Neil, Dymott, Frank, McFall & Trexler APLC (San Diego, CA) shareholder, Sheila S. Trexler was named "San Diego Best Lawyers Professional Malpractice Lawyer of the Year" for 2011. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers designated "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community was honored as the "Lawyer of the Year."

The lawyers honored as “Lawyers of the Year” received particularly high ratings in the Best Lawyers surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.
Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2011) is based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

Sheila Trexler has been a shareholder at Neil, Dymott, Frank, McFall & Trexler APLC since 1993 and director since 2004. Ms. Trexler’s expertise includes medical and hospital malpractice and elder abuse matters. Ms. Trexler has been named one of the “Top 50 Women Litigators in California” by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and was recognized as the "San Diego Defense Lawyer of the Year" by the San Diego Defense Lawyers Association in 2009. In addition, Ms. Trexler is honored to be an associate member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates.

Ms. Trexler is an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law, where she teaches a course on medical malpractice litigation and frequently lectures on medical and legal topics to nurses, physicians and attorneys.

Other Neil Dymott attorneys who have been honored to be named the “San Diego Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year” include, shareholder Michael I. Neil, named “San Diego Best Lawyers Personal Injury Litigation Lawyer of the Year” for 2009.

For additional information on Neil Dymott, visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or neildymott.com.
 

The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (OACTA) during its Annual Meeting on November 11 in Cincinnati, elected new officers and trustees for 2011.

New officers include President, Gary L. Grubler, Grange Mutual Casualty Company, Columbus, Ohio; Vice President, Kevin C. Connell, Freund, Freeze and Arnold, Dayton, Ohio; Treasurer, Kurt D. Anderson, Janik L.L.P, Cleveland, Ohio; and Secretary, Anne Marie Sferra, Bricker & Eckler LLP, Columbus, Ohio, Immediate Past President, John M. Hands, Ulmer & Berne, LLP, Cincinnati, OH.

Trustees elected include Thomas J Antonini, Robison, Curphey & O'Connell, Toledo, Ohio; Anthony Brown, Baker Dublikar, Beck Wiley & Matthews, Canton, Ohio; Lynnette Dinkler, Dinkler Pregon LLC, Dayton Ohio; Richard M. Garner, Davis & Young, LPA, Cleveland, Ohio; John J. Garvey, III, Freund, Freeze & Arnold, Cincinnati, Ohio; Brian D Kerns, Kerns & Proe, Cleveland, Ohio; James N. Kline, Ulmer & Berne LLP, Cleveland, Ohio; Michael W. Krumholtz, Bieser, Greer & Landis, Dayton, Ohio; James L. Mann, Mann & Preston LLP, Chillicothe, Ohio; Amy Mass, The Hanover Insurance Group, Columbus, Ohio; Mark F. McCarthy, Tucker Ellis & West LLP, Cleveland, Ohio; Paul W. McCartney, Rendigs, Frye, Kiley & Dennis, Cincinnati, Ohio; Gregory E. O’Brien, Cavitch Familo & Durkin Co., LPA, Cleveland, OH; David W. Peck, Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis, Cincinnati, OH; Crystal Richie, Columbus, Ohio; and Brian Wildermuth, Subashi Wildermuth, Dayton, Ohio.

OACTA is an association of Ohio attorneys who represent the interests of defendants in tort litigation and other parties in civil disputes and who are paid for their services other than principally out of the recovery they obtain, and personnel from corporations, government bodies and insurance companies responsible for managing such matters, formed to act together to advocate in the courts, to educate the bar on common problems and to serve the public by promoting and improving the administration of justice.
 

For more information on Freund, Freeze and Arnold, visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or ffalaw.com.

Freund, Freeze & Arnold, A Legal Professional Association (Dayton, OH), is pleased to announce that nine of its attorneys have been named as 2011 Best Lawyers in its offices from Dayton and Cincinnati. Elected lawyers include: Neil F. Freund, Stephen V. Freeze, Gordon D. Arnold, Christopher W. Carrigg, Susan Blasik-Miller, Christopher F. Johnson, Thomas B. Bruns, Mark A. MacDonald, and Mark L. Schumaker.

From the Dayton office, Neil F. Freund, a seventeen-year Best Lawyers award recipient, was also named Bet-the-Company Litigator of the year in Dayton in addition to the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law, Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Stephen V. Freeze, a six-year Best Lawyers award recipient, and Gordon D. Arnold, a five-year Best Lawyers award recipient, are both recognized in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation. Christopher W. Carrigg, a four-year Best Lawyers award recipient, is awarded in the practice areas of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Susan Blasik-Miller, a six-year Best Lawyers award recipient, is recognized in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Christopher F. Johnson, a four-year Best Lawyers award recipient, is noted in the practice areas of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation.

