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Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - Subrogation

Robert A. Stutman

Fort Washington, PA

Admitted

• Pennsylvania, 1988
• New Jersey, 1988
• New York, 1999

Robert A. Stutman founded Stutman Law in 1995. Since its inception, the firm has exclusively focused its practice on subrogation cases. As the practice evolved, Bob created Stutman Law's unique process of pursuing subrogation claims via the collaboration of a dedicated New Loss Department and an aggressive Litigation Team. Bob also pioneered the concept of grouping small subrogation losses into mass actions.

Bob has investigated and litigated thousands of property subrogation cases. Bob also spearheaded mass tort efforts involving defective plumbing supply lines that led to recoveries for Stutman Law's clients in excess of $80 million.

Over the last thirty years, Bob has become an industry leader, focused on both individual client service, as well as broader efforts to protect the rights of insurance carriers in class action litigations. In this regard, Bob has actively intervened into product liability class action lawsuits in courts nationwide to protect carriers' interests. He is also a sought-after lecturer and educator on a wide array of subrogation related topics, as well as a Fellow of Temple University Academy of Advocacy. Bob has spoken at events, and authored pieces, for a number of industry organizations.

Education:

• Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., 1988

Jonathan B. Acklen

Fort Washington, PA

Jon Acklen is a trial lawyer with extensive litigation experience. Prior to joining Stutman Law, Jon represented injured victims in personal injury matters where he obtained significant recoveries on behalf of his clients. Jon has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict. Jon has appeared before State, Federal, and Appellate Courts and has authored briefs submitted to the United States Supreme Court.

Jon completed the rigorous National Institute for Trial Advocacy Skills Program in 2011. Jon has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star multiple years and has been named one ofNational Trial Lawyers' Top 40 under 40. Jon has presented multiple CLE Seminars and authored publications providing instruction and guidance to fellow attorneys on many topics, including trial advocacy. Jon has served as member of the Board of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Chair of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice Future Leaders, a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates, and is a past president of the Board of Directors ofthe Boys & Girls Club of Easton, PA.

Jon graduated from Temple University's Beasley School ofLaw in 2004. While there, he earned the Harry R. Kozart Memorial Prize in the study of Product Liability. Jon graduated with honors from Dickinson College in 2001 with a double major in Political Science and Religion.

Justin Boehret

Fort Washington, PA

Justin Boehret joined Stutman Law in 2020 and is a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Prior to joining Stutman Law, Mr. Boehret served an assistant district attorney in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. As an Assistant District Attorney he litigated many criminal cases before juries and judges of Montgomery County, ranging from non-violent misdemeanor charges to violent felony charges including Homicide. Mr. Boehret was assigned to the economic crimes unit and the narcotics unit, where he acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to litigate a wide range of criminal offenses. Later, Mr. Boehret was assigned to the firearms unit, where he was responsible for prosecuting violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, as well as violent criminal offenses involving the use of firearms such as kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated assault. He was also cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, responsible for prosecuting violations of federal law in the United State District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Boehret subsequently gained significant civil experience while working at a regional insurance defense firm. There he handled a broad range of casualty litigation, including premises, automobile, construction, and commercial transportation cases, from initial investigation through trial and appeals.

Mr. Boehret attended Duquesne Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2009. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Christine Braswell

Fort Washington, PA

Christine Braswell joined Stutman Law in 2021 as a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Prior to joining Stutman Law, Ms. Braswell practiced law in both New Jersey and Delaware where her practice areas included all aspects of civil defense litigation.

Ms. Braswell graduated magna cum lade from Rutgers Law School in 2017. She was the Senior Articles Editor of the Rutgers University Law Review and had an internship with Magistrate Judge Timothy Rice in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from Rutgers, Ms. Braswell clerked for Justice Solomon in the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Timothy E. Cary

Corona, CA

Tim Cary joined Stutman Law in 2008 and runs Stutman's Palm Springs Regional Office. Mr. Cary was born and educated in England, receiving a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Leicester. Upon admission to the California Bar he joined the State Attorney General's office. As a prosecutor he tried a variety of criminal cases, defended the state in over 100 appeals, and argued before the California Supreme Court. He moved on to successfully defend the State in numerous tort and civil rights actions. In private practice Mr. Cary practiced in the area of complex civil litigation specializing in construction defect, personal injury and product liability, including the securing of a jury verdict of over $2.7 million against the State of California in a dangerous condition of public property case.

