What's New?

 

Goldsmith Publishes Online Column on Recreational Boating and Cruise Ship Safety

 

› Click to read, "Be Safe on the Water this Summer."

 

Ogrodowski Named Pennsylvania Rising Star^SM in Transportation / Maritime Law

› After being nominated by his peers, and following a rigorous balloting and research process, Rich Ogrodowski has again been awarded this prestigious honor by the publishers of Philadelphia and Law & Politics magazines--for the fifth consecutive year.

 

Goldsmith Publishes Article on Federal Court Pleading Standard

 

Fred Goldsmith co-authored with University of Pittsburgh School of Law Professor Rhonda Wasserman in the June 18, 2010, issue of the Allegheny County Bar Association's Lawyers Journal an article entitled, "Third Circuit Court Practitioners Guide to Twombly and Iqbal."

New Goldsmith MarineNews Column on Vessel Chartering

› Fred Goldsmith's column for the May 2010 issue of this widely-circulated maritime industry trade magazine focused on the workboat, offshore, inland, and coastal vessel markets, is titled, "Don't Leave Port Without These Terms in Your Vessel Charter."
 

G&O Wins Environmental Award

 

› G&O won the 2010 Practicing Green Initiative award in the small firm category in part for its largely paperless office technologies and practices. The award is presented by the Young Lawyers Division of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

 

Goldsmith Gets Perfect Score Following Motorcycle Safety Course

 

› Fred Goldsmith completed the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program's Experienced Rider Course on May 23, 2010, and was pleasantly surprised to receive a perfect score (no mistakes) on the test following the conclusion of the day-long course.  Click here to learn more about our Motorcycle and ATV practice.

 

New Issues of Admiralty Update and Rail Update are Now Online

 

› The new issues of our e-newsletters on developments in state and federal court decisions affecting commercial and recreational mariners, Admiralty Update, and the rail industry and its workers, Rail Update, are now online.

 

Goldsmith Moderates Seminar on Developments in Federal Court Pleadings Standard

 

› On April 21, 2010, Fred Goldsmith moderated a continuing legal education seminar entitled, "Drafting and Challenging Federal Court Complaints: Three Federal Judges and a Law School Professor Outline Pleading and Motion to Dismiss Practice Post Twombly and Iqbal."  Panelists included Judge Nora Barry Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Judges D. Michael Fisher and Thomas M. Hardiman of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and Professor Rhonda Wasserman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
 

Goldsmith Examines Importance of Crew Training in March 2010 Column in MarineNews Magazine

 

› Link to "Foreseeable Emergencies: Operators Liable for Training Crews."

 

 

Goldsmith Makes Guest Appearances on "On the Road with Rocky," ESPN Radio 1250 AM

 

› Fred was invited by host Rocky Marks to appear on his popular Pittsburgh motorcycle-focused radio show.  He'll be featured on the shows which air January 30 and February 13, 2010, from 8:00 to 9:00 A.M.  Tune in (or click the link on the date, above) to hear Fred discuss legal aspects of motorcycling, including motorcycle insurance and what to do if you're involved in an accident.

 

G&O at the Pittsburgh Boat Show

 

› G&O was at the 2010 Pittsburgh Boat Show, January 21-24, 2010, http://www.pittsburghboatshow.com, in Monroeville at the Convention Center.  If you missed us and our booth (B-39), you also missed a chance to register for a drawing to win a free Standard Horizon submersible VHF Marine Radio!  The winner is Scott Anderson.  Congrats Scott!  We had a swell time at the show, met lots of great people, and look forward to next year's show!

 

Goldsmith Publishes Another Column in Inland and Near-Shore Maritime Industry Trade Magazine, MarineNews, on Vessel Owner's Duty of Seaworthiness

 

› Link to the January 2010 issue of MarineNews magazine to read Fred Goldsmith's most recent column, "A Vessel Owner's Warranty of Seaworthiness."  

 

G&O Publishes Article on Discoverability of Witness Statements

 

› When are witness statements obtainable in the discovery process in state and federal court lawsuits?  Rich Ogrodowski and Fred Goldsmith provide the answers in their recently co-authored article in The Advocate, published by the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.