In the Cincinnati office, Thomas B. Bruns, a three-year Best Lawyers award recipient, is noted in the practice areas of Insurance Law along with three-year Best Lawyers award recipient, Mark A. MacDonald’s recognition in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation.
From the Columbus office, Mark L. Schumacher, a four-year Best Lawyers award recipient, is awarded in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation.

For more information on the Freund, Freeze & Arnold, visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or ffalaw.com.

Collins & Lacy, P.C. (Columbia, SC) is pleased to announce Gray Culbreath has been elected president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association (SCDTAA) at the organization's Annual Meeting on November 12, 2010. He previously served as secretary, treasurer and president-elect.

Culbreath says he is very honored and humbled to be elected to this position. “This is a unique year in that we are still in the middle of economic uncertainty, plus we are about to embark on a change in leadership in South Carolina. I am committed to working to make sure we, as an organization protect the integrity of the judicial process in this year’s difficult budget environment, while at the same time ensuring the quality of life for defense lawyers in firms large and small is protected.”

The purpose of the SCDTAA is to promote justice, professionalism and integrity in the civil justice system by bringing together attorneys dedicated to the defense of civil actions.

Culbreath is managing partner of Collins & Lacy. His practice focus includes products liability, class action litigation, transportation litigation, business and commercial litigation and professional negligence claims. Culbreath’s reputation in the courtroom and professional standing among his peers has earned him recognition in Best Lawyers of America©, South Carolina’s Super Lawyers©, as well as the South Carolina’s Legal Elite.

For more information on Collins & Lacy, visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or collinsandlacy.com.

Collins & Lacy, P.C. (Columbia, SC) is proud to announce that Suzanne (Suzy) Boulware Cole and Robert F. Goings have been named finalists in the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Emerging Legal Leaders Award.
Cole and Goings are among the top 18 finalists based on the significant impact they have made on the legal profession and the community at large. The honorees were chosen from a pool of nominations of South Carolina attorneys who have practiced 10 years or less.

As a shareholder concentrating in workers’ compensation in Collins & Lacy’s Greenville office, Cole has tried numerous cases before the Workers’ Compensation Commission and argued before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. She also argued before the Workers’ Compensation Commission sitting en banc in the wake of the hotly-contested executive orders issued by Governor Mark Sanford. Some of the community organizations to which Cole has devoted her time over the years include serving as commissioner of the Spartanburg Housing Authority and a volunteer for Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands.

“As a young lawyer, Suzy effectively handles complex cases and arguments before the judiciary. She has poise in the courtroom, an ability to distill large amounts of information and an intuitive grasp of the issues important to clients. She is diligent and tireless in her advocacy on behalf of our clients,” says Ellen Adams, chair of the Collins & Lacy Workers’ Compensation Practice Group.

Robert Goings joined Collins & Lacy as an associate in 2006. Goings practices in civil litigation involving business torts, employment law, healthcare litigation, defective products, professional malpractice, bad faith insurance claims, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims. He also represents individuals and entities in matters involving civil rights and constitutional issues. Goings was recently admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Founding Collins & Lacy partner Joel Collins believes Robert stands out from the pack. “I can truthfully say I have never encountered a young lawyer with a greater aptitude and capacity for the practice of law. Robert Goings has every skill and trait needed to be an outstanding courtroom lawyer. In fact, he already is.”

Robert has chosen three specific entities to which he devotes a considerable amount of his time, energy and faith. They are the Columbia Rotary Club, the Wofford College Alumni Association and Trenhom Road United Methodist Church.

Cole and Goings will be featured along with the other finalists in an upcoming edition of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. The final 10 award recipients will be announced in January during a ceremony at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention center.

For more information on Collins & Lacy, please visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or collinsandlacy.com.

Neil Dymott (San Diego, CA) shareholder, Sheila S. Trexler was named "San Diego Best Lawyers Professional Malpractice Lawyer of the Year" for 2011. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers designated "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community was honored as the "Lawyer of the Year."

The lawyers honored as “Lawyers of the Year” received particularly high ratings in the Best Lawyers surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2011) is based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

Sheila Trexler has been a shareholder at Neil, Dymott, Frank, McFall & Trexler APLC since 1993 and director since 2004. Ms. Trexler’s expertise includes medical and hospital malpractice and elder abuse matters. Ms. Trexler has been named one of the “Top 50 Women Litigators in California” by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and was recognized as the "San Diego Defense Lawyer of the Year" by the San Diego Defense Lawyers Association in 2009. In addition, Ms. Trexler is honored to be an associate member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates.

Ms. Trexler is an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law, where she teaches a course on medical malpractice litigation and frequently lectures on medical and legal topics to nurses, physicians and attorneys.

Other Neil Dymott attorneys who have been honored to be named the “San Diego Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year” include, shareholder Michael I. Neil, named “San Diego Best Lawyers Personal Injury Litigation Lawyer of the Year” for 2009.

For more information on Neil Dymott, please visit the International Society of Primerus Law Firms or neildymott.com.