April 2013 Arthur J. Park's most recent article, What to Reasonably Expect in the Coming Years from the Reasonable Expectations of the Insured Doctrine, was published in volume 49 of the Willamette Law Review. The article discusses some major cases that have rejected the "REI" doctrine and how the REI doctrine should be used by the courts going forward as a limitation on the traditional contra preferentum approach. Willamette Law Review Article
April 2013 William J. (Jay) Rawls II prepared a summary of Legislative Changes for 2013, as passed by the Georgia General Assembly, in the area of Workers' Compensation law.
March 2013 The new MF&L employment defense team has hit the ground running with a win on summary judgment in a gender discrimination and retaliation case in federal court in Atlanta. Initially, the United States Magistrate granted summary judgment only on the retaliation claim. Following discussions with the client, John Lowery and Janine Willis decided to appeal the partial victory and U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. agreed with them and reversed the U.S. Magistrate's denial of summary judgment on the gender discrimination aspect of the case as well. In short, the client prevailed on all claims and the case stands dismissed.
March 2013 J. Arthur Mozley and Arthur J. Park successfully briefed and argued a motion to dismiss in North Carolina state court on behalf of the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The wrongful death complaint had been filed by the parents of a sixteen-year old who stowed away in the wheel well of a plane bound for Boston, Massachusetts. The case, which had garnered national news coverage, was dismissed in its entirety.
March 2013 Allison Maloney recently appeared on the new HLN show covering the events of the Jodi Arias criminal trial, HLN: After Dark. Ms. Maloney appeared as a guest "mock juror" to hear legal arguments from various CNN TV personalities including Vinnie Politan, Ryan Smith, Nancy Grace, Jane Velez-Mitchell, and Dr. Drew Pinsky. As a guest juror, Ms. Maloney asked questions of the hosts, deliberated with her fellow mock jurors, and issued a "verdict" on the issue of the day. Ms. Maloney anticipates that she will appear on the show again in the future, and may just find herself a side-gig in show business! HLN: After Dark airs on HLN at 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and will remain on the air through the end of the Jodi Arias criminal trial and sentencing.
March 2013 J. Arthur Mozley and Arthur J. Park obtained summary judgment on behalf of Epps Aviation on a claim of negligent maintenance in a wrongful death case in Tampa, Florida state court arising out of a Pilatus PC-12 crash.
March 2013 Wayne Taylor co-instructed a class on "Water Exclusions: Property Coverage" at the Property Loss Research Bureau 2013 Claims Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The class concerned key insurance coverage issues that arise in water-related losses and applied definitions and doctrines utilized by the courts to resolve insurance coverage issues.
February 2013 J. Arthur Mozley, Robert M. Finlayson II, and William D. "Billy" Harrison were selected for inclusion in 2012 Georgia Super Lawyers.
February 2013 Deborah Shelles Cameron was selected for inclusion into the 2013 edition of the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers - a publication exclusively for women attorneys who have received the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards from their peers.
February 2013 Paralegal Candice Stevens participated in a mission trip to the Jersey Shore where she and a team of people from Utah, Georgia, North Carolina, California, and Massachusetts served by cooking, cleaning, and rebuilding homes destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The homes they worked on were not able to receive aid from FEMA for a number of reasons, and the recipients were grateful for the help that was provided to them. It was a week of very hard work offset by new friends and the joy of being able to assist people in need.
February 2013 Wayne Taylor served as the guest professor for the Insurance Law class at Georgia State University College of Law, lecturing on insurance interest under a first-party property insurance policy.
January 2013 Billy Harrison was on the faculty of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Trial Academy at Callaway Gardens. The Trial Academy presents a mock trial, in which the faculty demonstrates the different parts of a mediation and a trial (Mr. Harrison presented defendant's mediation statement and negotiations, defendant's opening statement, and cross-examination of the plaintiff). The attendees are then given opportunities to hone their trial skills in small groups, led by the faculty members.
January 2013 Wayne Taylor was a co-instructor for the Wind Advanced Umpire Re-Certification and Umpire Certification Courses at the 2013 Windstorm Insurance Network 14th Annual Wind Conference in Orlando, Florida.
January 2013 John McKinley served as a guest lecturer to a Litigation course at the Georgia State University College of Law.
