Harriet Anderson

Harriet Anderson, an attorney with Robert Casey Jr. & Associates in Philadelphia, has been elected president of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel, succeeding previous president Robert Cosgrove.  

As president, Anderson is looking to strengthen the PADC by introducing new programs to improve diversity, inclusion, advocacy and skill enhancement and to continue the organization's advocacy on behalf of defendants.

The Legal spoke with Anderson about her goals for her upcoming tenure, as well as the challenges and opportunities she is expecting to encounter.

The following has been edited for style and clarity.

What challenges are you expecting to face as president?

I would say fitting everything into a single year of service. Right now, we have excellent ongoing initiatives developed by prior presidents Bob Cosgrove, Joe Cincotta and Dave Wolf, and a few new areas of focus. 

Are there any new programs that are being worked on?

One of the stated goals of PADC is diversity and inclusion. Last year, under Bob Cosgrove, the PADC set up liaisons with GALLOP, the Hispanic Bar Association, Asian Pacific Bar Association and Barristers' bar association. We also presented new CLEs on "How to Overcome Adversity in Our Diverse Legal Community," formed the PADC Women's Initiative, with the inaugural CLE: "Leaders in the Courtroom: From the Trial Courts to the United States Supreme Court," chaired by Kathleen Wilkinson, Jennifer Coatsworth and Erin Siciliano.

This year we are looking to harness those efforts and create a new [diversity and inclusion] committee that focuses on CLE programming and community service programs. We will hold two standalone CLEs, focusing on legal issues facing women litigators and minorities in the courtroom and in the legal system, as well as host specific community service activities. All will be posted to the PADC website, www.philadefense.org, and we invite all members of the legal and judicial community to join with us in our efforts to champion D&I.

Other new programs involve enhancements to the ongoing CLE programming, with a focus on advocacy and skill enhancement. The CLE committee is led this year by Bill Ricci and Colleen Hayes. We invite the legal community and judiciary to join us for the CLEs, which run from September 2019 to May 2020, and feature such topics as "Amicus Initiatives" and "The Curious Case of the Orthopedic Surgeon Who Doesn't Operate." Luncheons are held on the third Tuesday of the month and are the "best-kept secret" value for CLEs from outstanding presenters at Center City restaurants. All the CLEs will be posted to the website and featured on the PADC LinkedIn page.

For community service programs, PADC members are again slated to serve the community at institutions such as Jane Addams Place and Ronald McDonald House, and through participation in mock trials with the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement. This fall we will join with the charity Alex's Lemonade Stand and invite defense counsel across the state, through the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, to join us for a statewide push to fund advances in childhood cancer. Check out our website for more details on PADC membership and community service initiatives.  

Are there any legislative issues or policies that have you concerned?

Recently, on behalf of health care defendants, PADC, led by Dan Ferhat, filed comments with Pennsylvania's Civil Procedural Rules Committee opposing the proposed revocation of Rule of Civil Procedure 1006(a.1) and related medical malpractice venue rules. 

These current rules limit venue in medical malpractice cases to the county where the care at issue was rendered. Our opposition is based on the fact that there was no data to support the conclusion that the rule is no longer needed.    

What are you looking to accomplish during your tenure?

I have three goals: One is to add value to the PADC membership through providing enhanced resources to our members, and a dedicated platform to allow our members to showcase their considerable expertise.

We serve as a resource to our members, and a source of collegiality within the greater Philadelphia defense bar. We provide feedback on experts, analysis of pertinent shifts in case law, and assessment of changes to the Pa. R.E. and Pa.R.C.P. In addition we encourage members to provide CLEs and publish significant practice notes and articles pertaining to motion practice, trial skills and techniques, and case analysis. Check out our website for members' informative articles, and information on membership.

Two is to continue the PADC's strong tradition of service to the judiciary.

Recently, we were able to serve the judiciary as a timely point of contact to disseminate information to the bar regarding the [Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas] website shutdown.  Former president Bob Cosgrove and Jennifer Coatsworth worked cooperatively with the court system and plaintiffs bar in that regard; in addition, PADC led initiatives with the plaintiffs bar and the judiciary through meetings with [former Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas President Judge Sheila] Woods-Skipper, [current President] Judge Idee Fox, [Administrative Judge Jacqueline] Allen and [Supervising Judge Arnold] New to address enhancements to electronic ID access to City Hall, and procedures for motions in limine sought by the bar.

The third is to remain in the forefront as a defense advocacy group.

PADC will continue to draft or join in important amicus briefs in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and the Defense Research Institute, through the important work of Terry Sachs, Jim Beck, Dan Ferhat, Lise Luborsky, Matt McColgan and many others, on issues important to protecting and advancing the interests of civil defendants. Briefs were filed on matters including unlisted resident driver exclusion, household vehicle exclusion involving use of motorcycle, admissibility of evidence regarding risks and complications in case alleging breach of standard of care, exercise of general personal jurisdiction over foreign corporations based on registration to do business in Pennsylvania, and applicability of attorney-client privilege and attorney work-product privilege to meetings with employees of corporate defendant.  

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Q&A: New Defense Bar Leader Looks to Expand Profile