Firm News

Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Jennifer A. Cottell, Esq. has recently joined its growing Workers’ Compensation Practice as a shareholder.

Ms. Cottell, a Metuchen resident, focuses her practice in the representation of employers, self-insured companies, and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation matters.

She earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School of Union University and her B.S. degree, cum laude, from Rutgers University.  Ms. Cottell is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Section, the Central Jersey Claims Association and New Jersey Defense Association.  She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that a new Shareholder, Primitivo J. Cruz, Esq., has joined the Regulatory and Governmental Affairs Department in its Trenton office.

Mr. Cruz advises clients on employment, administrative/regulatory, and complex litigation matters.  His practice focuses on employment-related matters, including counseling and litigation of issues involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour disputes, contractual breaches, and claims involving restrictive covenants and employee recruitment practices.

Mr. Cruz received his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law, magna cum laude, and B.S. degree from Pennsylvania State University.  During law school, Mr. Cruz was selected as a Graduate Fellow of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics where he worked with the Secretary’s Representative for the Northeast Region at the U.S. Department of Labor.   He also served as the editor-in-chief for the Rutgers Law Journal (now known as the Rutgers University Law Review).

A resident of Marlton, New Jersey, Mr. Cruz is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  He is also a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, American Bar Association (Labor & Employment Section), and the Union League of Philadelphia.

Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev, recently served as a panelist at Rutgers Law School’s Professionalism Hour on Networking.  Ms. Dev was one of five attorneys participating in a discussion attended by first year law students.  The panelists provided the students with strategies for effective networking and offered insights on how to build meaningful professional relationships, which is key for a successful legal career.

A Hamilton resident, Ms. Dev concentrates her practice on school law and labor and employment law.  She is experienced in representing, advising, and defending boards of education and charter schools in all areas of school law including: labor and employment, special education, Section 504, student discipline and civil rights.  She leads Capehart Scatchard’s School Law Blog, which focuses on cases, court decisions, and current developments affecting education law in the state of New Jersey.  Ms. Dev is the Chair of the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which seeks to facilitate the Firm’s efforts to achieve and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace at every level of our organization.  She received her law degree from Rutgers Law School at Camden and her B.A. degree from Boston University.

On, November 1, 2017, Christopher J. Hoare, Esq. presented an in-office seminar at Graham Company in Philadelphia, PA entitled, “Ethical Issues for Insurance Claims Adjusters,“ which was attended by fifteen (15) claims and insurance professionals including several in-house attorneys. Graham Company is an established insurance brokerage/TPA firm headquartered in Philadelphia. The seminar covered state and national ethical standards for insurance claims adjusters, emphasizing the fact that much like lawyers, their work affects the public’s trust in the claims process. It is important for adjusters, regardless whether they are independently contracted or work in-house, to strictly adhere to the codes of ethics applicable in their respective states and to maintain fairness and honesty when dealing with all claimants. During the presentation, Mr. Hoare spoke of the penalties adjusters face should they violate or breach any provision of state rules or guidelines, such as those within the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (UCSPA). Adjusters also learned about the deadlines for acknowledging and investigating submitted claims under the Pennsylvania Ethics Code. His presentation stressed the importance of competence and diligence when handling a claim; an adjuster should not handle any claims that exceed their current expertise and they should be knowledgeable on the terms and conditions related to that claimant’s insurance coverage. He concluded the seminar with how adjusters should handle statements and negotiations with witnesses and claimants especially those made under duress.

As an added bonus, the seminar was CLE approved. Attendees received 2.0 hours of CLE and/or CE credits.

Capehart Scatchard school lawyers, Sanmathi Dev and Joseph F. Betley recently spoke at the New Jersey Charter School Conference in  Newark, New Jersey.  Ms. Dev and Mr. Betley spoke on the topic of “Do’s and Don’ts of Special Education Law.” Their presentation focused on common mistakes made by charter school staff in the area of special education.

Ms. Dev concentrates her practice on school law and labor and employment law.  She is experienced in representing, advising, and defending boards of education and charter schools in all areas of school law including: labor and employment, special education, Section 504, student discipline and civil rights.  She leads Capehart Scatchard’s School Law Blog, which focuses on cases, court decisions, and current developments affecting education law in the state of New Jersey.

Mr. Betley concentrates his practice on defense labor and employment law, civil rights and school law matters, including special education issues.  He is a member of the National School Boards Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey State, and Burlington County Bar Associations.  He is also an associate counsel for the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev was recently selected by the New Jersey Law Journal as a 2017 Diverse Attorney of the Year.  Ms. Dev is one of fifteen attorneys selected to the list, which honors excellence among diverse attorneys in New Jersey.  The New Jersey Law Journal will be featuring the accomplishments of all the honorees in a special magazine set to be published in November.