January 2013 Billy Harrison obtained a defense verdict for one of our insurance company clients after a 4-day trial of a case involving a homeowner's claim for fire damage. Our defense showed that the fire was intentionally set by the homeowners, that they had the opportunity to set the fire, and that their financial condition was the motivation for the arson. In an unusual action by the jury, all 12 members signed the verdict form, not just the foreman, which was interpreted as a message to the plaintiff regarding his actions.
January 2013 Legal Assistant Sue Schultz was elected President of the Christian Authors Guild for 2013. The Guild will be writing weekly blog posts, producing a quarterly on-line magazine of our members' writing, and publishing an anthology this year. www.christianauthorsguild.org
January 2013 Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins LLP welcomed attorneys John R. Lowery and Janine D. Willis to the firm as of January 1, 2013. Formerly of Pursley Lowery Meeks LLP, Mr. Lowery and Ms. Willis will continue to practice in the areas of employment practices defense, product liability defense, professional liability defense and general liability insurance defense work.
December 2012 Wayne Taylor has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel ("ACCEC"). The ACCEC was formed to improve the quality of the practice of insurance law. The ACCEC focuses on the creative, ethical, and efficient adjudication of disputes between policyholders and insurers over insurance coverage and extracontractual damages, a form of punitive damages awarded against an insurer, and claims alleging bad faith. The ACCEC's mission includes educating all sectors involved in insurance disputes, including the judiciary, legal and insurance professionals, and businesses, on critical topics such as best practices in policy formation and claims handling, developing trends in insurance law, and bad faith.
November 2012 Rosemary Armstrong was elected as incoming Board Chair, after serving several years on the Board of Directors, for The Foundation for Improvement of Justice, Inc. ( www.justiceawards.com). This foundation is a private, not-for-profit organization founded for the purpose of improving local, state and federal systems of justice.
November 2012 Edward "Mickey" Bresee, William "Jay" Rawls, Brian J. Duva and Joseph "Jay" Burton were selected by their peers as one of Georgia Trend's "2012 Legal Elite."
November 2012 Joseph "Jay" Burton spoke at the 2nd Annual "Best of CLE" seminars at the Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, Georgia, on the topic of Business and Consumer Bankruptcy.
October 2012 Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins LLP has been rated a " 2013 Top Ranked Law Firm" by LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell in Fortune magazine.
September 2012 Associate Arthur J. Park will be published in the 2012-2013 volume of the Willamette Law Review. His article, What to Reasonably Expect in the Coming Years from the Reasonable Expectations of the Insured Doctrine, discusses some major cases that have rejected the "REI" doctrine and how the REI doctrine should be used by the courts going forward as a limitation on the traditional contra preferentum approach. After the editing process, the article should be ready for publication in the spring of 2013.
September 2012 Larry Domenico was recently inducted into the Rotary Club of Dunwoody. He was sponsored for membership by MF&L partner, Deb Cameron, who has been a rotary member for seven years.
September 2012 Wayne Taylor served as the guest professor for the Insurance Law class at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, lecturing on insurable interest and insurable value under a first-party property insurance policy.
August 2012 Wayne Taylor, along with lawyers from law firms in Orlando, Florida and Mobile, Alabama, co-instructed a course on discovery of electronically stored information and potential pitfalls to property claims personnel at the annual RSUI Group 2012 Property Claims Seminar in Atlanta, Georgia.
August 2012 Bridgette Eckerson has been appointed to the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Georgia Bar Journal Editorial Board for the 2012-2013 term. The Georgia Bar Journal is the official publication of the State Bar of Georgia. Editorial content of the bi-monthly magazine is carefully balanced with news, scholarly legal articles, practice management articles, and historical records of significant State Bar events. The Editorial Board monitors, and renders advice to the staff, Executive Committee, and Board of Governors with respect to the scholarship of legal articles in the Georgia Bar Journal. Mrs. Eckerson has served as a member of the Editorial Board since 2002.
August 2012 Wayne Taylor, along with lawyers from Orlando, Florida and Mobile, Alabama, taught a course on first-party property insurance coverage issues that can arise from catastrophic losses to property claims personnel at ACE North American Claims in Atlanta, Georgia and Wilmington, Delaware.
July 2012 Wayne Taylor spoke with interns at Allied World Assurance Company in Atlanta, Georgia regarding the relationship between excess liability insurers and their outside monitoring/coverage counsel.
