Litigation Team Joins Growing Law Firm
Los Angeles, CA (June 26, 2014) - Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP, is pleased to announce the addition of a new litigation practice group focused on Medical Malpractice and Elder Abuse. The practice group will be spearheaded by the addition of two new partners, Constance Endelicato and Brian Hoffman, who between them have handled thousands of complex medical negligence and elder abuse matters, and have over one hundred defense verdicts. The practice group is further supported with the addition of two new associates with exceptional healthcare litigation experience, Michelle Birtja and Eric Hartmans. Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman is a full-service and award-winning litigation law firm with 15 offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.
"Successfully defending physicians, hospitals, pharmacists, dentists, long term care facilities and other health care clients requires attorneys who understand complex medical issues and know how to make each case real and understandable,” said Daniel Berman, Managing Partner of WSHB. “Endelicato and Hoffman, together with Birtja and Hartmans, have decades of experience. Their trial performance is second to none, and they are perfect additions to WSHB as we establish a significant foothold in medical malpractice and healthcare law defense.”
Endelicato specializes in the defense of physicians, hospitals, allied healthcare professionals, and dentists. She has tried more than 60 jury trials, all of them resulting in a defense verdict on behalf of her clients in professional malpractice matters. Endelicato has also tried numerous arbitrations that have all resulted in defense awards. Her trial experience has earned her membership in the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Additionally, she has been designated as a Southern California Super Lawyer, Orange County Super Lawyer and a Top Woman Attorney in Los Angeles.
Hoffman’s successful career includes trying and arbitrating more than 70 cases to verdict. Hospital care, elder care, radiology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, orthopedics, plastic surgery, urology, dentistry, chiropractic care and physical therapy are among the leading medical specialties in Hoffman’s practice background. He defends individuals, insurers, and institutions facing claims of negligence, fraud and medical malpractice. He is also a much sought out speaker on the topic of the Medical Insurance Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) and he recently spoke at a national medical conference concerning the Pelvic Mesh Litigation. Brian Hoffman has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer for the last 5 years, and has been listed as one of L.A.'s best attorneys for the last 5 years.
Hartmans’ litigation practice has primarily consisted of defending physicians, hospitals and healthcare professionals against professional liability actions. He also handles general and premises matters with major damages exposure. Birtja has specialized primarily in the field of medical malpractice defense.
About Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
Founded in 1997 by David F. Wood, Kevin D. Smith, Stephen J. Henning and Daniel A. Berman, WSHB is today one of the fastest growing firms in the United States. WSHB currently employs 150 attorneys in 15 offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington. WSHB is also one of the most diverse firms in the country. Approximately 44% of WSHB attorneys are female, 42% of WSHB partners are female, and 25% of WSHB attorneys are minority. With active practices in medical malpractice and healthcare, commercial, construction, environmental, professional liability, employment, real estate, transportation, toxic tort and intellectual property litigation, WSHB's attorneys have tried over 860 cases to verdict with a 92% success rate.
