Firm News

The winter of 2013-14 has been brutal and relentless, replete with driving winds, frozen streets, and massive, soot-laden snowbanks. Those who have just endured it know one thing all too well: the elements can be unforgiving. Most, however, take for granted the reassuring warmth of their homes, their workplaces, and their houses of worship.

One group of people have learned that the heat of summer and especially the cold of winter are not necessarily God-given.  This assembly of hard working residents of Camden have often witnessed misery among their neighbors and fellow churchgoers.  They gather each Sunday for a lengthy service that gives them the strength to carry on their jobs and to raise their families in what seems like a tough environment to outsiders.  What a casual observer may not glean is that this flock uses their time in church to thank the Lord, their pastor and each other for the opportunities they have, even though the opportunities might come in the form of two full-time jobs, worked back-to-back.

One day last year, the unthinkable happened.  It was something that did not cross their minds, even as they spent long hours in the service of the Lord.  One evening, some individuals that were not so charitably minded broke through the fence that offered some protection to the building and the worshippers.  They selected that building because it has what they wanted – the outdoor units of the heat pump for the winter and the compressor for the summer.  It was devastating because these individuals worked hard and provided for their families, but there was no nest egg or rainy day fund, and it turned out that there was also no insurance.  The same thoughtless individuals had also taken the same equipment from several other businesses, but these were almost immediately replaced by their business insurance.  There was little hope that that these units would be replaced within a few years, but the solace offered by their pastor and each other would be missed, like the baby teeth that left a big gap once they grew out.

One of the affected worshipers happened to be Luis Fuente, who, along with his wife Isabella, both worked a second job, employed by the company that was retained to clean the law offices of Capehart Scatchard in Mt. Laurel.

A dedicated and tireless worker, Luis arrives at the offices on weekday evenings, after completing a long shift operating a forklift at a manufacturing facility in Camden. He is widely known among attorneys and staff for his jovial attitude, bright smile, and considerable passion for Philadelphia sports; the Sixers, the Flyers, the Phillies, and especially his Eagles. He’s quick to strike up a conversation about the most recent game or news, and his eternal optimism bolsters the spirits of even the most beleaguered and jaded Philly sports fan.

One night before the punishing snow and cold weather arrived, Luis was at work doing his usual good job cleaning, when some of the attorneys that worked late noticed that Luis had lost just a little of the bounce in his step.  They told the managing partner of Capehart, who asked him if everything was all right.  Well Luis did not want to say, but eventually he relayed the troubling news of the theft. Mind you that Luis had never asked for anything before.

The next morning, the firm’s executive committee assembled and sent a firm-wide email, informing everyone of what had been learned. At the conclusion of the message, the partners of Capehart Scatchard were asked to help Luis, his family, and his Church.  Once the word got around, the younger attorneys and the entire staff went into action.  We met with the Pastor and his wife, and also the Church elders, who had developed a plan without any hope that it would ever be implemented.  The church members were going to supply all the labor, this time to install the replacement units behind a concrete and cinder block wall, with steel bars embedded so that no one else could repeat what had happened.  What they needed were two new replacement units and to hire a crane for a day to lift the equipment over the church and into the safe and sturdy cocoons around the back of the Church.

Contributions began to come in, with participation by every level of firm employee.  Seeing the outpouring, the firm agreed to match the funds and within a few weeks, we called the Pastor and the elders to our offices and surprised them by coming within a few hundred dollars of their needs.  They were so happy, and they had done some fundraising of their own, and the combined funds were sufficient to get the job, just in time before the first snowfall.

Pastor Alexy, along with his family, joined in the lobby of Capehart Scatchard’s Mount Laurel office building for a joyous ceremony to accept the oversized check in the amount of $5,352. Pastor Alexy was overjoyed and overwhelmed by the show of solidarity and support, and thanked the members of the Capehart family for their kindness, compassion, and generosity.

