Marshall Dennehey, P.C.

Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

• Telephone: 814-480-7800
• Fax: 814-455-3603
• Website: https://marshalldennehey.com

Established: 1997

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Video Profile

About Us

Unparalleled Growth

Marshall Dennehey, P.C., was founded in 1962. We are very gratified that our growth, much of which has been client-driven, enables us to make available to our clients more than 500 lawyers working out of 20 offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Florida and New York.

Exclusively Defense

We are exclusively a defense litigation firm with our professional practices encompassing a broad spectrum of litigation matters.

Complex Litigation Experience

Members of our firm have considerable experience handling high-profile and complex litigation, including class actions and mass tort matters.

Regional Presence

The regional presence of our firm affords many advantages to our clients. One client detailed some of these advantages in the publication Of Counsel, where he expressed appreciation of our firm's strategic locations in areas where his company has stores. He praised our ability to handle a wide variety of claims, ranging from fall downs and car damage claims to complex product liability matters. In addition to the six states in which we maintain our offices, we handle many litigation matters in West Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky.

Regional Office Statistics

Nearly 60 percent of our attorneys work in our 19 satellite offices. This statistic underscores the importance of our regional offices to our clients, as well as to our firm. Clients report to us that they are comfortable entering into region-wide arrangements for our representation knowing that we are well staffed in these offices. All of our offices are linked via an Intranet and a firm-wide file management system and library. The attorneys at these locations are native to the area, have a good rapport with and knowledge of local judges and opposing attorneys, and are familiar with the population of potential jurors.

Attorneys Selected by Clients

With more than 500 attorneys on staff, clients have a great deal of legal talent from which to choose. As one of the firm's clients said in Of Counsel, "Their attitude is tremendous. If I say I want a particular attorney on a matter, I have that attorney. If I say I want a conference with the attorney, a conference is arranged."

Minority Hiring

In surveys conducted by The National Law Journal and The Legal Intelligencer, our firm was identified, both on a national and a regional level, as one of the leading large law firms in the categories of minority hiring and advancement. We are especially proud of our minority shareholders and their vitally important roles in the management of our firm.

Peer Ratings

The experience of our firm and our attorneys has been recognized by our peers. At the present time, we have a significantly large number of peer-review rated attorneys as recognized by Martindale-Hubbell, a LexisNexis company. The lawyers of our firm are also recognized in Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys, as published by AM Best Company. We also have in our ranks lawyers who have been elected as Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Fellows of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. In addition, many of our lawyers appear in the Super Lawyers publications in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, New York and Florida. As well, a number of our lawyers have also been listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Regional & National Coordinating Counsel

We are privileged to serve as Regional Coordinating Counsel and National Coordinating Counsel for a number of major corporations.

Internal Auditing

In 1985, the firm started an internal auditing program that draws upon the expertise of former claims managers and senior attorneys. This program received national attention in an article about innovative law firm management practices appearing in The National Law Journal.

Successful Business Model

In an article appearing in The Legal Intelligencer dealing with the challenges and opportunities for insurance defense firms, it was stated that our firm has clearly dominated the Philadelphia marketplace. In support of that statement, it was noted that the firm has grown dramatically in the past decade and has maintained a healthy shareholder-associate ratio. It was further discussed that major insurance carriers are attracted to our firm through its extensive use of technology as well as the numerous offices we have established throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida. A noted legal consultant with Altman Weil, recommended in this article that some other defense litigation law firms "need to adopt the Marshall Dennehey model" in response to the changing needs and expectations of the insurance industry.

Central Diary System

All of the litigation files entrusted to us are on an electronic diary system that is designed to ensure that action has been taken by the handling attorney on all of his or her files within the past 90 days. Our monthly monitoring of this program discloses a 97-percent compliance rate, and any need for updated attorney reporting or action is immediately addressed. We have further refined this system o provide alerts to our attorneys when a certain percentage of the agreed-to litigation budget has been reached, affording the client and the handling attorney the opportunity to consider the options open to them at that juncture.

Legal Research Supervision

We have a very focused and cost-efficient approach to legal research. Our Manager of Legal Research and Legal Information Services is a practicing attorney well-versed in law firm technology and efficient research techniques.

Measured Performance

It is significant to note that our firm's Case Disposition Program enables us to develop statistics reflecting levels of performance in such areas as case cycle times, indemnity payments made, litigation expenses and case outcomes, which can be broken down by law type and jurisdiction.