June 2012 Billy Harrison participated in the Ribfest barbeque, hosted by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew at St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church, Marietta in
June 2012, to benefit the summer youth camp program for inner-city kids of Atlanta. The event raised over $7,000 to send kids to a camp environment this summer. Billy is also attending the National Triennial Convention of the Brotherhood in Nashville in June. He is the Chancellor (attorney) for the national organization.
June 2012 Legal Assistant Sue Schultz was privileged to lead a team of ladies from her church to Lubin, Poland. The team worked three days at a women's shelter in Scinawa, currently home to 15 women and 30 children; provided a workshop with handicapped adults; hosted a women's retreat at Elim Center. In late June, the team split with two returning to the U.S., one remaining a few more days in Wroclaw, Poland, and Sue and another member traveling on to Ireland to present a similar program for women in Rahara, Ireland.
May 2012 Larry Domenico authored an article for the May newsletter of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. Entitled "Top Ten Ways to Protect Your Commissions," the article provides practical and legal advice for business brokers to avoid litigation if possible, and how best to proceed if the broker must seek judicial assistance to enforce the right to a commission.
May 2012 Billy Harrison was a delegate to the Diocesan Council convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta for the election of a new Bishop. The convention elected the first African-American Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta in its history, the Rev. Robert B. Wright.
May 2012 Wayne Taylor attended the "Down Home Derby", the Child Development Association's ("CDA") main annual fundraising event. the CDA provides affordable childcare and early learning programs for preschool children of low-income families in metropolitan Atlanta.
May 2012 Wayne Taylor was a co-instructor for the WIND umpire certification course ad the 2012 Windstorm Insurance Network's 4th Annual Regional WIND Symposium which took place on May 8, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
April 2012 Edward C. "Mickey" Bresee presented a speech at the 2012 Aviation Insurance Association Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, entitled "Indemnity Agreements in the Aviation Context."
April 2012 Brian J. Duva and Andrew M. Capobianco won a defense verdict in Fulton County State Court for The City of Atlanta and Officer Balmore Cruz. The 41-year old plaintiff alleged that he was injured in September 2009 while he was walking in the Atlanta Airport when his leg was unexpectedly stuck by the police officer's motorized patrol vehicle, known as a T-3 Motion. Following surgery, plaintiff was permanently disabled according to the testimony of his treating physician, and restricted from working full time in his occupation as a field hydrologist. At trial, plaintiff asked the jury to award 4 million dollars in compensatory damages. Defendants denied negligence and disputed the plaintiff's claim that his knee injury was caused by the incident at the airport. The jury rendered a defense verdict for both defendants after ninety (90) minutes of deliberation. The trial lasted four days before Judge John R. Mather. The style of the case is Eric W. Best v. City of Atlanta and Balmore Cruz, Civil Action File No. 10EV009707G.
April 2012 Wayne Taylor volunteered on Easter Sunday at the United Services Organization ("USO") lounge at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, where he served Easter dinner to soldiers before they deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait.
April 2012 Wayne Taylor co-instructed a class on "Water Exclusion: Property Coverage" at the Property Loss Research Bureau 2012 Claims Conference in Orlando, Florida.
April 2012 Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins has been rated a "2012 Top Ranked Law Firm" by LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell in Fortune Magazine.
March 2012 Wayne Taylor participated in the 5k Hunger Walk in downtown Atlanta to raise funds for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other hunger relief programs. The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and other critical resources for low-income Georgians.
February 2012 Wayne Taylor was a co-instructor for the WIND advanced umpire re-certification and umpire certification courses at the 2012 Windstorm Insurance Network 13th Annual WIND Conference in Orlando, Florida.
February 2012 J. Arthur Mozley, Robert M. Finlayson II, and William D. "Billy" Harrison were selected for inclusion in 2011 Georgia Super Lawyers.
February 2012 Super Lawyers magazine has named Brian J. Duva and Aaron A. Miller as Rising Stars™ marking them as top Georgia lawyers under age 40. No more than 2.5% of Georgia lawyers can be named a Rising Star
February 2012 John McKinley has been appointed as the Vice-Chair of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association's Trucking Subcommittee.
