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What’s New at G&O

Fred Goldsmith Elected to Board of Directors of the 2,000+ Member Maritime Law Association of the United States

Fred was elected at the May 3, 2024, general meeting of the Association to a three-year term on the Board of Directors.  From the MLA’s website, information on the now 125 year old organization:

“The objectives of the Association shall be to advance reforms in the Maritime Law of the United States, to facilitate justice in its administration, to promote uniformity in its enactment and interpretation, to furnish a forum for the discussion and consideration of problems affecting the Maritime Law and its administration, to participate as a constituent member of the Comité Maritime International and as an affiliated organization of the American Bar Association, and to act with other associations in efforts to bring about a greater harmony in the shipping laws, regulations and practices of different nations.

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The MLA membership consists of lawyers involved in maritime matters, judges active in matters involving admiralty issues, admiralty law professors, and non-lawyers who are selected because they hold responsible positions in the maritime field and have rendered distinguished service in the advancement of maritime law or its administration.”

Fred Goldsmith Moderates Maritime Law Association of the U.S. Panel Discussion on Expedited Claim Resolution

The topic of the May 2, 2024, roundtable discussion during the joint meeting of the Marine Torts & Casualties and Government Counsel Committees, held during the 125th anniversary year of meetings of the Maritime Law Association of the United States at the offices of Blank Rome in New York City was, “Is there a way certain bodily injury and property damage claims can be resolved faster and less expensively than how we all do it now?”

Panelists included:

  • Patrick Nolan, Senior Claims Executive, Skuld North America Inc., NYC
  • Katherine Christodoulatos, Director, Marine Claims, Markel, Summit, NJ
  • LCDR Shaun M. Pehl, JAGC, U.S. Navy, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Admiralty and Maritime Law Division, Washington, DC
  • CDR Jared Hood, Deputy Chief, U.S. Coast Guard, Claims and Litigation Office, Washington, DC
  • Jeanne L. Amy, Trial Attorney, Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC
  • Paul T. Hofmann, Hofmann & Schweitzer, NYC and Raritan, NJ
  • Jason R. Harris, Farrell Smith O’Connell Aarsheim Aprans LLP, Wilmington, NC

G&O Lawyers Named 2024 Pennsylvania SuperLawyers

Fred Goldsmith and Rich Ogrodowski are honored our peers again nominated us and we were selected as 2024 Pennsylvania “Super Lawyers” – Rich in plaintiff personal injury and admiralty & maritime law and Fred in admiralty & maritime law.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

G&O Lawyers Named 2023 Pennsylvania SuperLawyers

Fred Goldsmith and Rich Ogrodowski are honored our peers again nominated us and we were again selected as 2023 Pennsylvania “Super Lawyers” – Rich in plaintiff personal injury and admiralty & maritime law and Fred in admiralty & maritime law.

PA “Super Lawyers” describes their vetting process: “Our patented attorney selection process is peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers list each year. … Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.”

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

Fred Goldsmith Attends and Testifies as “Pittsburgh Police Homicide Detective” During Citizen Police Academy Mock Habeas Corpus Hearing

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officials invited Fred and all other Fall 2022 Citizen Police Academy graduates to join the Spring 2023 CPA class in the Criminal Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh on May 17, 2023, for a mock habeas corpus hearing before Judge Jill Rangos of the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  A habeas corpus hearing is one requested by the defense when seeking to challenge a district justice’s findings at a preliminary hearing that the Commonwealth has presented a prima facie case sufficient to hold the defendant for trial.  At the last minute, real Pittsburgh Police Homicide Detective Bobby Shaw asked Fred to take the stand and testify in the role of a homicide detective who had interrogated and obtained an incriminating admission from the “defendant,” ably played by Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Community Engagement Officer Chelsey Washington, who throughout the hearing exercised her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.  Fred held up fairly well to withering cross-examination by defense counsel, played by real Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney, Grant Olson, but, at the end of the hearing, finding the Commonwealth’s case lacking, Judge Rangos dismissed the charges and set Ms. Washington free.

