Additions

Katherine A. Hopkins joined Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer as an associate in the firm's commercial litigation team in Philadelphia.

Hopkins brings experience ranging from premises liability, products liability and commercial disputes.

She has been representing corporate clients in complex litigation matters in state and federal courts since 2013.

Hopkins clerked for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Marie E. Lihotz.

Elected and Appointed

Blank Rome associate Josef W. Mintz was elected to the steering committee of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference for the 2018-19 term.

At Blank Rome, Mintz concentrates his practice on business bankruptcy, restructuring and related litigation matters.

He represents a diverse range of parties including creditors, debtors, trustees and asset purchasers.

In addition to his involvement in EDPABC, Mintz serves on the board of directors for the Philadelphia/Wilmington, Delaware, chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and is a barrister of the Delaware Bankruptcy American Inn of Court.

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Michael T. van der Veen promoted attorneys Fran O'Neill Jr, Brian Hartshorn and Nelson Levin to partner, with their names added to the Philadelphia-based firm newly named van der Veen, O'Neill, Hartshorn, and Levin.

O'Neill is an advocate for personal injury victims, handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving construction and commercial motor vehicle accidents.

Hartshorn is a civil litigator who's practice areas include personal injury and products liability.
Levin specializes in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice and products liability.

Events

Webinar “'Briggs': Game-Changer for Subsurface Trespass Claims and Unconventional Drilling?” is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Houston Harbaugh oil and gas attorney Robert Burnett, Kenneth Witzel of Frost Brown Todd are scheduled speakers joined by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

In a landmark decision, the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that the “rule of capture” does not apply to frac fissures that extend under unleased parcels.

In Briggs v. Southwestern Energy Production, the owners of an unleased 11-acre parcel in Susquehanna County claimed that a horizontal wellbore drilled under a neighboring parcel by Southwestern Energy Production Co. was unlawfully draining hydrocarbons from their property.

The webinar is available online at http://www.pbi.org/Meetings/Meeting.aspx?ID=28013.