Jared L. Elster

Berlin, NJ

Jared L. Elster joined Stutman Law in 2011, and is a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department in the New Jersey regional office. Since joining Stutman Law, Mr. Elster has litigated property subrogation cases throughout the United States, and recovered millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. Notably, Mr. Elster assisted in the litigation of a commercial building collapse claim in which Stutman Law recovered $2,000,000.00 on behalf of its client. Mr. Elster also assisted in the litigation of a case against an alarm company, arising from an undetected burglary, where Stutman Law received a seven figure verdict at trial.

Mr. Elster earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2011 from Rutgers University School of Law - Camden. While at Rutgers Law, Mr. Elster worked for Justice Virginia Long on the New Jersey Supreme Court and for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. In 2008, Mr. Elster earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University.

Mr. Elster is admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. In addition, Mr. Elster has been admitted to practice pro hac vice in numerous state and federal courts throughout the country. Mr. Elster is a member of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP), the American Bar Association and the New Jersey Association for Justice. Mr. Elster is also a certified mediator in the State of New Jersey.

Jordan Friter

Fort Washington, PA

Jordan Friter joined Stutman Law in 2019 and is a member of the firm's Workers' Compensation Subrogation Group. Jordan devotes his practice to representing insurance carriers and injured workers throughout the country in all types of complex civil litigation including construction accidents, product liability cases and premises liability cases. Prior to joining Stutman Law, he represented catastrophically injured victims in both personal injury and Workers' Compensation matters where he obtained a multitude of significant recoveries for his clients. Jordan possesses a wealth of experience in every aspect of the litigation process from investigating the initial claim to the resolution of the case. Before entering private practice, Jordan zealously advocated for crime victims as a prosecutor in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. While there, he prosecuted a wide variety of matters including sexual assaults, homicides, theft and narcotics cases, and spent several years as the Captain of the Office's Sex Crimes Unit.

Jordan earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2008 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Penn State University in 2005. Jordan is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania.

Melisa Iozzi

Fort Washington, PA

Melisa E. Iozzi is an associate in Stutman Law’s New Loss Department. Ms. Iozzi focuses on early management of losses and works closely with fire experts and engineers, among others, to ensure that evidence is preserved and the proper parties are notified of, and become involved with, the losses. Ms. Iozzi's dedication to her cases has resulted in expedited settlements, thereby avoiding the time and costs associated with formal litigation and resulting in larger recoveries for her clients.

Brittany W. Karoly

Fort Washington, PA

Brittany W. Karoly joined Stutman Law in 2010 as a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Since joining the firm, Ms. Karoly has assisted in obtaining significant recoveries for the firm's clients. Ms. Karoly's practice includes complex litigation in numerous jurisdictions, and her work has resulted in significant subrogation settlements and verdicts against utility companies, product manufacturers and service providers, among others. Ms. Karoly has also supported Stutman Law's involvement in various mass tort and class action litigations across the country.

Hal J. Kleinman

Fort Washington, PA

Hal J. Kleinman is an experienced litigator who joined Stutman Law in 2016, where he is a member of the mass tort subrogation department. For the past twenty two years, Mr. Kleinman's practice focused on the area of mass torts and class actions representing of victims of dangerous and defective products including pharmaceutical products, medical devices, motor vehicles, tobacco products, as well as victims of food poisoning.

Geoffrey Kraemer

Corona, CA

Geoffrey Kraemer joined the Southern California Regional Office in 2019. Prior to joining Stutman Law he defended personal injury claims involving large losses and catastrophic injuries. Mr. Kraemer is also experienced in construction defect, premises liability, and medical malpractice.

Mr. Kraemer obtained his Bachelors of Art degree from California State University Fullerton in Fullerton California. He Attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA.

Thomas A. Marsh Jr.