Fred Goldsmith Moderator and Panelist at Allegheny County Bar Association Federal Court Section Continuing Legal Education Program on Mediation in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

G&O lawyer, mediator, and managing member, Fred Goldsmith, participated in the May 17, 2023, CLE program, “Maximizing Your Success in the Western District of PA’s Early Mediation Program,” moderating the first panel comprised by U.S. District Court Judges Arthur J. Schwab, Nora Barry Fischer, W. Scott Hardy, J. Nicholas Ranjan, and Christy Criswell Wiegand.  Fred then served as a panelist, representing both the plaintiff’s attorney’s and the mediator’s perspectives.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa P. Lenihan moderated this panel, which also included plaintiff’s civil rights and employment lawyer Timothy P. O’Brien of O’Brien Coleman & Wright, LLC, maritime defense lawyer Devon F. Ferris of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C., employment defense lawyer Carolyn Boucek of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, and Pittsburgh-based mediator Sally Griffith Cimini of Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl, LLC.

The Allegheny County Bar Association and the Arbitration & ADR Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the U.S. Publish Fred Goldsmith Articles on Mediation Preparation

Fred Goldsmith Speaker/Panelist on Mediation at Allegheny County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Program

G&O lawyer, mediator, and managing member, Fred Goldsmith, spoke on February 15, 2023, at the CLE program, “Preparing for Allegheny County Mandatory Mediation,” jointly presented in Pittsburgh, PA, by the ACBA Civil Litigation Section and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.  Fred was honored to join Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick M. Connelly and other experienced plaintiff’s personal injury and defense lawyers and mediators to discuss new Allegheny County Local Rule 212.7, requiring mediation 45 days before a case appears on a published trial list.

Fred Goldsmith Speaker/Panelist on Mediation at West Virginia Association for Justice 2023 Mid-Winter Convention & Seminar

G&O lawyer, mediator, and managing member, Fred Goldsmith, spoke on February 2, 2023, in Charleston, WV, as part of a panel entitled “Improving Your Mediation Strategy: Practical Tips from Mediators and Experienced Plaintiff’s and Defense Counsel.”

Fred Goldsmith Graduates From City of Pittsburgh Citizen Police Academy

Fred Goldsmith receiving his diploma at Police Headquarters.

G&O lawyer and managing member, Fred Goldsmith, graduated in December 2022 from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Citizen Police Academy.  He and his class of  fellow community members obtained a fascinating, insider’s, eye-opening, unvarnished introduction to the operations of and the many dedicated women and men who comprise the PBP.  He learned from police and civilian personnel about topics ranging from Use of Force, SWAT, Bomb Squad, Homicide, Patrol, Graffiti, Intelligence, Major Crimes, to internal investigations/Office of Municipal Investigations.

Goldsmith & Ogrodowski, LLC Seeks Experienced Associate Attorney

Goldsmith & Ogrodowski, LLC, a 16 year old downtown Pittsburgh boutique law firm, is seeking an associate attorney with 2+ years of significant, full-time, civil plaintiff and/or defense, state and federal court litigation experience. Fact and expert deposition and motions experience and excellent research and writing skills are required. Candidate should be able to work independently on their own files and also support the partners. In return, the partners will help the successful candidate continue to improve their litigation skills. Candidate should be licensed in PA (and ideally WV or OH) and want to be part of a team with a long-term commitment to our firm and to helping workers and families in the tri-state area, sometimes beyond. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail. We maintain a small docket of significant cases. We are not a volume practice. We have an informal, yet professional, atmosphere, and are finishing up a complete remodeling of our offices. We are willing to consider hybrid work. We use up to date hardware and apps and run a paperless office. We offer an attractive salary and benefits package for a firm our size. Please e-mail fbg@golawllc.com with cover letter, resume, recent significant writing sample, and recent deposition transcript(s). We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

Fred Goldsmith Admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

G&O managing member Fred Goldsmith was formally admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on November 2, 2022.

