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-
F&P Spotlight on Principal Lynn Fitzpatrick
What is your practice area, and how did you choose it?
Workers’ compensation chose me! I clerked for a trial court judge and learned what areas were not for me. There was an opening in a local firm after my clerkship, and it happened to be for a workers’ comp defense attorney. I was offered the position, and the rest is history.
Please describe a signature case or representation.
Thorpe v. Ted Bowling Construction, 283 Va. 808 (2012) was my first reported Virginia Supreme Court case, dealing with the issue of proper calculation of an individual’s average weekly wage.
What do you find most satisfying about law practice?
I am grateful that I have developed a practice in which I am able to strike a work/life balance that suits both my professional aspirations and my family’s needs. The workers’ compensation bar in Virginia is a relatively small group of attorneys, and I enjoy the camaraderie as well as the high caliber legal minds of the colleagues I engage with on a daily basis.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
Pay it forward. Take the advice you’ve collected over the years and work on helping the next generation of lawyers.
What developments or changes in workers’ comp law do you expect to see in the coming year?
With remote work becoming more prevalent, I expect to see more litigation involving compensability of injuries occurring at home.
What is your favorite aspect of working at F&P?
The people. I appreciate the fact that the Firm has shown resilience and good judgment in trying circumstances throughout our 22-year history.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Raising three sons to adulthood and near adulthood!
Tell us something about you that few of your colleagues and clients would know.
I used to sing in a rock band in law school and beyond.
What is your favorite food?
Hard-shell Maryland crabs. I grew up in Rockville, MD, and these were a regular part of my childhood summers.
“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.
