Pennsylvania Lawyer Interviews

Dallas, TX: "In late December 2011, Bayer blinked and asked the court to move all of the Yasmin and Yaz cases to settlement," says Dr. Shezad Malik, a cardiologist and attorney. He adds that Bayer, the manufacturer of the birth control pills, has indicated they will settle Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits with plaintiff law firms on an individual rolling basis.

Philadelphia, PA: The fine for truancy in the school district of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, is, by law, a maximum of $300. But according to the due-process class-action complaint filed by public interest and civil rights attorney Michael Churchill, the district has been unfairly and unequally applying fines well in excess of that for the last six years.

Philadelphia, PA: The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and its executive director are in a pile of trouble, says attorney Michael Pileggi. Pileggi, who once worked for the PHA, is representing plaintiffs in a class action suit alleging that as many as 300 non-union employees were forced to pay into a slush fund that was used for the personal enrichment of their boss, Carl Greene.

Harrisburg, PA: A wrongful death lawsuit contends dangerous conditions and severe safety violations are responsible for catastrophic burn injury and death. Early on March 5, 2010, a young college student on his way to work stopped to gas up his Toyota Yaris at a BP station in the town of Battle Creek.

Philadelphia, PA: Patients who believe they suffered Reglan side effects and are considering legal action should be aware of the statute of limitations. Time is running for potential plaintiffs to file a lawsuit over Reglan and tardive dyskinesia.

Philadelphia, PA: A TV news item in Philadelphia recently featured a family of six standing beside their defective Ford Windstar minivan up on the hoist in a local garage. A mechanic was inspecting the vehicle because its rear axle had cracked into two, exposing rust corroded interior axel tube.

Trevose, PA: An Pennsylvania school pushed invasion of privacy to whole new level when it used a remote control device to take pictures of students in their own homes with school-issued laptop webcams. The remote activation feature was supposed to be used as a tracking device in case of theft. "They had the capability to activate the cameras but they started using it for purposes well beyond the original intent," says attorney Mark Haltzman.

Philadelphia, PA: A jury in Hunterdon Country, New Jersey recently awarded Kenneth Matlock and his wife a record-breaking $6 million for severe and permanent personal injuries suffered when rotten tree branches fell on their car as they travelled along Route 29. "This was the highest verdict in this courthouse in the country's 200-year history. The previous record was $2 million several years ago," says the Matlocks' attorney, John Dodig.

Philadelphia, PA: Looks like the fox got into the henhouse in the American Egg industry according to a 71-page complaint filed in a Pennsylvania District Court by the law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll. The documents allege that 13 of the country's largest egg producers and 3 egg trade groups bilked direct customers of billions and billions of dollars in an egg price fixing conspiracy that violated antitrust laws.

Philadelphia, PA: Scott R. Shepherd is a founding partner in Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller and Shah, LLC, a national law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. A 1985 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Shepherd founded the firm in 1998.