Author: Brian Gibbons

Introducing WCM’s 2022 First Year Associates

We are pleased to introduce WCM’s newest team of first year associates, who are starting with us this week across our New Jersey, New York and Pannsylvania offices. New Jersey Harry Harnitchek is a graduate of Rutgers Law School and was a staff editor on the Rutgers Journal of Law and Public Policy.  Harry completed undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh.  Prior to joining...Read More

Call Your Next Witness – The 15 Commandments of Billing

What better topic to discuss during these hot Summer months than effective legal billing!    Georgia and Brian recently compiled “The 5 Commandments of Billing,” and with new associates starting at firms across the United States after Labor Day weekend, we opted to commit our 15 Commandments to the podcast.     Link to the episode is here.  The goal of this episode is to focus on...Read More

WCM Welcomes Steve Kim and Craig Chaney to our NJ Office

WCM is pleased to announce the return of Steve Kim, and welcomes Craig Chaney, both at the rank of counsel in our New Jersey office. Steve previously worked for WCM as a litigation associate from 2014 – 2019.  During that time, he handled complex, large exposure cases, consistently achieving favorable results for our clients.  Steve returns having gained further experience in managing,...Read More

WCM is Pleased to Announce that James W. Scott, Jr. has been Promoted to Partner

Effective July 1, 2022, Jim Scott, who works in our Philadelphia office, has been promoted to partner.  Jim is the current President of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and a past-President of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel.  As such he is the only attorney ever elected president of both defense organizations.  Jim is a graduate of Duke University and Temple University...Read More

Call Your Next Witness – M.C. Sungaila

On this episode of Call Your Next Witness, I interviewed M. C. Sungaila, a renowned appellate attorney based in Orange County, California.   Her practice focuses on civil appeals, trial strategy and consulting.   We discussed her role as a trial strategist, and how she recognized early in her career that appellate practice, as opposed to trial practice, was the right fit for her.   We...Read More

WCM Congratulates Nicole Brown on her 25th Anniversary

When Nicole Brown started at WCM as a Summer associate, the Summer of 1997 was just getting rolling.  WCM, founded in 1994, was still just a toddler.   We like to say on our website, “Results Speak for Themselves.”    But at the time, we hardly had any results yet.    To give some perspective, Tom Brady was still a sophomore at Michigan, Derek Jeter was halfway into his second season, and ER,...Read More

(Knock on Wood) — NY Courts Lift Facemask and 3-Foot Physical Distancing Requirements

Effective June 16, 2022, New York courthouse visitors, lawyers, judges, and staff will no longer be required to wear masks, with proof of vaccination, in light of receding COVID rates. Also being lifted in the courthouses is the three-foot physical distancing requirement.  (The policy identifies a vaccination card or a New York State Excelsior Plus Vaccination Pass as proof of vaccination.)...Read More

Call Your Next Witness – Christon Halkiotis

Christon Halkiotis and I have a lot in common, in that we’re both former prosecutors who sought a change after a handful of years representing the government.   Christon’s path took her to criminal defense, where she started her own practice in 2019 in Greensboro, North Carolina after 15 years as a prosecutor. Her practice flourished immediately, which is a testament to...Read More

Rising COVID Numbers Affecting Judiciary (NY)

In recent weeks, many of us have seen COVID numbers begin to rise again, at least with regard to positive tests.    New York City has yet to see any increase in safety protocols in the Courts since those measures were relaxed earlier this year.   But that could change. Just last week, a 3-day retreat for state judges — involving over seventy attendees – was held in the Hamptons,...Read More

Overturning Armando Galarraga’s “Imperfect Game”

Sixteen students at Monmouth University are taking a shot at righting an  historic wrong in sports history. In 2010 Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was denied a perfect game, because of an erroneous call by first base umpire Jim Joyce, when Galarraga was an out away from joining a very exclusive list. Major League Baseball’s commissioner refused to overturn the call even though the...Read More