February 2012 Wayne Taylor was a co-instructor for the WIND advanced umpire re-certification and umpire certification courses at the 2012 Windstorm Insurance Network 13th Annual WIND Conference in Orlando, Florida.
January 2012 Billy Harrison was on the faculty of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Trial Academy at Callaway Gardens January 18 to 21, 2012. The Trial Academy is held every year for less experienced attorneys and takes them through a mock trial, in which the faculty demonstrates the different parts of a trial (Mr. Harrison presented plaintiff's voir dire, opening statement, and cross examination of the defendant) and then uses small groups, led by the faculty, to give the students a chance to practice their trial skills. The firm sends at least one associate a year to the Trial Academy, and Aaron Miller attended this year.
January 2012 Billy Harrison and Andrew Capobianco successfully defeated a motion for summary judgment filed by the counsel for the owner of a Mustang Special, who was riding as a passenger in his own vehicle, when the driver of the vehicle was involved in a T-bone collision with two young women, severely injuring one of them. The young women plaintiffs' claims against the defendant vehicle owner were based on negligence in his allowing the defendant driver to speed in the vehicle, causing the collision, not on negligent entrustment. Defendants' counsel attempted to move for summary judgment on negligent entrustment, but the court found factual issues related to the duty and breach of duty of the defendant owner to intervene in the actions of his friend, the defendant driver.
January 2012 Edward C. Bresee, Jr., Deborah Shelles Cameron, Lawrence B. Domenico, Robert M. Finlayson II, William D. Harrison, Anne M. Landrum, Jennifer T. McLean, J. Arthur Mozley, William J. Rawls II and Wayne D. Taylor were recognized in the 2012 Edition of Georgia's Top Rated Lawyers , the definitive guide to legal representation in Georgia.
January 2012 John McKinley and Andrew Capobianco successfully opposed a motion for leave to add claims for punitive damages in federal court. The plaintiffs sought to add claims for punitive damages based on allegations that the truck driver exceeded the hours of service limits at the time of the accident. The Court denied leave to amend because there was no evidence that the accident was caused by driver fatigue resulting from an hours of service violation nor was there any evidence that the truck driver exhibited a pattern or policy of driving while fatigued.
January 2012 Legal assistant Krysia Suttles was chosen to receive the Georgia Parent Leadership Award presented yearly by the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Parent-Teacher Association. The award is given to parents statewide at the High School, Middle and Elementary levels. Krysia was one of two parents selected for the High School Level.
January 2012 John McKinley has obtained full dismissal of claims asserted by a plaintiff claiming serious injuries in a tractor-trailer collision on a motion to dismiss. The plaintiff had filed suit against the incorrect corporate entity and later amended the complaint. The Court held that the amendment was barred by the statute of limitation and dismissed the plaintiff's claims.
December 2011 Wayne Taylor and his wife Nora gave up a few of their weekends in December to help rehabilitate a Habitat for Humanity house in south Atlanta. Habitat for Humanity provides simple, affordable housing for low income families. Habitat For Humanity is able to keep its houses affordable by having the homeowners and volunteers build the homes under trained supervision.
December 2011 Legal Assistant Sue Schultz is a published author and was elected Vice-President of the Christian Authors Guild ( www.christianauthorsguild.org). Sue was also appointed to be on the board of a newly formed non-profit, Mary Magdalene Ministries, headquartered near Tampa, Florida.
December 2011 David Hailey, John McKinley and Jay Burton were selected by their peers as one of Georgia Trend's "2011 Legal Elite."
November 2011 Firm Administrator Leanna Brown won second place in a Round Robin Charity Tennis Tournament for Sack Kids Hunger at Buford City Park. Sack Kids Hunger is a weekly ministry serving the greater Buford, Georgia community that began in November 2010 in response to the needs of children who receive breakfast and lunch during the school week but have limited resources on weekends.
November 2011 Wayne Taylor and Ruth Pawlak successfully obtained a decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The appeals court affirmed the decision of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia dismissing their client, ACE American Insurance Company, from the case without the necessity of trial. The appeals court found that the absolute pollution exclusion in ACE's commercial general liability insurance policies issued to Race Trac Petroleum, Inc. unambiguously precluded coverage for claims brought by former employees against Race Trac who alleged personal injury from exposure to benzene vapors in gasoline. The appeals court also ruled that enforcement of the absolute pollution exclusion did ot violate Georgia's public policy because the ACE liability policies primarily are intended to provide Race Trac with coverage for risks associated with the operation of convenience stores.
