Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley Lands Veteran Retail Team for New York Office

NEW YORK, NY. April 19, 2014 (Press-News.org) Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, P.C. (RMKB), a multi-service law firm offering litigation and transactional services nationally and internationally, has added veteran trial lawyer Scott W. Bermack as partner, Lisa M. Fitzgerald and Michelle L. Gordon as senior associates and Samantha R. Aster as associate in its New York City office. The attorneys come to RMKB from LeClairRyan, where Bermack was a partner. In the past three months, the firm has expanded its New York office by six attorneys.

"Scott, Lisa, Michelle and Samantha are illustrative of our plan for smart, strategic growth. These talented attorneys deepen our bench of business and commercial attorneys and enhance our client offerings. Their retail-oriented defense practice will fit well with the needs of our clients and their insurers and expands our ability to service members of this vibrant industry on both coasts. We welcome them to the RMKB family," said Mike Ioannou, Chairman of RMKB.

Bermack is now chair of RMKB's Retail Industry team and a member of the firm's Products Liability, General and Premises Liability, Construction and Professional Liability teams. For nearly 25 years, he has represented national retailers, automobile manufacturers, trucking companies, medical and legal professionals, liability insurance carriers and self and large retention insureds. He has significant first chair jury trial experience and numerous reported defense verdicts. Bermack has considerable experience defending federal class action lawsuits brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and has successfully prosecuted and defended insurance coverage suits on behalf of carriers and insureds. He is a New York State licensed property and casualty insurance broker and regularly counsels clients on risk management, safety, insurance and indemnity issues. Bermack, selected by his peers for inclusion on the "New York Metro Super Lawyers" list every year since 2008, is a member of the board of directors of the National Retail & Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA), chair of the New York Labor Law Subcommittee for the Claim and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) and was recently appointed to the Premises Liability Specialty Editorial Board for the Journal of American Law. He is a graduate of American University, Washington College of Law (J.D., 1989) and Brandeis University (B.A., 1986).

Fitzgerald focuses her practice on civil claims involving product liability, construction and labor law, professional liability, premises liability and trucking liability. She has substantial experience representing multinational corporations and individuals in the areas of commercial litigation, fraud, business litigation, class action litigation, contractual disputes, toxic torts and civil rights discrimination. Fitzgerald is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law (J.D., 2007) and the State University of New York at Stony Brook (B.S., 2001).

Gordon defends workplace torts and employment claims asserted against employers. In addition to her representation of employers in claims brought against them by current and former employees, Gordon defends companies facing third-party liability for alleged tortious conduct, including premises liability, product liability and commercial claims. Her prior experience also includes professional liability litigation, particularly in matters involving the defense of architects, engineers and design professionals. Gordon is a graduate of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University (J.D., 2009) and Binghamton University, State University of New York (B.A., 2004).

Aster practices professional and product liability defense. Her prior experience includes insurance defense litigation, particularly in matters involving the defense of rental car companies. Aster is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law (J.D., 2012) and Syracuse University (B.A., 2009).

About Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, P.C.
Based in Redwood City, Calif. and with offices throughout California and in New York City and Boston, RMKB conducts a multi-service practice offering litigation and transactional services to domestic and international businesses and individuals. The firm's practice areas include appellate; corporate and business litigation; banking and consumer credit; construction; real estate; employment; entertainment; environmental; professional liability; intellectual property; insurance coverage, bad faith and regulatory matters; fidelity and surety; product liability; and asset protection, estate planning and taxation. For more information, visit http://www.rmkb.com.