Elected and Appointed

McNees Wallace & Nurick announced that attorney Eric Athey was elected president of the Lancaster Bar Association.

Athey is co-chair of the McNees labor and employment practice group, where he provides counseling and representation to employers on a range of labor and employment matters.

He helps unionized and non-union clients navigate difficult situations involving allegations of discrimination and harassment, as well as labor negotiations and arbitrations, employment contracts and employment policy development.

He represents private and public sector employers before state and federal courts, arbitrators and administrative agencies.

Speakers

Laffey, Bucci & Kent announced that attorney Stewart Ryan presented "Commonwealth v. Cosby: How A Crime Victim Lawsuit and Lawyers Helped Deliver Justice" at the National Crime Victim Bar Association National Conference, Civil Actions for Criminal Acts.

As assistant chief of the trials division in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Ryan prosecuted a number of cases including Commonwealth v. William H. Cosby Jr.

Ryan's presentation focused on the criminal prosecution in the case against Cosby. He focused particularly on the positive impact of the 2005-2006 civil litigation against Cosby, from the defendant's deposition admissions to his once-confidential settlement agreement intended to silence the survivor.

The National Crime Victim Bar Association conference provided information on current legal subjects and offered resources and litigation strategies that attorneys need to best represent crime victims.

Honored

Fox Rothschild attorney Marilou E. Watson was honored with a 2020 Salute to Greatness Award by the Trina Antoinette Adams Center for Keeping Children First Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides education and counseling services to improve childhood development.

In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the awards recognize individuals, corporations and organizations that exemplify the hopes of King's dream.

Watson was acknowledged for her efforts to advance legal education, serve the community and promote social justice and equality.

Watson mentors law students, young adults and at-risk youth while helping to shape early childhood education.

She worked on diversity issues with the American Bar Association commission on women in the profession and its women of color research committee and in the mentorship program at

Promise Academy at Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia, Parkway Center City High School, and the Kensington Health Science Academy.

Watson served on the board of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group for six years and was active in its efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession.

As a member of the Montgomery Bar Association diversity committee, she created the "Day in Court" program at the Montgomery County Courthouse, which provides high school students the opportunity to observe a live court proceeding and meet with several county judges, public defenders, prosecutor, county detectives and county commissioners.