November 2011 Arthur Mozley delivered a paper and speech entitled "Indemnity Agreements in the Aviation Context" at the NTSB Bar Association Blue Angels Air and Transportation Law Conference at the Hilton Hotel in Pensacola Beach, Florida. NTSB_Bar_Association_-_Blue_Angels_Air_and_Transportation_Law_Conference.pdf
October 2011 Wayne Taylor, and his wife Nora, went on a humanitarian aid mission to Havana and Santa Clara, Cuba. Wayne and Nora collected, sorted, packed and carried with them approximately 100 pounds of much needed prescription medications, clothing and school supplies that they delivered to pharmacies, schools and religious organizations.
October 2011 Larry Domenico and Jim Coyle were guest speakers at a seminar produced by National Financial Services Group in Atlanta, GA. At this seminar known as "Business Killers," Jim and Larry addressed a group of successful business owners, and informed them about certain issues and scenarios that commonly destroy profitable long term businesses. The group was made aware of current legal trends related to shareholder agreements, management and key employee succession, buyouts, and estate planning issues for private business owners.
October 2011 John McKinley presented to claims personnel at a Continuing Insurance Education seminar on Vehicle Accident Reconstruction and Legal Considerations in Atlanta, Georgia.
September 2011 Brian Duva and Aaron Miller obtained an order in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granting summary judgment in favor of a sports memorabilia store in a premises liability and res ipsa loquitur action. The Court's order also granted-in-part the store's motion to exclude certain portions of the plaintiff's affidavit used in support of her response to defendant's motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff alleged that she was injured when she attempted to sit down in a folding chair at defendant's store.
September 2011 Wayne Taylor was a guest instructor for the Insurance Law class at Georgia State University College of Law, teaching on insurable interest and conditions precedent to recovery (duties of an insured following a loss) under first-party property insurance policies.
September 2011 Sixty miles in one direction can take you many places, but MF&L Legal Assistant Krysia Suttles has joined thousands of breast cancer supporters in preparing for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Atlanta 3-Day for the Cure ®. After months of training and fundraising, Krysia will walk 60 miles during three days to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and community-based breast health and education programs. This will be Krysia's second year participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, and she hopes to walk for many years to come in honor and memory of her best friend who passed away after a 3-year battle.
The Susan G. Komen Atlanta 3-Day for the Cure begins on Friday morning, October 21, and ends with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday afternoon, October 23. Walkers cover 20 miles a day, traveling at their own pace. Hundreds of volunteer crew members support the walkers through the three-day journey providing meals, refreshments and snack stops, gear transport, hot showers, portable restrooms, safety on the streets and 24-hour medical services. The 3-Day for the Cure is the greatest distance you can go in the fight against breast cancer!
September 2011 Wayne Taylor and Ruth Pawlak authored a paper entitled "Damage Occurring from Theft of Copper: Is the Damage Covered as Vandalism or Excluded as Theft?," one of two featured articles in the September 2011 on-line edition of Claims Advisor. cA.live0911.damage_occurring_from_theft_of_copper.pdf
September 2011 Larry Domenico recently presented a Continuing Legal Education seminar on recent Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with respect to Expert Witnesses. Larry made a similar presentation this past May to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers at their annual Product Safety and Liability conference.
July 2011 Jim Coyle and a group of clients and friends participated in the Feast of San Fermin in Pampalona, Spain, including the Encinnero "Running of the Bulls". It was the fastest running in modern times. The El Pilar bulls set an Encinnero record of 2 minutes and 10 seconds on July 13, 2011. Despite a few tumbles and falls, all members of the group survived!
July 2011 Wayne Taylor, along with lawyers from a law firm in Orlando, Florida, co-instructed a lunch 'n learn course on insurance coverage issues that arise from catastrophic losses to property claims personnel at Markel Insurance Company in Richmond, Virginia.
June 2011 Wayne Taylor taught a course on coverage for vandalism and the application of the theft exclusion in connection with claims for copper thefts to underwriting and claims personnel at the RSUI Group 2011 Property Claims Seminar.
