James B Cousins is a partner in The Law Offices of Melissa A. Day, PLLC. Mr. Cousins has dedicated his entire career to the practice of Workers' Compensation Law, honing both his knowledge of the hyper-technical and fact-sensitive case law as well as his litigation skills. Before joining the Law Office of Melissa A. Day, he trained by both prosecuting and defending workers' compensation cases and garnered a unique and valuable perspective sometimes having litigated the very same issue from the opposite side of the table. Mr. Cousins uses his experience on a day to day basis to help insurance carriers, self-insured employers and group self-insured trusts to face the often momentous task of defending workers compensation claims. He received his B.A. degree from Dickinson College and his J.D. degree from the University of Buffalo School of Law.
Theodore M Eder a partner in the firm's New York office of Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP, and is counsel for insurance companies and third-party administrators, as well as corporate clients, including trucking and delivery companies, industrial equipment corporations, environmental contractors, and property owners throughout New York and New Jersey. He has effectively defended these companies in workers' compensation, product liability, asbestos, construction accident, property damage, consumer fraud, employment, wage and hour, and commercial litigation lawsuits in both State and Federal courts. He has extensive experience handling toxic exposure cases involving mold, asbestos, formaldehyde, benzene, silica, and other chemical substances. He is a litigation powerhouse, defending multiple corporate clients in over five thousand New York City Asbestos Litigation cases between 2002 and the present. He earned his B.A degree from Binghamton University and his J.D. degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.
Christine Hummel is the president and founder of Hummel Consultation Services, a national legal consultation practice specializing in the application of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act to workers' compensation, liability and no fault cases. She is an active attorney with licensure in the state of Colorado. With more than 19 years of experience in Medicare compliance, Ms. Hummel is a published author and popular speaker on a wide array of topics related to Medicare compliance. She is a member of the American Bar Association (Health Law Section) and the Colorado Bar Association, and includes with her legal experience work in Medicaid, probate, and elder law. Ms. Hummel donates a significant amount of time volunteering with the Federal Park Service, giving presentations on the roles of women during the American War of Independence. She earned her B.S. degree from the University of Southern California and her J.D. degree from the University of Denver College of Law.
Thomas W Parks is a partner in the firm's New York office of Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP, where he focuses his practice on workers' compensation litigation defense and counseling. He has experience in civil litigation, which includes conducting and defending depositions, arguing substantive motions, settlement conferences, trials, and various other court-mandated appearances. He has represented some of the largest, self-insured companies and insurance carriers before the New York Workers' Compensation Board. Mr. Parks has also handled and managed more than 100 files independently, from inception through trial. Mr. Parks earned his B.A degree from Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. degree from Rutgers School of Law.
Brian Russell is a supervising attorney with Schwab & Gasparini working in their White Plains office. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the George Washington University Law School. Mr. Russell has also studied international human rights law at Oxford University. He is currently admitted to practice law in New York and the United States District Court. Mr. Russell's role at SG is focused on their worker's compensation, public sector labor and municipal employee benefits group. He has participated in thousands of hearings before the New York Workers Compensation Board, and now exclusively focuses his practice on municipal workplace accidents, deaths, and occupational diseases. Mr. Russell is responsible for not only representing clients in this practice, but also serving as a liaison and coordinator with the public sector labor unions.
Wendy S Smith is a partner with Morgan & Akins, PLLC, where she is the chair of the firm's Northeast Workers' Compensation Department. Ms. Smith is responsible for defending insurance carriers, self-insured entities and third-party administrators in workers' compensation, general liability and subrogation matters. She is a member of the New Jersey State, New York State, and Pennsylvania bar associations, as well as a certified arbitrator of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Ms. Smith serves as Judge Pro Tem for Philadelphia County. She is a member of the Alexander F. Barbieri Workers' Compensation Inn of Court. Ms. Smith earned her B.S. degree from Albright College and her J.D. degree from Roger Williams University School of Law.