Fort Washington, PA

Thomas A. Marsh, Jr. joined Stutman Law in 2009 and practices in the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Mr. Marsh has extensive experience in all aspects of subrogation pursuit, from the initial claim investigation through litigation. Since joining the firm in 2009, Mr. Marsh has assisted in obtaining millions of dollars in recoveries from major product manufacturers and distributors, utility companies, construction entities and others. Mr. Marsh has also aggressively pursued a number of foreign and domestic product manufacturers related to property losses caused by water damage. In addition to his considerable litigation practice, Mr. Marsh's continued involvement with the firm's Small and Large Loss teams has led to significant recoveries for the firm's clients.

George J. Matz

Fort Washington, PA

George Matz joined Stutman Law in 2019 and focuses his practice on large commercial subrogation, property subrogation, and new loss investigation. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Matz gained extensive experience in all aspects of complex business and corporate litigation, insurance defense, personal injury, and subrogation matters. In addition, Mr. Matz provided general counsel services to a wide array of businesses and individual clients and is recognized for his substantial real-world experience in a variety of industries, including Property Management and Hospitality, Food & Beverage. Mr. Matz is a trial attorney with experience trying trials before judges, juries, and arbitration panels.

Mr. Matz is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. He graduated cum laude from Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law. During law school, Mr. Matz served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Eduardo C. Robreno of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was a Lead Editor of the Drexel Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Kevin McBeth

Fort Washington, PA

Kevin McBeth joined Stutman Law in 2018. He focuses his practice on the investigation of large loss property subrogation matters. He advises clients regarding recovery potential in a timely manner by working closely with trusted consultants to effectively evaluate the viability of new claims. Mr. McBeth works diligently to maximize the recoveries he obtains for the firm's clients. His efforts have resulted in the ear ly resolution of many challenging claims.

Since 2007, Mr. McBeth has litigated cases originating from fire losses, constr uction defects, weather-related property damage and product defects. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and has argued in both state and federal courts throughout the United States. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. McBeth was a prosecutor in the felony trial unit of the Berks County District Attorney's Office, where he prosecuted a variety of criminal matters, including homicide, assault and narcotics cases. He routinely lectures and offers training to clients and insurance industry groups concerning a broad range of topics.

Mr. McBeth graduated from Saint Joseph's University in 2000, and he earned his Juris Doctorate from Widener School of Law in 2003. He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania.

Gillian Mellon

Corona, CA

Gillian Mellon joined Stutman Law in 2023 and practices in the firm’s New Loss Subrogation Department. Ms. Mellon has prior subrogation experience litigating losses and has obtained recoveries for a multitude of clients in the insurance industry. Ms. Mellon also has prior extensive defense experience litigating personal injury and premises liability claims in-house for two national insurance carriers. She has previously served as first chair in a jury trial to verdict and has conducted over 20 arbitrations as a solo first chair. Additionally, she has conducted and defended over a thousand depositions from parties to expert witnesses in her prior work for insurance carriers. Ms. Mellon brings her prior law and motion experience to Stutman Law to best investigate new losses.

While in law school, Ms. Mellon was an executive board member of the Moot Court Honors Board and Trial Advocacy Honors Board as well as the president of the Public Interest Law Foundation. As an undergraduate, and in her capacity as a department research assistant, Ms. Mellon worked on a graduate-level English Broadside Ballad Archive project and served as the philanthropy chair and vice president of her sorority.

Katelyn Naso

Fort Washington, PA

Prior to joining Stutman Law, Ms. Naso excelled as a civil litigator, securing many six and seven figure settlements and awards. Ms. Naso has a proven track record of success in resolving claims involving wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, catastrophic injuries, and faulty products. Ms. Naso has successfully negotiated health insurance subrogation matters, resulting in additional six and seven figure net recoveries for her clients.

Ms. Naso is an alumna of the University of Akron School of Law, where she earned her J.D., and Temple University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. While in law school, Ms. Naso served the community through the University of Akron’s Expungement Clinics. Ms. Naso was an officer of her law school’s chapter of the ACLU. She participated in a nationally ranked trial team program, and was a member and officer of the Trial Team Honor Society. During her final year of law school, Ms. Naso was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Jon A. Oldham.

Ms. Naso has been invited to speak as a co-presenter of numerous CLEs. She serves routinely as an arbitrator in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Ms. Naso is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association and a member of the Bucks County chapter of the American Inns of Court. Ms. Naso also sits as a member of the Board of Directors of Health Link Dental Clinic.

