Behrens Publishes Op-Ed on Tort Reform in The Philadelphia Inquirer

Partner Mark Behrens has written an opinion piece appearing in the June 3, 2012, edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, to suggest that Pennsylvania adopt additional reforms “to address Philadelphia’s reputation as a magnet for lawsuits.” According to court statistics, 47 percent of new mass tort actions filed in Philadelphia’s Complex Litigation Center in 2011 were from out of state. Characterizing this trend as “unnatural,” Behrens recommends the adoption of venue reforms to “refocus litigation on the commonwealth’s citizens and relieve them of the burden of serving on juries in cases that belong elsewhere.” He reports that reforms adopted for medical malpractice cases have more evenly dispersed such litigation throughout Pennsylvania, demonstrating the value of venue reform. To read the op-ed, please click here.