marleigh Davis is rejoining the Baltimore workers’ compensation team. She knew she wanted to focus her career in litigation after clerking for the Honorable Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Marleigh was an Associate Comments Editor with the University of Baltimore Law Review and a Rule 19-220 Student Attorney in the Juvenile Justice Project clinic during law school. Marleigh was also a research assistant for Professor Barbara Babb.
Tim Hartman is the newest edition to Baltimore’s workers’ compensation practice. Before joining Franklin and Prokopik, Tim worked for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance, providing COVID-19 relief for business owners across the country through both the EIDL and SVOG programs. Tim led a 100-person team, providing guidance on corporate legal issues and ensuring efficient disbursement of federal relief funds.
Allyson Blazey is resident in our Herndon office, focusing on her practice on workers’ comp. Since being sworn into the Virginia Bar in 2018, Allyson has focused her practice exclusively on Virginia Workers’ Compensation. Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, Allyson represented employers, insurers, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation claims before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission at an insurance defense litigation firm in Virginia.
Lynn Fitzpatrick Named as One of “Virginia’s Go To Lawyers”
Franklin & Prokopik is proud to announce that principal Lynn Fitzpatrick has been named one of Virginia’s “Go To Lawyers” for workers’ compensation by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The publication added the workers’ comp category this year in addition to honorees for business law and employment law.
Lynn has been practicing in the area of civil litigation, especially the defense of state workers’ compensation cases, for more than 28 years. She is resident in F&P’s Herndon office.
Virginia Lawyers Weekly designates a “Go To Lawyer” as an expert in his or her field and has extensive knowledge of case law, statutes, and regulations. This lawyer has a strong success record with cases that can speak to his or her quality of advice.
Click here to read more about this honor.
F&P Welcomes New Associates During Pandemic
F&P is pleased to announce the addition of five new associates firm-wide in the last eight months. Despite the pandemic causing disruptions to businesses and industries worldwide, F&P has continued to grow and we would like to introduce you to our new attorneys.
Jessica Corace joins the Baltimore liability defense team. She concentrates her practice in construction and general civil litigation. She has extensive litigation experience in toxic tort, personal injury, and breach of contract matters. She brings a well-rounded perspective having represented both plaintiffs and defendants.
Daniel Cornell is the newest member of the Baltimore workers’ compensation practice. Before joining F&P, Dan was a health law attorney with CloudMed, LLC where he appealed claim denials with insurance companies as well as state and federal agencies on behalf of healthcare systems and hospitals in the U.S. and its territories. Prior to his legal career, Dan spent time working for a trucking company based in Pennsylvania and served as a police officer in Virginia.
Ben J. Crawley-Woods, born and raised in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, is the newest member of our Martinsburg office. He focused on liability defense and insurance coverage analysis before pursuing a business venture as a solo practitioner. Ben handled almost 500 cases in his general practice, taking matters to jury trial in state and federal court. His clients’ issues ranged from workers’ compensation and ERISA disputes to criminal indictments. Outside of his law practice, Ben has served as an adjunct professor of political science at Shepherd University.
Colin Grigg comes to F&P from the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office where he litigated more than 80 trials, including over 25 jury trials to verdict. Colin was also a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Althea M. Handy in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.
Bryce Ziskind rounds out the Baltimore liability team with a focus on the defense of insurance carriers and private individuals. Bryce has defended clients from claims of personal injury, negligence, and breach of contract. Since joining F&P, Bryce represents clients in a variety of matters including cargo loss, catastrophic accident/injury/tort claims, general negligence, and breach of contract.