What’s New
We hope that you had a productive start to the new year. In this issue, you will learn about New York’s strong enforcement of no-damages-for-delay provisions, how to preserve the priority of your judgments in New Jersey, and how to secure and protect your home-field advantage in litigation. Don’t miss the Q&A with our newly promoted partners, Daniel Fierstein, Kathleen Morley, and Jackson Nichols. Please reach out if you have any questions or have topic suggestions for future issues.
Wishing you a happy and healthy spring!
Christopher W. Sexton, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Sydney Pierce, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Cohen Seglias Promotes Three Construction Attorneys to Partners
We are excited to announce the promotions of Daniel Fierstein, Kathleen Morley, and Jackson Nichols to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2021. Dan, Kathleen, and Jackson are all members of the firm’s Construction Group. Dan and Kathleen are located in the Philadelphia office, and Jackson sits in the Washington, DC office.
Cohen Seglias managing partner George Pallas commented, “On behalf of everyone at the firm, I sincerely congratulate Dan, Kathleen, and Jackson on this significant achievement. In addition to being outstanding attorneys, they have all shown tremendous dedication to the strength and growth of our firm. We look forward to seeing them excel even further in this next step of their careers.”
Daniel E. Fierstein joined Cohen Seglias in 2009. He has a diverse and national construction industry client base, representing all tiers of the industry. Dan’s clients call upon him for advice throughout a project’s lifecycle to resolve contract questions, payment disputes, scope of work/change order disputes, delay/acceleration/inefficiency claims, mechanics’ liens, and payment and performance bond claims. He has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending major construction disputes in various fora, including state and federal courts, arbitrations, and mediations.
Kathleen M. Morley also joined the firm in 2009. She concentrates her practice in construction litigation, assisting industry clients with a broad range of matters, including contract disputes, bid protests, injunctions, mechanics’ liens, and bond claims, with substantial experience handling large, complex construction disputes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Clients turn to Kathleen for counsel on issues relating to contract negotiation, enforcement, breach, and termination, as well as changes, defects, delays, and inefficiencies on both public and private projects.
Jackson S. Nichols joined Cohen Seglias in 2015. He advises general contractors, subcontractors, sureties, owners, and other construction industry entities in navigating complex commercial disputes that arise during projects. Jackson regularly prosecutes and defends claims involving mechanics’ liens, bond claims, Miller Act claims, and arbitration disputes, among others. He represents clients in multiple jurisdictions and fora, including state and federal court, federal administrative proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution.
Announcing Our Crime Victims’ Rights Group
In many criminal cases, victims of crimes are afforded rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and its state law equivalents, many of which may not be obvious to victims. Our new Crime Victims’ Rights Group, led by Julie Grohovsky, helps victims assert these rights in criminal proceedings, advocating for victims at every stage and ensuring their voices are heard and rights respected. Whether it is working with the government to ensure clients receive notice of court dates or helping an individual prepare to testify, our attorneys know how to navigate complicated legal situations.
We understand that crime victims are more than just witnesses in legal proceedings and that not all crime victims are alike in terms of how they would like their case to be handled. Our attorneys previously served as federal and state prosecutors and law enforcement officers who prosecuted criminals and helped victims navigate the criminal justice system. Utilizing this experience, our Group helps victims understand how the various legal systems operate and advises them on how to make those systems work best for them.
Cohen Seglias Moves Philadelphia Office to 1600 Market, Expanding its Center City Presence
After 15 years at 30 South 17th Street, we are excited to announce our move to 1600 Market Street, where we occupy all of the 32nd floor and half of the 31st floor. Our new space of 40,000 sq. ft., designed by L2Partridge and built by IMC Construction, accommodates our growing Philadelphia presence.
1600 Market Street
32nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Congratulations to Paul S. Thaler and Steven M. Williams!
Congratulations to Paul Thaler and Steve Williams, who were named shareholders and joined the firm’s board of directors! Both Paul and Steve have made significant contributions to Cohen Seglias’ success and growth over the years.
Paul S. Thaler is the managing partner of our DC office. He has more than 25 years of experience conducting and representing hundreds of clients in internal investigations on college and university campuses, giving him a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced when dealing with higher education institutions. Paul is nationally known for his work in scientific misconduct matters and represents both scientists and institutions across the United States in matters involving allegations of plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data in the context of scientific research supported by federal funds.
Steven M. Williams is the firm’s administrative partner, responsible for internal legal operations. He provides a full range of legal services to help his clients avoid and resolve legal problems and maximize the success of their businesses. Steve’s practice covers a swath of practice areas, including commercial litigation, real estate, landlord and tenant law, condominium and homeowner law, employment law, construction, and business and corporate law. A large portion of his practice is devoted to helping clients resolve real estate disputes, including landlord and tenant matters, fair housing issues, sale-purchase issues, and licensing matters.