June 2011 Wayne Taylor, along with lawyers from law firms in Orlando, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, co-instructed a course on first-party property issues that arise due to damages caused by catastrophes to property claims personnel at various insurers in Boston, Massachusetts.
June 2011 Two recent decisions were issued by the United States District Court for The Eastern District of Virginia concerning liability coverage for claims due to Chinese drywall. In Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company v. The Overlook, LLC, Judge Mark Davis ruled that Nationwide had no duty to defend its insured arising out of a lawsuit for damages to homes caused by Chinese drywall. In that case, Judge Davis ruled that the policy's pollution exclusion precluded liability coverage for the claims arising out of damages for the release of sulfide gases emitted from Chinese drywall in the homes. Judge Davis found that the sulfide gases constituted contaminants and irritants included within the policy's definition of "pollutants."
On the same day, Judge David issued another opinion, Builders Mutual Insurance Co. v. Parallel Design & Development, LLC, in which he ruled that Builders Mutual did possess a duty to defend its insured for damages arising out of Chinese drywall, finding the undefined term "pollutants" was ambiguous. Both court decisions can be reviewed at the below links. Whether the term "pollutants" is defined in the policy appears to be a deciding factor for Judge Davis as the explanation for the opposite conclusions.
May 2011 William D. "Billy" Harrison was recognized by Georgia's Best Lawyers as one of the exceptional lawyers in Atlanta in the area of Insurance law. Lawyers named in this publication are nominated by and voted in by their peers and must earn a spot through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues.
May 2011 Wayne Taylor and Ruth Pawlak obtained an order in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirming summary judgment in favor of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company in an insurance coverage lawsuit filed by Aydin and Company, inc. The appellate court held that a jewelers block insurance policy issued by Jewelers Mutual provided no coverage for the loss of jewelry allegedly stolen out of checked baggage because the jewelry was not in the custody of the insured at the time of the loss and the loss was a theft which was not covered due to the policy's criminal acts exclusion. The appellate court additionally held that the "temporary safekeeping during travel" exception to the criminal acts exclusion did not apply to cover the loss because the airline took possession of the insured's bag for transportation, not safekeeping, and because the airline's contract of carriage specifically disclaimed responsibility for jewelry in checked baggage. The appellate court also found there was no factual basis for the insured's alternative theory that the loss occurred during the TSA security inspection.
May 2011 Wayne Taylor was on the planning committee for the Windstorm Insurance Network 3rd Annual Regional WIND Symposium which took place on May 10, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a co-instructor for the WIND umpire certification course.
May 2011 Larry Domenico spoke at the Association of Equipment Manufacturer's 2011 Products Liability Seminar on May 5 in Chicago, Illinois. Larry discussed recent revisions to the Federal Rules of Evidence as they effect the role of expert witnesses in litigation.
April 2011 Wayne Taylor volunteered on Easter Sunday at the United Services Organization ("USO") lounge at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Wayne served Easter dinner to soldiers and their families before the soldiers shipped out to Afghanistan and Iraq.
April 2011 Billy Harrison was a sponsoring patron for the Sweet Peas Festival at The Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Marietta, Georgia, which festival raised over $20,000 for outreach to those less fortunate in the surrounding community.
April 2011 Wayne Taylor co-instructed a class on "Unique Coverage Issues in Flood Losses" at the Property Loss Research Bureau 2011 Claims Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
April 2011 Wayne D. Taylor and Ruth M. Pawlak obtained an order in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia dismissing a complaint filed against ACE American Insurance Company by RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. The court held that ACE's commercial general liability insurance policy's absolute pollution exclusion unambiguously precluded coverage for claims brought by former employees against RaceTrac in underlying lawsuits alleging personal injury from exposure to benzene vapors in gasoline. The court also held that enforcement of the absolute pollution exclusion did not violate Georgia's public policy.
March 2011 Managing Partner Robert M. Finlayson II was quoted in the Wall Street Journal in an article about firms and corporations which are in the process of renegotiating commercial lease space.
February 2011 J. Arthur Mozley and Robert M. Finlayson II were selected for inclusion in 2010 Georgia Super Lawyers.
