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CHRISTIAN A. DAVIS a partner with Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP, where he devotes the majority of his practice to defending workers' compensation matters in state and federal court on behalf of insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators. His workers' compensation practice is limited to Pennsylvania matters while his federal practice involves defending cases brought under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Mr. Davis is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is the 2012 co-chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Mr. Davis also serves as a board member for the Kids Chance of Pennsylvania, a statewide charity assisting the children of injured workers with their higher education needs. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in the field of workers' compensation. Mr. Davis earned his B.A. degree at the University of Pittsburgh and his J.D., cum laude, at Widener University School of law, where he served as Citation Editor for the Law Review. After law school, he clerked for President Judge Joseph T. Doyle of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. BRET R. GOLDSTEIN is a partner with the firm of Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP, in the firm's Philadelphia office. He is chair of the firm's employment practices group, concentrating in the representation of management in workers' compensation, employment and labor matters. Mr. Goldstein regularly counsels clients on a broad range of employment-related issues. His extensive experience before state and federal agencies and courts includes such areas as discrimination and sexual harassment claims, and wrongful discharge issues exclusively on behalf of employers. Mr. Goldstein is the author of numerous articles regarding Medicare, including issues involving Medicare set-asides, Medicare liens and the recent changes to Medicare reporting. He has been assessing resolutions for Medicare involvement and obtaining reasonable amounts for Medicare set-asides since the inception of the changes to the Medicare/Social Security laws. Mr. Goldstein has provided many employers and insurance carriers with opinions helping them resolve cases when dealing with the Medicare obstacle. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (member, Workers' Compensation Section). Mr. Goldstein earned his B.A. degree from Lafayette College and his J.D. degree from Rutgers University at Camden. JOSEPH C. HUTTEMANN is a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Martin Banks, where he practices in the areas of workers' compensation, litigation, and exclusive claimant practice. He is a frequent lecturer and author on workers' compensation and Social Security disability. Mr. Huttemann received his B.A. degree from Bucknell University and his J.D. degree from Dickenson School of Law. He is a member of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Associations, the Bucks County and American bar associations, and the Pennsylvania Association For Justice, (Board of Governors). STEPHEN T. POTAKO is a principal with the law firm of Post & Schell, P.C., where he focuses his practice on the defense of workers' compensation matters. This includes the evaluation and trial of workers' compensation cases in defense of claims against employers, and the prosecution of cases on behalf of employers and insurers seeking relief through the Pennsylvania administrative systems, appeal boards, and appellate courts. His practice also involves pre-litigation counseling of employers, insurers, and third party administrators regarding a variety of workers' compensation and related issues. In 2002, the Workers' Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association honored Mr. Potako with the Martha J. Hampton Memorial Award in recognition of his dedication to the practice of workers' compensation with qualities of strong advocacy, professionalism, fairness, and a high standard of respect for all parties involved in litigation. He was the first defense counsel to receive this award. Mr. Potako had, for many years, instructed classes in workers' compensation topics for the Insurance Society of Philadelphia and has provided seminars for continuing legal education programs. In 2011, and several preceding years, Mr. Potako was recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by his peers as published by American Lawyer Media and Philadelphia Magazine. Best Lawyers, a highly respected national peer review publication, selected him for inclusion in its most recent 2011, edition in the specialty of workers' compensation lLaw (Employers). Mr. Potako is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section), the Pennsylvania Bar Association (Civil Litigation Section), and the Philadelphia Workers' Compensation Claims Association. He earned his B.A. degree from Lafayette College and his J.D. degree from Villanova University School of Law. MICHAEL D. SCHAFF is a founding partner in the Philadelphia firm of Schaff & Young, P.C. His firm represents insurance companies and/or employers in claims brought under the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act, the New Jersey Workers' Compensation Act, and the Longshore and Harborworkers' Compensation Act. Mr. Schaff has served as a workers' compensation judge for the D.C. Department of Employment Services in Washington, D.C., where he conducted formal hearings and rendered decisions on claims brought under the D.C. Workers' Compensation Act. In addition to his defense of the insured and self-insured employers, he also represents "uninsured" employers. Mr. Schaff conducts lectures on practice and procedure under the Pennsylvania and Longshore Acts, and he has written extensively on his areas of practice. He is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Mr. Schaff served as the chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Midsized Firm Management Committee from 2004 through 2005, and he served as defense chair for the Philadelphia Bar Association Workers' Compensation Section for 1999. He was a Hearing Committee member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's Disciplinary Board. Mr. Schaff received his undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College and his J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
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