Fred Goldsmith Speaker/Panelist at Maritime Law Association of the U.S. Fall 2022 Meetings

Fred Goldsmith, who serves as Chair of the Marine Torts & Casualties Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, spoke on October 27, 2022, in Coronado, California, during a joint meeting of the MLA Committees on Marine Torts & Casualties, Government Counsel, Marine Pollution & Maritime Crimes, and Regulation of Vessel Operations, Safety, Security and Navigation, analyzing the September 2, 2019, dive vessel CONCEPTION casualty, in which 33 passengers and one crewmember lost their lives when a fire broke out on the vessel’s main deck and blocked their escape from the lower deck bunk room.

MarineNews and MarineLink Publish Fred Goldsmith Column on How Maritime Employers Should Treat Their Injured Workers

You can read Fred Goldsmith’s column, “How to Stop Injured Vessel Crew from Calling My Law Firm,” which appears in the August 2022 issue of MarineNews, here:

https://www.maritimemagazines.com/marine-news/202208/how-to-stop-injured-vessel-crew-from-calling-my-law-firm/

Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association Publishes Three Articles by G&O’s Fred Goldsmith and Rich Ogrodowski

The WPTLA published in the Spring 2022 issue of The Advocate:

Rich Ogrodowski’s articles:

  • “The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to the Rescue on Snap Removals” (co-authored with Jason Schiffman), The Advocate, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Spring 2022)
  • “The Benefits of a Morning Routine,” The Advocate, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Spring 2022)

…and Fred Goldsmith’s article:

  • “My Mediation Prep Checklist,” The Advocate, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Spring 2022)

G&O Lawyers Named 2022 Pennsylvania SuperLawyers

G&O is proud to report that, following a rigorous selection process, including peer reviews and independent research, Pennsylvania SuperLawyers again, for 2022, selected us as among the top 5% of lawyers in the state: Fred Goldsmith in Transportation/Maritime Law and Rich Ogrodowski in Personal Injury General — Plaintiff.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

Rich Ogrodowski Speaks at WVAJ 63rd Annual Seminar

G&O name partner and co-founder, Rich Ogrodowski, spoke on June 4, 2021, at the West Virginia Association for Justice’s 63rd Annual Seminar on “Your Special Damages May Not be So Special: Current Attempts to Restrict and Destroy the Collateral Source Rule.”

G&O Lawyers Named 2021 PA SuperLawyers

G&O is proud to report that, following a rigorous selection process, including peer reviews and independent research, Pennsylvania SuperLawyers again, for 2021, selected us as among the top 5% of lawyers in the state: Fred Goldsmith in Transportation/Maritime Law and Rich Ogrodowski in Personal Injury General — Plaintiff.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

We are honored by this recognition from this publication and our peers.

Fred Goldsmith Publishes Article on Admiralty & Maritime Law and the Federal Courts

“A Primer on Admiralty and Maritime Actions and the Federal Courts” appears in the January 1, 2021, edition of the Lawyers Journal, which is published by the Allegheny County Bar Association.

G&O Lawyers Named 2020 PA SuperLawyers

G&O is proud to report that, following a rigorous selection process, including peer reviews and independent research, Pennsylvania SuperLawyers again, for 2020, selected us as among the top 5% of lawyers in the state: Fred Goldsmith in Transportation/Maritime Law and Rich Ogrodowski in Personal Injury General — Plaintiff.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

We are honored by this recognition from this publication and our peers.

G&O Lawyers Named 2019 PA SuperLawyers

G&O is proud to report that, following a rigorous selection process, including peer reviews and independent research, Pennsylvania SuperLawyers again, for 2019, selected us as among the top 5% of lawyers in the state: Fred Goldsmith in Transportation/Maritime Law and Rich Ogrodowski in Personal Injury General — Plaintiff.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

While we really appreciate this recognition, we get the biggest kick simply out of having the opportunity to help our clients.

