Colleen Murphy

December 15, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"In New Jersey, 80-90% of attorneys are small practitioners, like myself, and we have a lot to manage. Without insurance, you may be forced to settle in a case like this," said prevailing defendant Jeff Horn, head of Toms River-based law firm Horn Law Group.

By Colleen Murphy

5 minute read

December 15, 2022 | The Legal Intelligencer

The motion stems from allegedly expletive-filled exchanges with the judge over a proposed defense witness and the judge's alleged accusations that defense counsel had not properly served prosecutors with a particular motion.

By Colleen Murphy

4 minute read

December 15, 2022 | Law.com

"The sheriff's sale occurred more than eight months after Harmon filed her first complaint, and therefore the first action does not bar her claims challenging the sheriff's sale," stated the per curiam opinion. "The District Court reasoned that Harmon could have amended her complaint in the first action to include these later-arising claims, but Morgan chose its bright-line rule in part to avoid 'disputes about whether plaintiffs could have amended their initial complaints to assert claims based on later-occurring incidents.'"

By Colleen Murphy

3 minute read

December 14, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

A $2.75 million settlement in a Monmouth County premises liability case, Estate of Shopp v. Belford Seafood Co-operative Inc., was reached on Nov.…

By Colleen Murphy

4 minute read

December 13, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"Here, it was foreseeable that if defendant did not inform Holmdel Nurseries' LLC members that the LLC could obtain workers' compensation coverage for Christopher Friedauer, his dependents could be harmed in the event that Christopher were to die in a work-related accident without such coverage," wrote Justice Anne M. Patterson in her opinion for the court.

By Colleen Murphy

7 minute read

December 12, 2022 | Law.com

Attorneys from Reed Smith, who filed an amicus brief on behalf of nonprofit United Policyholders, said the case "well demonstrates some of the inappropriate major hurdles that policyholders had to clear in litigating claims for loss from loss or damage from SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and consequent orders of civil authorities."

By Colleen Murphy

8 minute read

December 09, 2022 | Law.com

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref of the Eastern District of Washington announced the convictions of three individuals for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding that resulted from investigations by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force.

By Colleen Murphy

4 minute read

December 09, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"Further, although plaintiff's counsel unquestionably failed to comply with the most basic discovery obligations, plaintiff's counsel certainly was not alone," the opinion said. "Indeed, as noted, Paterson itself was apparently so deficient in providing discovery that it was subject to a motion to compel by Luciano, only withdrawn after it produced outstanding discovery."

By Colleen Murphy

5 minute read

December 09, 2022 | Law.com

In a case of first impression, the Court of Appeals of Maryland determined that the phrase "definite proof" in the state's Workers' Compensation Act applies to the quality of evidence a claimant must submit as part of their burden of production.

By Colleen Murphy

5 minute read

December 09, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"The Court is continuing to examine the staffing needs for attorney discipline, in particular the Office of Attorney Ethics," according to the bar notice. "If that examination identifies the need for additional staff, any proposed further increase in the annual assessment for 2024 will be published for comment in the usual course."

By Colleen Murphy

3 minute read