The next month, Reverend Vasquez and Pastor Alexy were able to purchase two HVAC units and have them installed in their church at 2512 Carman Street.  A group from the firm visited the Church and happily reported that the HVAC units are installed, operational, and surrounded by a protective apparatus aimed at barring future theft.  Luis and Isabella were so happy and they were lauded by the rest of the church members. Not much more was said, but we were all happy to see the spring back in Luis’s step, despite the bad luck that his beloved Philadelphia teams were experiencing.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Voris M. Tejada, Jr., Esq. recently joined the Firm’s Commercial Litigation Department in its Mt. Laurel office.

Mr. Tejada, a Marlton resident, represents clients in the areas of commercial, tort, professional liability, premises liability, employment, and insurance coverage litigation.  He received his law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and his B.A. degree in History from Duke University, where he was a member of its varsity wrestling team.   He is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mt. Laurel, NJ — Capehart Scatchard Shareholder and Executive Committee Member Betsy G. Ramos, Esq. launched a new blog today, entitled the “New Jersey Litigation Blog.” Ms. Ramos, Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, will chronicle “significant liability litigation cases decided by the New Jersey courts.” Her first article, published earlier today, analyzes a case in which a New Jersey-based company attempts to sue a consultant it had employed who had been based in Illinois.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Andrea L. Schlafer, Esq. recently joined the Firm’s Workers’ Compensation Department in its Mt. Laurel office.

Ms. Schlafer, a Cherry Hill resident, represents insurance carriers and employers in the defense of workers’ compensation claims at all stages of litigation.

Ms. Schlafer received her law degree from Rutgers School of Law in Camden and her B.S. degree in Business Administration and Finance from the College of Charleston, cum laude.  Upon law school graduation, Ms. Schlafer worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Kevin T. Smith, in the New Jersey Superior Court, Gloucester County Vicinage.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Kurt E. Kramer, Sergio I. Scuteri and Melissa L. Mignogna were recognized as excellent attorneys and voted in as partners of the 137 year old law firm.

Mr. Kramer, a Cherry Hill resident, is a trial lawyer with over 25 years of experience in commercial, tort, professional liability, premises liability, employment, and insurance coverage litigation, with particular emphasis on the representation of commercial and business clients in complex litigation.

A resident of Marlton, Mr. Scuteri focuses his practice on commercial bankruptcy, banking and commercial litigation.   He represents national and regional lending institutions and other credit issuing entities.   He also represents contractors with general construction litigation and counsels them on New Jersey Construction Lien Law filings.

Ms. Mignogna, a resident of Haddon Heights, concentrates her practice in all aspects of family law. She received her J.D. from Widener University in Wilmington, Delaware and her B.S. from Rutgers University in Camden. After completing law school, she secured a judicial clerkship with the Honorable John L. Call, Jr., presently the presiding family law judge in Burlington County.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, Anne Hammill-Pasqua, Esq. was recently invited by Girl Scout Troop 186 to talk about her professional life as an attorney at the troop’s “Find Your Muse” career exploration night. Ms. Hammill-Pasqua spoke about the qualifications and steps it takes to become a practicing lawyer and also what the job of being a lawyer entails.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Litigation Department Chairman Christopher J. Hoare, Esq. has been named to the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Hoare joins shareholder and managing partner Peter S. Bejsiuk, and shareholders Besty G. Ramos, John H. Geaney, and Glenn Paulsen on the five-person committee.

Mr. Hoare, a Robbinsville resident, is a senior trial attorney specializing in the defense of personal injury and professional liability lawsuits. He graduated from Seton Hall Law School in 1992 and is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Mt. Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard is pleased to announce that Stephen Addezio II, Esq. recently joined the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Department in its Mt. Laurel office.

Mr. Addezio, a Marlton resident, represents insurance carriers and employers in the defense of workers’ compensation claims at all stages of litigation.  He received his law degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, CA and his B.A. degree in Political Science from Whittier College.  While in law school, Mr. Addezio was a judicial extern for The Hon. Justice Jeffrey W. Johnson of the California Court of Appeals.  Mr. Addezio is licensed to practice in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mount Laurel, NJ – – Capehart Scatchard Shareholder, and Co-Chair of its Business & Banking Litigation Department, Thomas A. Clark, Esq. recently successfully concluded negotiations involving the construction and long-term lease of over 400,000 square feet of industrial space.