Breaking Legal Developments

Since 1992, we have provided our clients with our firm's comprehensive newsletter, Defense Digest. During that time, we have never missed a deadline, ensuring that our clients can consistently rely upon us for advice about legal developments, as well as giving them the benefit of our analysis and practical recommendations. We also advise our clients of breaking legal developments through our quarterly electronic newsletter Law Alerts, and provide our workers' compensation clients with a monthly update, What's Hot in Workers' Comp.

ADR Commitment

We are strongly committed to alternative dispute resolution vehicles. We are an original signatory to the Law Firm Policy Statement of the Center for Public Resources, Inc.'s Initiatives on Alternatives to Litigation.

Published Works

The expertise and professional commitment of our attorneys is evidenced by the fact that they have had hundreds of articles published in such publications as For The Defense, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Quarterly, Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly, The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer, Pennsylvania Law Weekly, Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, The PLUS Journal, Pennsylvania CPA Journal, The Florida Bar News, New Jersey Law Journal, Hospital & Healthcare News, Daily Business Review, Financial Advisor Magazine, Litigation Management, New Jersey Defense, National Law Journal, New York Law Journal, Ohio Lawyer, Orlando Medical News, The Florida Defender, Risk & Insurance and Risk Management. To see more of our published articles, visit our Publications page.

Alternative Fee Arrangements

Significantly, the several large annual contract fee and global contract fee arrangements into which we have entered with some of our larger clients have been renewed on an annual basis, clearly evidencing that these arrangements are beneficial to our clients and sufficiently profitable for our firm. Other forms of alternative pricing are also available.

Additional Locations

Personnel Information

Managing Attorney

G. Jay Habas

Shareholder

Erie, PA

• E-Mail: gjhabas@mdwcg.com

Practice Areas

• Workers' Compensation
• Miscellaneous Professional Liability
• Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
• Insurance Agents & Brokers Liability
• General Liability
• Premises Liability
• Real Estate Errors & Omission Liability
• Lawyers' Professional Liability

Admitted

• Pennsylvania, 1989
• New York, 2016

Additional Biographical Details:

Classes/Seminars Taught: "#Me Too & Times Up: The Changing Landscape of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," Human Resource Management Association Northwest Pennsylvania Conference, May 18, 2018; "Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania - Update on the Status of the Law and Its Impact on Employers," Human Resources Management Association of Northwest Pennsylvania, February 22, 2018; "Cyber Liability, PCoRP Loss Control Workshop, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania," April 10, 2015; "Data Breach - Fighting the Cyber War and Social Media - Landmine or Goldmine?," AIG, November 6, 2014; "Data Breach - Fighting the Cyber War and Social Media - Landmine or Goldmine?," Assurex Global Loss Control and Claims Conference, October 23, 2014; "Hot Topics in Employment," Assurex Loss Control & Claims Conference, October 22, 2014; "Social Media & Cyber Breaches: the Internet's Impact on Your Business," The Graham Company, Co-Presenter, May 2014; "Errors and Omissions: Limiting Your Exposure," Insurance Club of Erie County, January 15, 2014; "Hot Topics in Employment," Marshall Dennehey Employment Seminar, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2013; "Workplace Violence," Pennsylvania Association for Health Care Risk Management Fall Education Forum, September 13, 2013; "Best Practices in ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation," Lorman Education Services, Erie, PA, August 27, 2013; "Workplace Violence: Liability Issues," Pennsylvania Defense Institute Annual Conference, Bedford Springs, PA, July 18, 2013; "Cyber Data Breach: The Latest Threat to Workplace Security," Human Resource Management Association of Northwest Pennsylvania Annual Conference, Erie, PA, May 30, 2013; "Employment Liability in the Cyber Age," Marshall Dennehey Employment Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA, May 2, 2013; "Workplace Violence - Concerns in the Insurance Industry," Insurance Club of Erie, January 16, 2013; "Affordable Care Act," American Inn of Court - Erie, PA, February 19, 2013; "Municipal Liability," Pennsylvania County Commissioners Association, March 4, 2013; "Labor and Employment," Adjunct Faculty, Gannon University; "Act 57 Amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act"; "Impairment Rating Evaluations to Reduce Exposure to Total Disability Benefits"; "Maximizing an Insurance Carrier's Right to Subrogation"; "Employer Liability for Workplace Violence"; "Americans With Disabilities Act and its Interplay with Workers' Compensation"; "Family and Medical Leave Act"; "Employment, Workers' Compensation, Medical Malpractice, Insurance Agent E&O"; "Workers' Compensation Affecting School Districts"; "Pennsylvania and New Jersey Workers' Compensation"

Memberships:

• Pennsylvania and Erie County (Vice Chair, Workers' Compensation Section, 2014) Bar Associations
• Insurance Club of Erie County (President, 2005-2006 [2 Terms])

Publications:

• Author: "What's Hot in Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation," Marshall Dennehey Newsletter, 2002-2013
• "Natural Gas 'Gold Rush:' Injury and Occupational Exposure in Pennsylvania From the Marcellus Shale Gas Explosion," Energy Law Supplement, The Legal Intelligencer, July 2011
• "Job Availability in Current Economic Crisis: Is It Time to Reconsider Funded Employment?," Workers' Compensation (PSIA Newsletter), March 2009
• "Using Causation As A Defense To Negligence," Defense Digest, 2003
• "Calculation of Average Weekly Wage for Employees on Leave of Absence or Unpaid Illness," Pennsylvania Self-Insurers' Association Newsletter, May 1998

Education:

• Gannon University, B.A. (cum laude), 1982
• University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 1985

Law Review:

Notre Dame Journal of Legislation

Honors:

Gannon University Medal of Honor

Born: 1960

Senior Counsel

Thomas M. Lent

Erie, PA

• E-Mail: tmlent@mdwcg.com

Practice Areas

• Health Care Liability
• Miscellaneous Professional Liability
• General Liability

Admitted

• Pennsylvania, 1983
• New York, 2016
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 1983
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1995

Additional Biographical Details:

AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®; Classes/Seminars Taught: "Medical Jurisprudence," Course Director and Primary Lecturer, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1995-2003; "Employment Law Update," Sterling Educational Services, 2003; Various PBI Sponsored Seminars on Litigation Topics

Memberships:

• Erie County Bar Association (Chair, Civil Litigation Section, 2014)
• Northwest Legal Services (Board Member, 1986-Present)
• Pennsylvania Defense Institute

Reported Cases:

Bearfield v. Hauck, 595 A.2d 1320; Sagala v. Tavares, 533 A.2d 165; Murray v. Corry School District, 566 A.2d 645; Lazar v. RUR Industries Inc., 487 A.2d 29; Altomare v. Zucker, 726 F.Supp 613; Learn v. Hibbard, 19 Pa. D&C 4th, Aff'd 647 A.2d 271; Fandozzi v. Kelly Hotel, 711 A.2d 524; Woodburn v. Consolidated Coal Co., 590 A.2d 1273; Murphy v. Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery, 2 Pa. D&C 4th 273; Emert v. Farrah, 33 Pa. D&C 4th 313; Mosakowski v. Presque Isle Clinical Group, 7 Pa. D&C 4th 165; Williams v. Lemieux, 831 F.2d 286; Gruber v. Hubbard Bert, 675 F.Supp 281; Farkas v. Hustead, 35 D&C 3rd 610

Education:

• Edinboro State College, B.A., History, 1980
• Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law, J.D., 1983

Law Review:

Ohio Northern Law Review, Associate Editor (1981-1982); Senior Staff Member (1982-1983)

Honors:

Phi Alpha Theta; Editor's Award, Outstanding Member of Law Review, Ohio Northern University College of Law (1982-1983)

Born: 1956

Resident Shareholders

Patrick M. Carey

Erie, PA

• E-Mail: pmcarey@mdwcg.com

Practice Areas

• Automobile Liability
• General Liability
• Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
• Architectural, Engineering and Construction Defect Litigation
• Product Liability
• Miscellaneous Professional Liability

Admitted

• Pennsylvania, 1987
• New York, 2016
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 1987
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1993

Additional Biographical Details:

Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (Former Member); Erie County Assistant District Attorney Association (Former Vice President); Classes/Seminars Taught:"Criminal Evidence," Gannon University; "Liability for Police Pursuits"; "Municipal Liability for Roadway Dangers"

Memberships:

• Pennsylvania and Erie County Bar Associations

Publications:

• Author: "Pennsylvania Superior Court Further Limits the Limited Tort Defense," Defense Digest, Vol. 21, No. 2, June 2015

Education:

• Gannon University, B.S. Business Admin., 1984
• Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law, J.D., 1987

Born: 1962

G. Michael Garcia II

Erie, PA

• E-Mail: gmgarcia@mdwcg.com

Practice Areas

• General Liability
• Automobile Liability
• Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation

Admitted

• Pennsylvania, 2011
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2017

Memberships:

• Pennsylvania and Erie County Bar Associations

Publications:

• Author: "Is a Jury Free to Find Negligence Did Not Cause Injury?," Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2019

Education:

• Gannon University, B.S., 2006
• University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 2011

Resident Associate

• Lori J. Mason

Insurance Law Podcasts

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