G&O Lawyers Named 2018 PA SuperLawyers

G&O is proud that, following a rigorous selection process, PA SuperLawyers recently selected us as among the top 5% of lawyers in the state for 2018. Fred Goldsmith was recognized in the field of Transportation – Maritime Law and Rich Ogrodowski in the field of Personal Injury Law – General — Plaintiff. We appreciate this recognition and will continue to work hard for our clients.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/frederick-b-goldsmith/3a9b85fc-a9e7-4c75-a8fa-b90f72aaf538.html

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/lawyer/e-richard-ogrodowski/b07b6931-1356-44c5-8ec9-cd4c25a74282.html

Fred Goldsmith Invited Speaker on Developments in Admiralty & Maritime Law at Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s “Transportation Law Update”

Fred spoke in Pittsburgh on April 6, 2016, and in Philadelphia on April 25, 2016, on “Recent Developments in Personal Injury & Death Case Damages,” and served as a member of the Admiralty & Maritime Law Update panel at this continuing legal education seminar staged by the PBI.

Fred Goldsmith Serves as Invited Brief Judge for 23rd Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition

According to the competition website, “The Honorable John R. Brown served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit as one of the nation’s most prominent admiralty judges from 1955 until his death in 1993. Shortly after his death and in his honor, The University of Texas School of Law established the ‘Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition,’ an interscholastic appellate advocacy competition. Each year, the Competition is held under the joint sponsorship of The University of Texas School of Law and a local host school.”

Fred Goldsmith’s newest post on the G&O blog Towboatlaw – Admiralty & Maritime Law on the Rivers

Fred reviews a recent Louisiana federal court case in which the trial judge grants a motion for reconsideration and allows a seaman’s punitive damages claims against a non-employer to proceed.  You can read the blog post here.

Fred Goldsmith Volunteers as Mediator and Judge for Law School Mediation Competition

Fred served as a mediator/judge in the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution “Representation in Mediation” Competition on Saturday, February 21, 2015. He judged a regional round of the competition, held at West Virginia University School of Law in Morgantown, West Virginia, and afterwards critiqued the student competitors on their performances.

New Post on Rich Ogrodowski’s Blog, PA & WV Accidental Death Lawyer Blog

In his latest blog post, G&O lawyer, Rich Ogrodowski, answers the question: Can an adult child of a decedent share in the proceeds from a Wrongful Death action in Pennsylvania (42 Pa. C.S. Section 8301)?

Fred Goldsmith to Serve as Advisory Editor of Loyola Maritime Law Journal

Loyola University College of Law’s Loyola Maritime Law Journal has recently asked Fred Goldsmith to serve as an Advisory Editor. The New Orleans-based law school describes the Law Journal as “a scholarly journal which is published bi-annually and provides an avenue for research and writing by practitioners, faculty, and students in the dynamic and exciting fields of maritime law. It publishes articles, student comments, and case notes that provide the legal and academic community with a scholarly perspective on the issues facing a diverse and international industry.”

Fred Goldsmith Appointed to Federal Court’s Local Rules Advisory Committee

On August 15, 2014, Joy Flowers Conti, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, appointed G&O managing member Fred Goldsmith to the Court’s Local Rules Advisory Committee. Goldsmith is the former Chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Federal Court Section. An experienced state and federal court litigator in multiple jurisdictions, Goldsmith began his legal career in 1990 as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Howell Cobb of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, following graduation from Tulane Law School.

Fred Goldsmith Completes Mediator Training

G&O attorney Fred Goldsmith is now eligible for listing as a mediator on the West Virginia State Bar website’s mediator directory under Trial Court Rule 25.04.  He is available to mediate cases throughout West Virginia, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania. In June and July 2014, he successfully completed Basic and Advanced mediator training courses staged by the West Virginia State Bar.   With substantial experience trying cases in both state and federal courts and over twenty years of mediation experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in admiralty & maritime, personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, product liability, and insurance coverage litigation, he is well-situated to serve as a neutral to assist others with resolving their legal disputes.

Rich Ogrodowski launches new blog: PA & WV Accidental Death Lawyer Blog

The blog provides an informative accidental / wrongful death law source, with a personal touch, and covers new cases, statutes, and rules of civil procedure, and other news of interest to readers. To reach the blog, where you can read current posts and subscribe to e-mail notification of new posts, click on the BLOGS link atop this website or visit PA & WV Accidental Death Lawyer Blog.

Post-Accident Checklist

Do you know what to do immediately after an accident?  See what G&O recommends here: