Nick focuses his practice on the defense of high-stakes product liability actions in a wide range of industries, including matters involving automotive, chemical exposure, fire, aviation, trucking, consumer goods, and heavy machinery claims. A portion of Nick’s practice is also dedicated to business litigation, ranging from counseling clients during indemnification and insurance disputes to defense and prosecution of complex commercial claims.
Nick is familiar with all phases of a case from inception through trial. He has extensive experience analyzing and preparing pleadings, curating written discovery, taking and defending depositions, developing expert discovery, drafting dispositive and other motions, arguing before state and federal courts and mediating matters. Though his practice is national in scope, clients are quick to seek Nick’s advice regarding the nuance of state and federal courts located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the jurisdictions where he is licensed and has spent more than 15 years learning the ins and outs of local practice and procedure.
In addition to his pretrial experience, Nick has second-chaired multiple jury trials, served as lead counsel in numerous arbitrations (both binding and non-binding), provided support on various trial teams, and briefed/argued several high profile appellate matters. This wealth of experience in all phases of litigation informs Nick’s strategy throughout the course of any particular case. He is not just “checking the boxes”; rather, he strives to develop a unique plan for each case and to ensure that his decisions and tactics during the course of that case best fit his client’s priorities and goals.
Earlier in his career, Nick was an associate with the Philadelphia office of a large regional defense firm, where he handled general and product liability matters, and was a counsel with a Newark, New Jersey, litigation boutique, where he focused on the defense of benzene exposure matters for Fortune 500 companies.
Representative Matters
Obtained complete dismissal of all client entities and persons on the basis of immunity and improper service in a wrongful death case with an eight-figure opening demand arising from a fatal accident that occurred in a client’s manufacturing plant.Obtained dismissal of one of the world’s largest chemical suppliers from a multimillion-dollar burn and amputation case arising from an explosion in a commercial trucking repair facility involving a wax and degreaser product.
Won summary judgment on behalf of an international luxury automobile distributor and associated dealership in a product liability matter arising out of an alleged sudden acceleration of the plaintiffs’ vehicle.
Obtained, and successfully defended on appeal, a forum non conveniens dismissal of product liability and negligence claims filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against a medical equipment servicing company arising from injuries sustained by a minor during a tonsillectomy procedure performed in a Florida hospital.
Won summary judgment on behalf of sprinkler maintenance company as to an insurer’s subrogation claims in an action involving accidental discharge of sprinkler system in a commercial building, then developed expert testimony in a manner that forced voluntary dismissal of all remaining cross-claims of the client’s co-defendants.
Won summary judgment on behalf of client in a premises liability matter, where discovery was developed to demonstrate that the client lacked “possession or control” over the large multi-tenant commercial building at issue.
Obtained dismissal of multiple clients in several separate catastrophic aviation cases on the basis of lack of personal jurisdiction.
Obtained award in favor of a helicopter repair station at an arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce in a contractual dispute with a foreign helicopter operator and collected the arbitration award by pursuing the foreign operator in its home country of Israel.
Second-chaired a jury trial involving a commercial trucking accident in which the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of the client, a subcontractor that hung temporary traffic signals at the intersection where the accident occurred.
Won arbitration for a government-owned airport in a premises liability claim involving alleged traumatic brain injuries.
Obtained dismissal with prejudice of all legal malpractice claims against a client alleged to have misappropriated estate assets.
Reversed a multimillion-dollar jury verdict against a client in a legal malpractice case on the basis of a complex suit limitations clause defense.
Obtained dismissal of all claims against a client with an attenuated ownership interest in an apartment building in a matter involving a contractor who fell to his death during installation of communications equipment on the roof.
Successfully confessed judgment against an entity that defaulted on settlement obligations to his client, a charter flight services provider and Part 135 operator, under federal aviation regulations in a matter involving breach-of-contract claims.
Publications
The Other Shoe Drops, Defense Digest, March 2018.
A Game Changer for Personal Jurisdiction, Defense Digest, June 2016.
Data Breach 101, Defense Digest, December 2010.