WSHB Partner Janice Michaels was recognized in the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for her work in Litigation - Construction in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ms. Michaels has been bestowed this honor for the past four consecutive years. ...

(Dallas, TX) – WSHB is proud to announce the arrival of one of Texas's leading construction litigators, Cynthia A. Tari, to the firm's Dallas office. With over 25 years of experience litigating and arbitrating construction disputes, Ms. Tari's case handling includes breach of contract, negligence, professional malpractice, and lien/bond claims on both public and private projects....

Andy Kessler, WSHB’s newest partner in our Philadelphia office, has secured summary judgment in favor of his clients in a case in Monroe County, Pennsylvania involving the assault of a tenant’s guest at a party. Plaintiff, a social guest of the tenants, brought suit against Mr. Kessler’s clients, out of possession Landlords, after being viciously assaulted by trespassers at a party that the tenants were hosting. The trespassers, members of a local gang, “crashed” the party and then without provocation began to randomly assault other guests. During the assault, the gang members repeatedly kicked and punched Plaintiff in the head....

(Philadelphia, PA) – WSHB is pleased to announce that Andrew S. Kessler has joined the firm as partner in our Philadelphia, PA office. A skilled and talented litigator, Andy's practice focuses on medical malpractice, premises liability, construction, transportation, products liability, employment and professional liability, including financial institutions and credit unions. With an extensive background in medicine through his medical malpractice experience, Mr. Kessler is particularly adept in defending matters involving catastrophic injuries....

The New York State Assembly and Senate recently passed the Securing Wages Earned Against Theft ("SWEAT") bill to enable alleged employee-victims of wage theft to recoup unpaid wages by placing a temporary lien on the real or personal property of their employer(s). The union-backed bill is currently awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature in order to become law. SWEAT amends five sections of New York State law for the purpose of increasing the likelihood that victims of wage theft can secure payment of unpaid wages for work already performed. The justification for the bill is to eliminate exploitative employers from dissipating their assets or dissolving their businesses in a systematic effort to avoid paying wages they owe to their employees during a pending court action. Thus, SWEAT was passed to provide wage theft victims with a legal remedy – a lien to freeze an employer's assets – lest being unable to enforce and collect on a judgment for unpaid wages. ...

WSHB is proud to announce the arrival of its newest partner, Jason W. Williams, to the Firm's Nevada office. Long considered to be a "go-to" lawyer for complex construction defect disputes, Jason handles all facets of construction litigation spanning from single family disputes to commercial projects, from shovel to completion. He also is well regarded for his work in complex civil litigation and coverage issues....

WSHB's Nevada office recently welcomed the latest addition to their senior counsel class, litigator Richard Young. Known by developers and contractors throughout the State of Nevada for his prowess and sage guidance in handling all facets of construction litigation, Mr. Young has achieved success in all issues emanating from construction, from construction defect to employment....

Seventeen lawyers from WSHB are recognized on this year’s list of 2019 Rising Stars®. The attorneys honored on this year’s list are 40 years or younger and demonstrate the finest qualities of a good lawyer: first-rate legal skills, preparation, judgment, creativity, dedication and ethics. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in each state are named to the renowned Rising Stars list....

On July 8, 2019, the Arizona Supreme Court issued an order denying plaintiff's Petition for Review of an Arizona Court of Appeals decision that expanded the ability of defendants to enforce settlements under A.R.C.P. 80(a). Section 80(a) allows Arizona courts to enforce settlement agreements (or other agreements) based on some written acknowledgement on the part of a party's attorney, but only where the attorney's authorization to act is shown by some manifestation of that authorization on the clients' part....

WSHB is proud to announce that Dominic Ripoli, Associate - Northern California, has been nominated for a California Cannabis Award, in the category of "Lawyer of the Year." A thought leader in the Cannabis legal world, Ripoli is the recipient of many accolades and is particularly well known for his passion for equity programs being rolled out by public entities. He is respected for his legal work and results helping cannabis companies establish business, navigate regulations and blaze new territory for this emerging industry....

WSHB Partner Jade Tran (Orange County) has been named to Lawyers of Color's inaugural "Nation's Best" list, which recognizes law firm partners and senior-level corporate counsel. Selection is based on noteworthy accomplishments and a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Lawyers of Color is a 501(c)(3) non-profit devoted to promoting diversity in the legal profession and advancing democracy and equality in marginalized communities. ...

WSHB Senior Associate Eva Sullivan (New York) has been selected as one of only ten members for the Professional Liability Underwriting Society's (PLUS) 2020 Diversity Leadership & Mentoring Program (LAMP). LAMP is one-year leadership development training program for PLUS members from diverse and traditionally under-represented groups within the professional liability insurance industry. The curriculum focuses on leadership coaching and includes matching participants with senior-level PLUS members who have agreed to serve as mentors throughout the program....

More than four years after comprehensive construction defect reforms were implemented in Nevada, Nevada's construction defect laws are changing again. On June 3, 2019 Governor Sisolak signed AB 421 into law. While AB 421 retains some of the 2015 reforms, a number of significant changes will go into effect on October 1, 2019. Here is a brief summary of the more notable changes which are likely to raise issues in litigated matters in the future....

The narrative regarding condo development in Washington State is well-known: It is almost universally accepted that the nearly 30-year-old condominium statute’s implied warranties provide unfair and uncertain standards that fueled near-certain litigation. Too often, these suits involve frivolous claims of "defects" in construction, which neither affected building performance nor were of material concern to any reasonable homeowner. Condo association board members feel pressured to sue or risk personal liability. Plaintiff attorneys capitalized on this low hurdle of a liability standard and seek heavily exaggerated repair costs. Developers, builders, and insurance carriers pay enormous sums for repair of technical violations, which often times are not repaired with the money paid to condo owners. All of this disincentivizes condominium developers and drives up the cost of condominiums for consumers. ...

Employees in salaried positions earning under $35,308.00 annually will become newly-eligible for overtime pay if a new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor is enacted. Employers with salaried positions under that amount should begin preparing to perform an audit of exemption classifications to ensure ongoing compliance in the event this rule is enacted. ...

US law firm WSHB and international law firm and legal service provider DWF announced on October 1, 2018 that they have agreed to an exclusive association. Through this association, the firms seek to offer greater global reach and service for their respective clients while working closely to share best practices, innovative ideas and mutually beneficial opportunities....

(Las Vegas, NV) Individuals in the industry charged with handling high exposure difficult lawsuits are going to be in attendance at a highly anticipated educational program focused on unique resolution tool strategies. Slated to take place on September 12, 2019, from 5:30 through 7:30 in Las Vegas at Gordon Biersch, this panel kicks off the CLM Las Vegas Chapter educational programming for the upcoming year. "Structured settlements are one tool which are available to lawyers, risk managers and claim professionals in their arsenal when tackling difficult cases," said Brooke Bohlke, Senior Counsel at the Las Vegas office of Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman, LLP. Bohkle, who will be leading the panel discussion of acclaimed industry experts said "we will be provide sage practice pointers and unique strategies which provide vital ammunition to resolving cases otherwise destined for trial."...

WSHB Partner Constance Endelicato was recognized in the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for her work in Litigation-Healthcare in Los Angeles, California. ...