PHILADELPHIA, PA – Douglas K. Rosenblum, a partner at the law firm of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP will present at the Pennsylvania Institute of CPA’s Annual Forensic and Litigation Services Conference on November 20, 2014 in Valley Forge, PA.
Mr. Rosenblum will present “Procedural and Ethical Implications of Blowing the Whistle.” He will explore the procedural requirements that must be met by whistleblowers and the ethical quandaries that cause many to pause before filing a claim. Mr. Rosenblum will also discuss the statutory requirements of the False Claims Act and the differences between bounty programs and litigation. His presentation will identify the requirements and exceptions for internal reporting prior to blowing the whistle.
Mr. Rosenblum is a Certified Fraud Examiner and is a member of the White Collar Criminal Defense, Federal and State Qui Tam Litigation, and Litigation Practice Groups of Pietragallo.
Mr. Rosenblum has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2014 in the area of White Collar Criminal Defense.
Mr. Rosenblum received his B.S. in Accountancy, magna cum laude, with a minor in Spanish, from Villanova University. He received his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where he was a member of the Environmental Law Journal and National Mock Trial Team and received the David E. Worby Scholarship for Trial Advocacy. Read More
PITTSBURGH, PA – After a two-week trial, an Allegheny County, Pennsylvania jury returned a unanimous defense verdict on Friday, November 14, 2014, in the matter of Dolata, et al., v. Suzuki Motor Corporation, et al.
The Plaintiffs, Joseph and Lori Dolata, as parents and natural guardians for their daughter, Jessica Dolata, filed this civil action against Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and Bohn Cycle Shop (Bohn), the manufacturer and distributor of a 2004 Quadsport LT-Z250 all-terrain vehicle (ATV). While operating the ATV on private property at a time when she was 14 years of age, Plaintiffs alleged that Jessica Dolata lost control of her ATV, resulting in severe injuries to her right hip and lower extremity.
The Plaintiffs brought claims for strict products liability centered on an allegation that the throttle system on the 2004 LT-Z250 was defective in design because it permitted debris to enter inside the throttle casing. Plaintiffs theorized that dirt and mud entered the throttle case, causing the ATV to accelerate uncontrollably. In support of their design claim, Plaintiffs asserted that Suzuki failed to utilize an alternative design that would have allegedly prevented the accident, namely an electronic throttle control that would have cut off engine power in the event the mechanical throttle became stuck or jammed. In addition, Plaintiffs alleged that the LT-Z250 ATV was not stable, nor was it crashworthy, given the lack of a rollover protective structure (ROPS).
The Defendants denied Plaintiffs’ claim that the LT-Z250 ATV was defective in any manner. It was the Defendants’ position that the Plaintiff’s accident was the result of mistakes made by a young rider who was operating the ATV on unfamiliar and challenging terrain. As to the alleged design deficiencies, the Defendants maintained that the mechanical throttle system used in the LT-Z250 was a safe and reliable system and that the dirt found in the throttle control post-accident was inconsequential because it would not cause any malfunction in the throttle system. Read More
Marc S. Raspanti will be a panelist at the 2014 PACDL White Collar Seminar speaking during “Fraud, Kickbacks and the False Claims Act: A White Collar Practitioner’s Primer.” Read More
Frank E. Pipak will present “Legislative and Case Law Update” at a seminar entitled Advanced Workers’ Compensation for the National Business Institute. Read More
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Marc S. Raspanti, a name partner in the law firm of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP, will present at the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers White Collar Practice Seminar on November 13, 2014 at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, PA.
Mr. Raspanti will moderate the panel “Fraud, Kickbacks and the False Claims Act: A White Collar Practitioner’s Primer?” The panel will discuss recent amendments to the Federal False Claims Act and their impact on criminal proceedings.
In March 1999, Philadelphia Magazine named Mr. Raspanti one of the best white collar criminal defense lawyers in Philadelphia. Following that honor, Mr. Raspanti was selected by his peers as one of Pennsylvania’s Super Lawyers from 2004 through 2014 in the field of White Collar Criminal Defense, an honor reserved for 5% of the Pennsylvania Bar. In addition, from 2007 through 2014, he was listed as one of the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. From 2008 through 2014, he was selected as one of the Top 100 Philadelphia Super Lawyers. He was selected by his peers for the 2006 through 2015 editions of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Health Care Law litigation and was included in the 2014 edition of Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Raspanti is recognized as one of the most successful, skilled, and experienced qui tam attorneys in the United States. Since 1989, Mr. Raspanti has litigated many of the most complex and important cases in the history of the federal False Claims Act. He has served as lead counsel for whistleblowers in false claims cases that have resulted in over $2 billion in recoveries for federal and state taxpayers. He focuses his practice on federal and state qui tam litigation, white collar criminal defense, criminal and civil health care fraud defense, internal corporate investigations, compliance, professional licensing litigation, and complex civil litigation. Read More
Michael A. Morse will present “Whistleblower Litigiation” and Pamela C. Brecht will serve as a Panelist at the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Annual Bench-Bar Conference on October 17-18, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ. Read More
PHILADELPHIA, PA- Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce the election of its newest partner, Pamela Coyle Brecht, in its downtown Philadelphia office.
Ms. Brecht is an active member of the firm’s national Qui Tam Practice Group. She also has experience in employment law, complex commercial litigation, national labor relations, and white-collar criminal work.
She has been or is currently involved in litigating some of the most complex Qui Tam cases filed in the United States. Her cases have included alleged fraud by a large multi-state Medicaid managed care contractor, FCA violations by three of the largest hospital systems in the country, complex financial relationships among healthcare providers, as well as cases alleging pharmaceutical fraud. She is also an integral part of the litigation team that is advancing one of the first national cases alleging fraud in the Medicare Part D program. As a member of a national qui tam practice, Ms. Brecht represents whistleblowers in cases that are pending in various federal district courts throughout the United States. To date, she has assisted in recovering millions of dollars for her clients through federal and state false claims actions.
Ms. Brecht received her B.A., cum laude, from Villanova University in 1988. She received her J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1991. While attending Temple University School of Law, Ms. Brecht served as a member of the Temple Law Review, was on the Dean’s List, and received honors for Distinguished Class Performance. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Brehon Law Society.
Ms. Brecht frequently speaks, writes, and lectures on qui tam litigation and health care fraud issues. Some of her representative articles include: The Tar Heel State Steps Up Its Fight Against Fraud; The Tar Heel State Steps Up Its Fight Against Fraud – Part II; The Minnesota False Claims Act: Is It Minnesota Nice?; Read More
