EMERGERCOUNSEL

United States, Canada
Assignments
 

• Assisted with financing of the Susquehannah Nuclear Generating Plant for Pennsylvania Power & Light Company and the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plants, Mississippi, tandem generating units of the Middle South Utilities System. (As an associate, Reid & Priest, New York 1974-77). 

• In 1977 joined the law department of the Otis Elevator Company, subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation.   Managed, as inhouse staff counsel,  Otis Elevator defense dockets for elevator personal injury and unjust imprisonment claims, working with local counsel and insurers.  Also successfully managed a major defense of a claim arising from personal injury allegedly arising from a defective forklift truck manufactured by former Otis subsidiary Baker Linde, in U.S. Federal District Court, Northern District of Virginia.  Served as Executive Assistant to the President of Otis (1978). 

• In 1979 joined the international legal department of Sterling Drug Incorporated. In Canada and the U.S., its most familiar product was Bayer Aspirin, alien property acquired during World War I through exprpropriation.  Responsible for worldwide (offshore) labeling matters.  (1979-94). 

• Coordinated  Sterling’s participation in the Canadian royal commission inquiries over the Ben Johnson Olympic  doping scandal (1988). 

• Managed Sterling’s suit challenging Canadian compulsory licensing legislation with respect to a drug then under development.  Collaborated with leading Canadian IP counsel in Montreal.  Also participated in pharmaceutical industry groups negotiating with the Canadian government  as a prelude to U.S.-Canada adoption of NAFTA in relation to protection of intellectual property interests.  (1988-89).

• In 1988 Sterling was acquired by Eastman Kodak Co. in a friendly takeover.

• In 1989 became Vice President - Legal Affairs, Sterling International Group, with executive responsibility for all legal matters abroad and extraterritorial U.S. legal compliance. Supervised staff attorneys in New York, London, Hamburg; coordinating with domestic legal staff, foreign and domestic outside counsel, and Kodak attorneys.

• In 1994 Sterling Winthrop (as it was then known) was broken up, distributed to global enterprises such as SmithKline Beecham, Bayer Corporation, Elf Sanofi S.A., Nycomed (Norway; most recently  Amersham Nycomed, of the UK, in process of acquisition by General Electric). Directed Sterling Winthrop international legal personnel  (including foreign postgraduate law candidates serving as temporary staff) at the request of Kodak, in providing support to transaction outside counsel (both sides) and  inhouse coordination for these transactions, i.e., due diligence, implementation, support to parent companies.

• Contributory legal services to the following local Pennsylvania organizations: 

• Retired Equine Association of  the Northeast, Inc. 

• Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 

• Bowman’s Creek Watershed Association

• Wyoming/Sullivan County Legal Aid