Honored

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young partner Samuel J. Arena, Jr. received the Martin J. Andrew Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fidelity and Surety Law at the 2019 American Bar Association fidelity and surety law midwinter conference in San Diego.

The Martin J. Andrew Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fidelity and Surety Law is the highest honor given by the ABA tort trial and insurance practice section's fidelity and surety law committee.

Arena concentrated his practice on insurance law and fidelity and surety law for more than 35 years. A leader in Stradley Ronon's insurance practice group and the chair of the firm's fidelity and surety practice group, he represents insurance companies in complex insurance coverage and fidelity and surety matters.

Arena has experience representing insurance companies in bad-faith and extra-contractual liability claims and litigation.

Speakers

Environmental attorney Jillian C. Kirn of the Philadelphia office of Greenberg Traurig served as a panelist at the Environmental Law Institute's multimedia seminar, “Environmental Justice: The Pursuit of Energy Dominance & a Resilient Appalachia.”

The panelists at ELI's event explored the potential of green energy innovation for fostering environmental justice and resilient economies in Appalachian communities.

Kirn's remarks focused on coal ash legacy liabilities and beneficial reuse, as well as environmental considerations for natural gas, solar and wind project development in the region. The seminar was Washington, D.C.

Kirn focuses her practice on complex environmental and energy litigation, regulatory compliance counseling and resolution of environmental liabilities identified during transactions.

She has experience representing clients in litigation in state and federal courts and routinely assists clients with risk-management matters in the context of proposed project redevelopments, legacy remedial liabilities at industrial sites and renewable energy securities transactions.

ELI is a nonpartisan research, education and policy development center.

*****

In its annual Norman J. Shachoy Symposium, the Villanova Law Review examines the implications of Villanova law professor Chaim Saiman's book, Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law, on law and legal theory. The symposium will bring together scholars of legal theory, law and literature, religious law and theology and religious studies.

Saiman's book develops a theory of Jewish law that both draws on and contributes to several areas of jurisprudence.

The symposium will examine the books implications for Jewish law and rabbinics, law and religion, as well as theories of law and general jurisprudence.

The symposium is set to take place Feb. 15, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Laurence E. Hirsch '71 Classroom of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for 5.5 substantive CLE credits.

Elected and Appointed

John A. Lord of Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman was elected chairman of the Radnor Township planning commission.

The commission makes recommendations to the board of commissioners on all land development and subdivision applications that are submitted to the township.

The planning commission also assists in developing the township's comprehensive land use plan, as well as keeping the subdivision and land development codes up to date and in compliance with Pennsylvania's municipalities planning code.

Announcements

The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association is accepting nominations for board of director appointments for 2019-2020.

If you wish to submit your name or that of a fellow trial lawyer, please do so by Feb. 11. Your nomination must be in writing and sent to Patricia M. Patterson, executive director, PTLA, 123 South Broad Street, Suite 2200, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19109 or, [email protected].

Please enclose a curriculum vitae or brief resume. Final nominations will be made during the month of May and voted on at the PTLA annual meeting, which will be held in June.