Events

White and Williams joined in the holiday spirit of charitable giving by participating in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) annual holiday toy drive.

Throughout the holiday season, employees in the Philadelphia office donated and collected items from CHOP's holiday “wish list” including toys, art supplies, video games, gift cards, books and electronics.

All donations support the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department and are given to CHOP patients during the holidays and on birthdays, spreading cheer throughout the year to patients in playrooms and during hospitalization.

Additions

Jacobs Law Group added Joseph M. Profy to the firm.

With 20 years' experience, Profy is a litigator who handles complex corporate, commercial and shareholder matters.

Profy's practice focuses on diverse litigation matters such as complex litigation, including accounting and actuarial malpractice, fraudulent conveyance, insurance matters, partnership and corporate governance, derivative actions, merger litigation, qui tam litigation, securities, class actions and general business and corporate litigation.

Profy began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Judge John P. Fullam of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before working as an associate at Reed Smith and then as a partner at Blank Rome.

Immediately prior to joining Jacobs Law Group, he was a principal of a shareholders' rights firm.

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Samantha Sherwood Bononno joined Fisher & Phillips as of counsel and Rachel Stone joined as an associate in the firm's Philadelphia office.

Bononno formerly worked in an in-house position for one of the nation's largest hospital management companies, where she counseled leadership on a wide range of issues, such as hiring, termination, layoffs, employee investigations, accommodations, pay practices and more.

As an associate, Stone has experience in both federal and state courtrooms, where she has defended pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers against products liability, False Claims Act and consumer fraud claims.

Speakers

Blank Rome partner Adam E. Laver led the CLE panel “Fundamentals of Real Estate Tax Assessment Appeals and Minimization Strategies in Philadelphia” at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's 21st annual Real Estate Institute.

Laver was joined by Robert N.C. Nix III and Drew E. Aldinger and together they discussed the procedures and general deadlines for perfecting appeals to Philadelphia's Board of Revision of Taxes, as well as the time of filing and the local rules of filing and contents of appeal pleadings.

The panel also reviewed how to weigh whether or not to file an appeal, when independent appraisal reports are required and the procedures/practice regulations before the Board of Revision of Taxes.

At Blank Rome, Laver is a partner in the firm's real estate practice where he advises clients on matters related to real estate development, zoning and land use and real property tax.

Announcements

The Legal and Pennsylvania Law Weekly are looking for verdicts and settlements to report.

If you're a plaintiffs or defense attorney who has obtained a verdict or settlement in Pennsylvania county or federal court recently, email Zack Needles at [email protected].