Ms. Naso is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Thomas Paolini

Berlin, NJ & New York, NY

Thomas Paolini is the Managing Attorney of the New Jersey Regional Office of Stutman Law. Mr. Paolini concentrates his practice on litigating large property subrogation cases nationwide. He is an accomplished trial attorney who recently obtained a $710,000 trial verdict (after interest was added) against Broan-Nutone. In another recent case, a unanimous jury in Georgia awarded Mr. Paolini's client a seven figure verdict against an alarm company which was found to be grossly negligent. He also recently served as the lead attorney on a complex commercial building collapse litigation that resulted in a two million dollar settlement for his clients.

Edmund Perry

Berlin, NJ

Edmund Perry joined Stutman Law in 2019 and is a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Perry was a civil litigator with experience in all stages of litigation from case inception through trial. He has argued before both state and federal courts and has litigated matters throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mr. Perry's practice areas include extra contractual liability, bad faith, premises liability, catastrophic personal injury, contracts, motor vehicle liability, insurance defense/coverage, municipal liability and general commercial/business litigation. Mr. Perry earned a B.S. in Biology from Ursinus College in 1997. Thereafter, Mr. Perry attended Widener University School of Law in Delaware where he graduated magna cum laude in 2005. He attended law school in the evening while working full time in the highway construction industry.

Mr. Perry has represented a wide range of insurance companies in complex bad faith matters in the commercial and residential context. He has counseled his clients to a successful resolution of those bad faith matters including claims that have resulted from various catastrophic storms that impacted the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area.

Previously, Mr. Perry was recognized as a Rising Star in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine, a distinction that recognizes the top 2.5 percent of Pennsylvania lawyers in practice for 10 years or less.

John M. Popilock

Fort Washington, PA

John M. Popilock is a trial lawyer with significant experience in complex civil litigation, and is the chair of the Workers' Compensation Subrogation Group at Stutman Law. For the past twenty years, Mr. Popilock has concentrated on multi-party construction accident and product liability matters, representing workers' compensation insurers and individuals in catastrophic workplace injury lawsuits. Mr. Popilock has aggressively investigated thousands of workplace accidents, exposing dangerous equipment and unsafe construction practices, and recovering millions of subrogation dollars for the insurers of workers required to work in these environments. He is recognized as a skilled advocate for his clients, having prosecuted more than twenty-five complex cases to verdict as lead counsel in more than a dozen state and federal courts across the country.

Kevin P. Smith

Fort Washington, PA & New York, NY

Kevin P. Smith's practice is concentrated in the area of property casualty and insurance litigation since graduation from law school in 1985. He has extensive trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Mr. Smith's experience includes subrogation actions arising from building fires, flooding and water damage, warehouse losses and construction accidents. He has also successfully litigated many ocean marine and inland marine cargo damage subrogation claims.

Kellie Terhufen

Corona, CA

Kellie L. Terhufen joined Stutman Law in 2019. Most of Ms. Terhufen's thirty-year career involves high exposure and complex insurance defense litigation, consisting of wrongful death, disfigurement, semi-truck accidents, sophisticated commercial construction accidents and product liability cases resulting in catastrophic injuries. She also represented plaintiffs for nine of those years, and developed an Elder Abuse practice from the ground up, for a plaintiff's firm. She has also acted as a litigation consultant as part of her defense and plaintiff practice. She received many defense jury verdicts as an insurance defense attorney, and enjoyed excellent mediation results as a plaintiff's attorney.

Community service work is an important part of her life, and she counsels and assists struggling women of all ages seeking to redirect their lives. She is an advocate for FACES, Family Assessment Counseling & Education Services, and provides resources to HIS House, a non-profit organization which works to provide shelter to in-tact homeless families, and assists parents in job search efforts, with the goal of returning such families to independence.

Alexandra Torriero

Berlin, NJ

Alexandra Torriero joined Stutman Law in 2016 and is a member of the firm's Property Subrogation Department. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Torriero gained extensive experience defending insurance carriers in all aspects of first party lawsuits, including bad faith and extra-contractual litigation. Ms. Torriero earned a degree in Sport Management and Business Administration from High Point University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2008.