 

Bodum Glass Breakage / Investigation

 

› G&O is investigating what has been reported to us as the spontaneous breakage, shattering, and/or failure of Bodum borosilicate insulated, or double-wall, drinking glasses and other consumer glass products.  If you have been injured by the spontaneous breakage, failure, or shattering of a Bodum glass or glassware product, please contact Fred Goldsmith at (412) 281-4340 / (877) 404-6529 or fbg@golawllc.com.

 

Launch of Admiralty Update Blog and Rail Update Blog

› To supplement our e-newsletters, Admiralty Update and Rail Update, and for those wishing for a more interactive newsletter experience, we have just launched Admiralty Update Blog and Rail Update Blog.  Enjoy.  Learn.  Interact.

 

Ogrodowski Moderates Electronic Evidence and E-Discovery Seminar

 

› On October 22, 2009, Rich served as moderator of a continuing legal education seminar entitled, "Review and Analysis of the 'Top ESI Cases.'"  The program, presented by the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, was held at the United States Courthouse in Pittsburgh and included a distinguished panel featuring U.S. District Judges Donetta W. Ambrose and Nora Barry Fischer, as well as two e-discovery law experts.  The panel focused on cases decided after the adoption in December 2006 of revised Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on Electronically Stored Information, or "ESI." 

 

Post-Accident Checklist

 

› Do you know what to do immediately after an accident?  See what G&O recommends here:

 

Offshore Helicopter Price-Fixing Investigation

 

› Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., Offshore Logistics, Inc. and SEACOR Holdings, Inc. each disclosed on June 15 or 16, 2009, receiving subpoenas from the United States Department of Justice relating to a grand jury investigation of possible antitrust violations by providers of helicopter services in the Gulf of Mexico.  G&O is investigating a possible price-fixing conspiracy by these companies, the largest providers of offshore helicopter services in the Gulf of Mexico. If you have any questions about the matter, contact Fred Goldsmith at fbg@golawllc.com, (412) 281-4340, or toll free 877-40-GOLAW (877-404-6529).

 

› For a backgrounder on class actions, see Goldsmith’s article in the June 2009 issue of MarineNews: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16657687/MARINE-NEWS-June-2009

 

Magazine Subscription Sales Practice Investigation

 

› G&O is also investigating what appears to be a deceptive and potentially illegal magazine subscription sales practice whereby people receive magazines they never subscribed to, then receive bills and, when they understandably don't pay the bills, threatening collection notices.  The companies behind this appear to be National Credit Audit Corporation, or NCAC, and its parent, ChoicePoint, Inc., now owned by the parent of Lexis-Nexis, Reed Elsevier.  If you have been the victim of a magazine or other deceptive sales or marketing scheme, or have had what you believe to be a deceptive or unlawful experience with a collection firm, please contact Fred Goldsmith at fbg@golawllc.com, (412) 281-4340, or toll free (877) 40-GO-LAW (877-404-6529).

 

Goldsmith Moderates Litigation Seminars

 

› On July 14, 2009, Fred Goldsmith co-moderated a continuing legal education seminar entitled, "Plain Talk on Depositions: Four Judges Speak to State and Federal Court Deposition Practice and Strategy in Discovery and Trial in Western Pennsylvania."  Held in the courtroom of Judge R. Stanton Wettick, Jr., of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the program featured a distinguished panel of judges including Judge Wettick, Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Johnstown Division) Judge Kim R. Gibson, and U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas M. Hardiman.  The Allegheny County Bar Association’s Federal Court Section, the Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Federal Practice Committee sponsored the program.

 

› On April 2, 2009, Fred co-moderated "Choosing the Best Venue for Your Civil Case: Strategy Considerations Between Litigating in Federal Versus State Courts in Western Pennsylvania," a continuing legal education seminar presented in the federal courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The program featured a distinguished panel of state and federal trial court jurists, including Judge Nora Barry Fischer and Magistrate Judge Amy Reynolds Hay of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Judge Christine A. Ward of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, and Judge C. Gus Kwidis of the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas.  Sponsors were the Federal Court Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Federal Practice Committee.

 

Other G&O Personnel News

 

› Heather Trainer, G&O Office Manager and Legal Assistant, was elected Secretary-Elect of the Pittsburgh Legal Administrators Association for 2009-2010.

 

› Fred Goldsmith was recently elected Chair-Elect for 2010-2011 of the Federal Court Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

 

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