A Hamilton resident, Ms. Dev concentrates her practice on school law and labor and employment law.  She is experienced in representing, advising, and defending boards of education and charter schools in all areas of school law including: labor and employment, special education, Section 504, student discipline and civil rights.  She leads Capehart Scatchard’s School Law Blog, which focuses on cases, court decisions, and current developments affecting education law in the state of New Jersey.  Ms. Dev is the Chair of the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which seeks to facilitate the Firm’s efforts to achieve and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace at every level of our organization.  She received her law degree from Rutgers Law School at Camden and her B.A. degree in Economics and International Relations, with honors, from Boston University.

On September 29, 2017, Christopher J. Hoare, Esq. presented a seminar at Capehart Scatchard entitled, “Trucking Liability Overview and Claims Update 2017” to 27 claims adjustors and underwriters from the trucking insurance company MaidenRe Insurance. The seminar covered the current state of the trucking industry, new regulations for CDL driver training, new requirements for mandatory use of electronic logging devices during trips, the benefits of using inward facing dashboard cameras, and additional industry related news. The presentation aimed to inform insurers of what precautions they should take when prepping accident reports for a case, what legal defenses would be advantageous in specific scenarios, as well as educate them on current litigation trends affecting the trucking industry. They learned which parts of accidents reports are admissible vs. inadmissible in court, and they were given beneficial tips to prepare for cases in “high-risk” states (states that pay out large awards for minor injuries).

On July 26, 2017, Capehart Scatchard shareholder, Nikitas Moustakas, Esq. helped secure a five-year lease agreement between the private Y.A.L.E. School and the Evesham Board of Education. Mr. Moustakas represented the Y.A.L.E. School in this deal.

The Y.A.L.E. School, which stands for Young Adolescent Learning Experience, will lease over 44,384 square feet of the 78,213-square-foot Florence V. Evans Elementary School building, beginning August 1, 2017. As a result, it is estimated that the lease agreement will be a revenue generator for the district. The Evans Elementary School closed in June 2016 due to declining enrollment numbers.

The Y.A.L.E. School is a private school for students with social, emotional, learning and behavioral disabilities. Currently operating schools in Mansfield and Medford, the new Evesham operation will be the school’s third location in Burlington County.

“We look forward to being in your community,” said Mr. Moustakas to the Burlington County Times.

Mr. Moustakas counsels his corporate and business clients with entity selection, operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, employee and labor matters, business transactional law, trademark matters and succession planning encompassing estate planning and administration. He also counsels healthcare professionals, including physicians, physician groups and hospitals, corporate and individual clients on a variety of legal matters

Mr. Moustakas is the Co-Chair of Capehart’s Health Care & Dental Law Group and is also Co-Chair of the Business & Tax Group.

Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, Lora V. Northen, Esq. is scheduled to speak at the 37th Annual SEAK, Inc., National Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Medicine Conference to be held in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on July 18, 2017.

In her presentation titled, “How to Evaluate, Manage, and Defend Complex Workers’ Compensation Claims,” Ms. Northen will discuss the advantages of conducting an early and detailed investigation and the value of partnering with a medical team.  Additionally, she will offer practical suggestions on how employers can assist in managing complex workers’ compensation claims.

In addition to her responsibilities as Co-Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Department, Ms. Northen, a Pennsauken resident, focuses her practice in the representation of employers, self-insured companies, and insurance carriers.  Certified as a trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey in Workers’ Compensation Law, Ms. Northen is a member of the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Burlington County and Camden County Bar Associations.  Ms. Northen is also a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for the American Bar Association.  She is a frequent speaker on workers’ compensation issues before a myriad of trade organizations.

Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, Denise L. Sanders, Esq., spoke on June 11, 2017 at the 2017 Annual Medical Symposium sponsored by Asian Indian Professionals, Inc. (AIP).  The mission of AIP is to bring together physicians and other professionals of Asian Indian origin in the Greater Philadelphia area.  Yasmeen S. Khaleel, Esq., co-chair of the firm’s Wills, Trusts and Estates Department, as well as the Business and Tax Department, currently serves as President of AIP.

During her presentation entitled, “Telemedicine Update 2017,” Ms. Sanders spoke on what is meant by telemedicine and what standards and rules apply in New Jersey.  Additionally, she addressed the risks involved for medical professionals in this new way of practicing medicine.

Ms. Sanders, a resident of Marlton, focuses her practice in the areas of healthcare regulatory compliance and privacy and security. Her extensive experience representing physicians and healthcare providers includes advising on self-referral laws, anti-kickback, licensure, scope of practice, collaborative arrangements, and HIPAA privacy, security and data breach issues. Her representative healthcare clients include individual and group practices, ambulatory surgery providers, ambulatory care facilities, urgent care and home care providers, as well as health care service vendors.