Thomas J. Underwood, Jr.

Berlin, NJ

Thomas Underwood joined Stutman Law in 1999. Since he joined the firm, Mr. Underwood has worked extensively on property subrogation cases and has obtained six and seven figure recoveries for his clients in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Most recently, Mr. Underwood obtained a unanimous jury verdict against Broan-Nutone in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. In that case, the jury found that a fire at a daycare center was caused by a defective Broan exhaust fan.

Levi Updyke

Fort Washington, PA

Mr. Updyke joined Stutman Law in January of 2024. Prior to joining Stutman Law, Mr. Updyke practiced subrogation law for over ten years at one of New Jersey’s leading insurance law firms on behalf of some of the nation’s largest insurance carriers. Prior to his work in New Jersey, Mr. Updyke also gained valuable subrogation experience as an associate at a subrogation firm in Philadelphia. Mr. Updyke has experience handling almost every type of subrogation claim and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients. Mr. Updyke’s experience includes cases involving negligence, equitable contribution, fire, marine, construction, slip and falls, lightning claims, cargo claims, contract and warranty claims, product defects, workers compensation, and auto liability. Currently, he specializes in litigating and resolving complex subrogation claims all over the country.
 
Mr. Updyke is a member of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) and has authored materials published by NASP.

Michael F. Wallace

Berlin, NJ

Michael F. Wallace joined Stutman Law in 2004 and practices in the firm's New Jersey regional office. Since joining Stutman Law, Mr. Wallace has litigated and assisted in the litigation of numerous major property subrogation matters. In fact, Mr. Wallace has consistently resolved millions of dollars of claims every year since joining Stutman Law. In addition to his excellent claims resolution skills, Mr. Wallace recently obtained a $2.2 million subrogation jury verdict against an alarm company in one of the most conservative counties in all of Georgia. That jury verdict is believed to be the largest subrogation verdict against an alarm company ever obtained in Georgia. In addition to litigating and resolving claims for Stutman Law's clients, Mr. Wallace regularly presents on cutting edge topics in the subrogation industry to industry groups such as The National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) and the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB).

W. Diane Wayland

Corona, CA

W. Diane Wayland joined Stutman Law in 2022 as a member of the Large Loss Property Subrogation and Mass Tort departments. Ms. Wayland has prior subrogation experience litigating major losses and has obtained recoveries in a wide range of industries. Ms. Wayland has also litigated claims involving personal injuries, wrongful death, and premises liability. In addition, Ms. Wayland brings a diverse background of legal experience to her subrogation practice, including familiarity with estates and probate law, and a significant Fortune 50 background in commercial, government and international contracts.

Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Wayland graduated law school with honors, earning several scholarships and awards and obtaining a Tax Certificate along with her Juris Doctor degree.

Joshua Weems

Plano, TX

Joshua Weems joined Stutman Law in 2024. Prior to joining Stutman, Mr. Weems’ practice areas included first and third party insurance defense, mass tort litigation, commercial litigation and subrogation. He has been lead trial counsel on several insurance defense and subrogation matters throughout Texas, obtaining favorable verdicts for his clients.

Mr. Weems is a 2002 graduate of Baylor University. Following graduation from Baylor, Mr. Weems attended Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M School of Law) and graduated in 2005.

Mr. Weems is admitted to practice in all Texas state courts as well as the United States District Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas.

Brian M. Wong

Corona, CA

Brian Wong has been working with Stutman Law since 2012 in the Palm Springs Regional Office. Prior to joining Stutman Law Mr. Wong worked for a law firm that specialized in contract and construction disputes. Mr. Wong was recruited by the University of Southern California for early admission through its Resident Honors program, graduated with a BA in English and later obtained a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law. He is a licensed California attorney.

Catharine Wong

Fort Washington, PA

Catharine Wong joined Stutman Law in 2023 and practices in the firm’s New Loss Department. Ms. Wong graduated from Penn Law, and while there, served as a Senior Editor for the Journal of Law and Social Change. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Wong worked as an Associate Attorney for two Philadelphia law firms representing insurance companies in the areas of general liability, casualty defense and mass torts. Prior to that, Ms. Wong worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Montgomery County and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where she gained valuable litigation and trial experience.