New CLO For Englewood Health

Englewood Health has appointed Matthew Amodeo as its new executive vice president of legal affairs and chief legal officer. Amodeo, while a partner with law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, has served as Englewood's external legal counsel since 2009. During that time, he has helped guide Englewood Health on its growth strategy, integration of the physician network, and managed care contracting, among other efforts, the release said.

"It is with great pleasure we officially welcome Matt as in-house counsel for Englewood Health," said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health, in a statement. "As we continue to grow, Matt's extensive health law background combined with his years of service as outside counsel for Englewood make him a valuable addition to our health system family."

In his new role, Amodeo will plan and lead all legal activities of the health system, overseeing in-house counsel and coordinating activities of outside counsel, ensuring all are in alignment with Englewood Health's mission, values and goals.

Amodeo received his undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross and his law degree from the New England School of Law.

Judge Peter Melchionne Joins Hartmann Doherty

Hartmann Doherty Rosa Berman & Bulbulia in Hackensack announced that retired Judge Peter J. Melchionne joined the matrimonial and family department and will lead its new family law dispute resolution team. Melchionne spent 15 years as a family court judge, including as the presiding judge of the Family Part in Bergen County, He has helped resolve thousands of complex divorce and family law matters, including cases involving domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, the firm said. 

Prior to serving in the public sector, Melchionne spent 25 years running his private practice in New Jersey, representing individuals, businesses, and municipal bodies in real estate, civil and criminal matters, matrimonial cases, land use, commercial law, estate planning, and probate matters.

Although he will not be directly representing individual clients in his role at the firm, he will be available to consult with new and existing clients in addition to providing mediation and arbitration services to those seeking assistance with their matrimonial and family matters, the announcement noted. 

"We are honored to welcome Judge Peter J. Melchionne to our firm," said Angela G. Kim, chair of Hartmann Doherty's matrimonial and family department, in a statement. "His extensive experience and remarkable skillset in family law, combined with his dedication to delivering exceptional results, make him a valuable addition to our team."

Melchionne has appeared on panels for the State Bar Association and other organizations, and he continues to share knowledge and experience through teaching engagements for judicial education. 

Dunn Firm Absorbed

Rawle & Henderson brought on the lawyers and staff from the New Jersey law firm of Dunn & Associates, which include Michael J. Dunn and Elizabeth Chambers-Hickman. They will reside in the Rawle & Henderson's Cherry Hill office.

Dunn, who is joining as a partner, is a veteran litigator with extensive experience defending products liability, construction, professional liability, and general negligence claims. He has successfully tried more than 100 cases to verdict in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including fatality, quadriplegia and traumatic brain injury claims, according to the announcement.

"We are delighted to welcome Mike and Elizabeth to Rawle & Henderson," said John McMeekin II, a member of Rawle & Henderson's executive committee, in a statement.

A 1985 graduate of the New England Law School, Dunn began his career with a Philadelphia-based regional defense firm. Dunn & Associates was founded in 2008, with offices in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill. He is a member of the New Jersey State and Pennsylvania bar associations, as well as the New Jersey Defense Association and the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel.

"I have known and practiced with some of the leaders at Rawle & Henderson for many years, and look forward to joining the firm, and benefiting from and contributing to their excellent litigation practice," Dunn said in a statement.

Chambers-Hickman is joining Rawle & Henderson as an associate. She defends clients and insurance carriers in cases of products liability, construction defect, insurance coverage, premise liability, commercial motor vehicle and other general liability matters. She is a 2010 graduate of Widener University School of Law.

After graduation, Chambers-Hickman worked with the U.S. government's BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund, processing claims. She then worked for several civil defense firms in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey, advising clients in securities compliance investigations as well as various corporate defense matters. Chambers-Hickman was with Dunn & Associates since 2018.

Genova Burns Welcomes Counsel

David A. De Simone joined Newark's Genova Burns as of counsel. De Simone, an experienced health care attorney, will provide business strategy solutions and transactional experience to the firm across industries, the announcement said.

De Simone has served as chief legal counsel and chief strategy officer for integrated health care systems throughout New Jersey. Along with his new role at the firm, De Simone serves as chief counsel and compliance officer for nonprofit aging services organization Ohio Living. 

He works to develop health system initiatives while assisting with compliance and strategy challenges, the firm said. He has created innovative joint venture structures for health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, long-term care facilities, physical therapy, and physician practices.

He is a past member of the program committee of the Physician and Hospital Institute of the American Health Law Association (AHLA), a co-chair of AHLA's Accountable Care Organization Task Force and a participant on the wage task force and property tax task force of the New Jersey Hospital Association. 

"Post COVID-19, health care laws are evolving and changing at an unprecedented rate," Genova Burns managing partner James M. Burns said in a statement. "We are looking forward to offering our clients such an experienced view on the subject matter."

Capehart Welcomes Summer Law Clerks

Capehart Scatchard welcomed three rising third-year law students to its summer law clerk program. The firm's 2023 summer law clerks are: Gabi Aste-Molina, Rutgers Law School in Camden; Ruhani K. Aulakh, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law; and Eric M. Richwine, Rutgers Law in Camden

The program is designed to give law clerks an opportunity to experience what it would be like to be a Capehart associate. Summer clerks work on real projects, and have an opportunity to explore many areas of the law and to work directly with attorneys within the firm who concentrate on a wide variety of legal fields, the announcement said. In addition to research and writing, summer clerks have an opportunity to attend depositions, client meetings, hearings, conferences and closings.