Semmes Sponsors Golf Fore Heart-Charity Golf Fundraiser, June 25, 2008
Semmes is pleased to sponsor again this year a charity golf fundraiser, Golf Fore Heart 2008, at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Fallston, Maryland, on June 25, 2008. Golf Fore Heart is held in memory of Guy Fernandez, late husband of Semmes’ Principal,
JoAnne Zawitoski, who died of an unexpected heart attack in 2004. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go to the non-profit Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication. (See
www.shapesociety.org) For more information on this event or to register to play golf or to be a sponsor see the
attached flyer.
Heather Kraus, Panelist for Women’s
History Month Event
Semmes’ principal
Heather Kraus will be a panelist for the
9th Annual Women in Maritime History Event, sponsored by the Maryland Port
Administration and the Baltimore Maritime Community to be held on Thursday,
March 27, 2008 at the Sparrows Point Country Club. The topic for this event is
"Women at the Helm Driven to Succeed."
For more information or to register for this event:
www.marylandports.com/womenshistory.
RSVP by March 21, 2008.
Semmes, Bowen & Semmes congratulates 12 of
their principals who have been selected for inclusion in
"Maryland Super Lawyers 2008." Super Lawyers can be found
in all 50 states and identifies the top 5 percent of attorneys in
each state using a rigorous selection and balloting process,
conducted by Law & Politics. Nominees are selected by a survey
of their peers and evaluated for their professional achievement and
accomplishments in their respective areas of practice. Semmes is proud
of the accomplishments, experience and commitment of all its attorneys,
and we congratulate these members of our dedicated Semmes´
team who have been honored by this special recognition.
Standing from left: Rudolph L. Rose honored for Workers´ Compensation,
JoAnne Zawitoski honored for Transportation/Maritime, J. Snowden Stanley,
Jr. honored for Construction Litigation, Stan M. Haynes honored for Workers´
Compensation, Thomas V. McCarron honored for Insurance Coverage, Heather H.
Kraus honored for Workers´ Compensation, Robert E. Rockwell honored for
Workers´ Compensation, Robert E. Scott, Jr. honored for Personal Injury
Defense: Products, James A. Johnson honored for Business Litigation, James
W. Bartlett honored for Transportation/Maritime
Seated from left: Richard W. Scheiner, Firm
Chairman, honored for Workers´ Compensation, Cleaveland D. Miller honored
for Business/Corporate
Semmes Elects Two New Principals and Counsel
Semmes is pleased to announce that Joseph Tarpine
III and Marisa Trasatti have been elected Principals and Sean Edwards has been
named Counsel to the Firm, effective January 1, 2008.
"We are very proud to have them carrying on the Semmes
tradition and to be a big part of our future," said Semmes’ Chairman Richard
Scheiner.
Joseph
Tarpine III, a member of the Workers’ Compensation & Employers’ Liability
practice in Baltimore, has represented clients at hearings before the Workers’
Compensation Commission and in jury trials in Circuit Courts throughout the
State of Maryland. Mr. Tarpine’s practice includes Insurance Coverage/Defense,
Litigation and Workers’ Compensation & Employers’ Liability. He is a member of
the Maryland Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers, the Pennsylvania
Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the New Jersey Bar Association
and the D.C. Bar Association. He graduated from the Dickinson School of Law in
1997. He earned his B.A. from Albright College, cum laude, in 1993.
Marisa Trasatti, a member of the Litigation Department in Semmes’ Baltimore office,
concentrates her practice in civil litigation, including, drug and medical
device, toxic tort, medical malpractice, insurance defense, and general products
liability litigation. Ms. Trasatti has defended healthcare providers, drug
companies, and medical device manufacturers, both locally and nationally. She is
a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, the
Baltimore City Bar Association, the Baltimore County Bar Association, and the
Defense Research Institute (DRI). She serves as the Young Lawyer Liaison of
Maryland Defense Counsel to DRI and was also recently appointed to the Women in
the Courtroom Committee of DRI. She graduated from University of Maryland School
of Law in 1998. She earned her B.A. from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland,
summa cum laude, in 1995.
Sean Edwards,
a member of the Litigation practice in Baltimore, equally divides his
practice between insurance coverage advice and litigation, insurance defense and
products liability litigation. In his products liability practice, he has
represented companies manufacturing a diverse range of products. His insurance
defense practice has focused on construction, trucking and motor vehicle
litigation. His insurance coverage practice is on behalf of insurers, and
addresses claims for damages arising during construction projects. Mr. Edwards
is a member of the Maryland Bar Association, the Maryland Defense Counsel, the
American Bar Association, Torts & Insurance Section, the Baltimore City Bar
Association and the Defense Research Institute. He graduated from University at
Buffalo Law School, SUNY, in 1994. He earned his B.S. from Boston College, cum
laude, in 1991.