February 2011 Super Lawyers magazine has named John McKinley, Jennifer McLean and Allison Escott as Rising Stars™ marking them as top Georgia lawyers under age 40. No more than 2.5% of Georgia lawyers can be named a Rising Star
February 2011 Wayne Taylor and Ruth Pawlak authored a law journal article titled "Defective and Corrosive Drywall: Analyzing First-Party Coverage Issues", published in the Fall 2010 issue of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, 46 Tort Trial & Ins. Prac. L.J. 63 (2011). Defective and Corrosive Drywall: Analyzing first party coverage issues.pdf
January 2011 Billy Harrison was on the faculty of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Trial Academy at Calloway Gardens, Georgia, at which he handled the mock trial's opening argument and voir dire questions and led a small group for younger lawyers to practice their trial skills.
January 2011 Wayne Taylor was a co-instructor for the course "Handling Large Commercial Losses: Challenges, Expectations and Consideration" at the 2011 Windstorm Insurance Network 12th Annual WIND Conference in Houston, Texas.
December 2010 MF&L was recognized in the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Book of Lists as one of the top 50 law firms in Atlanta, Georgia.
December 2010 Aaron Miller obtained a defense verdict in Gwinnett County State Court on behalf of a restaurant that had been sued for damages allegedly resulting from an adulterated beverage. Plaintiff alleged that she sustained serious injuries to her gastrointestinal system due to glass in her drink.
November 2010 Larry Domenico was a panelist at the June meeting of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. Larry joined two other lawyers who discussed why, in their experience, deals go bad and what steps business brokers can take to protect their commissions.
October 2010 Wayne Taylor co-instructed a course on first-party coverage issues that arise due to property damages caused by hurricanes and other catastrophies to property claims personnel at RSUI Group, Inc.
June 2010 Wayne Taylor and Ruth Pawlak taught a course on evaluating first-party coverage for property damages caused by Chinese drywall to underwriting and claims personnel at RSUI Group, Inc. at the RSUI Group, Inc. in-house claims seminar.
June 2010 Wayne D. Taylor, Lawrence B. Domenico and Kristen M. Kelly of MF&L successfully represented Alta Refrigeration, Inc. in a lawsuit filed by Americold Logistics, LLC, stemming from a 2004 fire and explosion at Americold's cold storage facility. Alta Refrigeration's counsel convinced the Court of Appeals of Georgia to reverse the lower court's grant of summary judgment on liability to Americold.
March 2010 J. Arthur Mozley was a panelist at the Aviation Law Seminar sponsored by the Aviation Law Section of the Georgia State Bar Association.
February 2010 Wayne Taylor served as a guest instructor of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts' Litigation Boot Camp in Atlanta, Georgia.
April 10 2009 Larry Domenico was a featured presenter at the Spring Education Conference of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. Larry spoke on the topic of "Protecting Your Commissions." Curtis Martin and Megan Boyd assisted in preparing the presentation.
March 16, 2009 Kristen M. Kelley and Megan E. Boyd attended the 18th Annual Hope Fashion Show hosted by the American Cancer Society Auxiliary. Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins, LLP was a "Posh Sponsor" of the event which was held at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. The fashion show was presented by Belk and featured both professional and local celebrity models. The event also included silent and live auctions. The featured speaker this year at the Hope Fashion Show was Barbara Dooley, wife of longtime University of Georgia football coach and athletic director Vince Dooley and a cancer survivor.
February 27, 2009 Super Lawyers magazine has named MF&L Partner John McKinley as a Rising Star™ marking him as a top Georgia lawyer under age 40. No more than 2.5% of Georgia lawyers can be named a Rising Star
November 25, 2008 Lawrence B. Domenico is the featured professional affiliate in the Georgia Association of Business Brokers' newsletter, November issue. His tip for GABB members: "Make every effort to work out your disputes with clients or buyers or sellers before you consider litigation. If someone has broken their contract with you, I can help you, but litigation is expensive and it is slow. I don't think I have ever met a business person who regretted settling a dispute without going to court."
November, 2008 Super Lawyers magazine named MF&L Partner Brian Duva as a Rising Star™ marking him as a top Georgia lawyer under age 40. No more than 2.5% of Georgia lawyers can be named a Rising Star.
June 19, 2008 John L. McKinley, Jr. and Curtis J. Martin II obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial in Fulton County State Court. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant's tractor-trailer driver negligently caused a collision on the interstate, seriously injuring the plaintiff. Plaintiff, who was driving a passenger vehicle, claimed permanent spinal injuries and disability from the collision.