Cleaveland Miller Receives "2007 Leadership in Law" Award
Semmes
is very proud to announce that our principal,
Cleaveland D. Miller, received
“The Daily Record’s Top Leadership in Law Award for 2007” for the state of
Maryland. He was chosen for this award from a group of 100 prominent members of
the legal profession, who were nominated. That list was pared down to 60 and
then to 24 finalists. The 24 winners cast a secret ballot to select the Top
Leader in Law in Maryland. The announcement that Mr. Miller was selected as the
recipient of this prestigious top award was made at the awards luncheon, held on
November 16, at the BWI Hilton. All of us at Semmes join in honoring Mr. Miller
in recognition of this prestigious award and for his 44 years of dedicated
service to Semmes.
The Maryland Daily Record’s biography of Cleaveland Miller can be found on their
Leadership in Law Events page, 2007
Winners link
Alexander Giles Named International Third Vice President,
Propeller Club of the United States
Alexander
Giles, a principal with Semmes’ Maritime & Business Litigation practice group,
was recently named the International Third Vice President of the Propeller Club
of the United States. Mr. Giles is also serving as the Convention Chairman for
the 82nd Annual International Propeller Club Convention that will be held in
Baltimore, Maryland on October 7-10, 2008.
The Propeller Club of the United States is a grassroots, non-profit
organization, whose membership resides throughout the United States and the
world. It is dedicated to the enhancement and well-being of all interests of the
maritime community on a national and international basis. The Propeller Club
aggressively promotes the maritime industry through many of its programs and
partnering with other similar organizations. Its goal is to educate legislators
and the public as to the importance and necessity of all waterborne commerce.
Semmes and Ports America Sponsor Charity Golf Tournament Benefitting AEHA
On June 26, 2007, Semmes’ Principal
JoAnne Zawitoski and Mark Montgomery,
President of Ports America Baltimore, Inc. co-chaired a “Golf Fore Heart” tournament at
Bulle Rock Golf Club in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The memorial charity golf tournament,
benefitting
the Association For the Eradication of Heart Attack (AEHA), was held in honor of JoAnne Zawitoski’s
husband, Guy Fernandez, who died of a heart attack on April 10, 2004.
Full Story
This article offers Maryland contractors
and subcontractors a practical outline of some of the legal
principles applicable to their daily business activities in
an effort to help them anticipate problems and to be better
equipped to resolve potential disputes with a minimum of
difficulty and expense.
A limited outline such as this cannot provide legal advice
and does not contain the "solution"
to particular legal problems. Rather, it is intended to provide
a conceptual framework against which to analyze some of the
contractual issues which may arise in the day-to-day operations
of Maryland construction companies. The hope is that this summary
may better equip those companies to identify, analyze and assure
the solution of legal issues as they arise rather than being forced
to await the development of a full-blown crisis.
Read Full Article
The
installation of new officers of The Bar Association of Baltimore City was
conducted during a special dinner program and reception at the association’s
127th Annual Meeting held on May 23, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. Semmes
principal, Christopher R. West was inducted as President of The Bar Association
of Baltimore City.
The Bar Association of Baltimore City was the first Bar Association
formed in the State of Maryland and is one of the oldest in the Nation. Incorporated on
January 15, 1880, its mission is "to aid in maintaining the honor and dignity of
the profession, to promote legal science, and further the administration of justice."
Read Full Story
On May 18, 2007, the University of Baltimore School of
Law, Black Law Students Association held its 28th Annual Awards Banquet. The
theme was “Back to Basics: The Future Lawyer as a Social Engineer.” The
event was held at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel. Several Semmes’
attorneys were on hand for this gala affair.

Attendees at the University of Baltimore School of Law
BLSA Annual Awards Banquet.
From left: Semmes’ Principal, Alexander Giles; Associate, Christopher Lyon;
Principal, Scott Phillips; and Chief Judge Robert Bell, Maryland Court of
Appeals. Also pictured are Danielle Giles and Antonio Moore.
Semmes' principals Donald F. Burke and Jonathan Topazian
conduct employee seminars on "Harassment in the Workplace".
This workshop is intended to assist you, the employer,
in understanding the law surrounding workplace harassment and to demonstrate
how to react to allegations of workplace harassment you may encounter.
The following new attorneys have recently joined the firm:
Kevin R. Derham
Counsel, Litigation
Baltimore Office
Jessica A. Gorman
Associate, Workers' Compensation
Virginia Office
Eric M. Leppo
Associate, Litigation
Baltimore Office
Jeaneen J. Johnson
Associate, Litigation
Baltimore Office