Key Take Aways from the 2022 Trending Topics Webinar Series
April 28, 2022 4:18pm
Click to read the key take aways from our Trending Topics and Annual Update webinar series.
Featured Articles
Black History Month Spotlight: Damian Fletcher
February 28, 2022 8:33am
I am the managing partner of the Florida offices in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. I opened the firm’s first Florida office in 2017, after having been a partner at a medium-sized national firm for about ten years. I have practiced law for about 27 years.
Black History Month Spotlight: De’Shawna Anderson
February 15, 2022 9:40am
To me, heritage means remembering what those before us went through and achieved, looking at how far we have all come, and acknowledging how much further we can go.
Black History Month Spotlight: Sarah Porter
February 15, 2022 9:00am
My Black heritage means a lot to me. The Black diaspora is so diverse. There are Black people from the Caribbean, South America, North America etc. who share African descent but differ based on unique experiences, languages, and skin tones. Growing up in San Diego as biracial, having a mother from the Philippines and a Black father from Michigan, I often found myself having a hard time feeling a sense of belonging in one group or the other.
Black History Month Spotlight: Mia Kelly
February 8, 2022 9:00am
I am Senior Counsel at Tyson & Mendes’ San Diego office. My practice focuses on personal injury, professional liability, product liability, premises liability and general commercial liability matters. I am also chair of our firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Attorney Spotlight: Steve O’Brien
January 13, 2022 8:54am
We are delighted to announce new Boston partner, Steve O’Brien! Steve joins us with 36 years of legal experience and will focus on representing clients on premises liability, construction litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, commercial and general litigation, complex trial team litigation, automobile liability, and professional liability. He is the recipient of the 2019 Lawyer of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association. Read on to learn more.
Beyond the Pandemic: Making Flexibility and Support the Standard for Working Attorneys
October 28, 2021 9:00am
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the legal industry. The last 18 months have illuminated the daily pressures lawyers encounter balancing a litigation caseload with the myriad of life’s demands. As a result of these pressures and the changing demands on working professionals brought on by the pandemic, some attorneys who have worked diligently to establish a law practice are finding themselves choosing between their legal career and their own wellbeing. Tyson & Mendes believes attorneys contemplating their current work-life integration do not need to leave the practice of law – they just need to join the right law firm.
Evolving to Meet a Changing Workforce: Tyson & Mendes’ New Hourly Attorney Program Addresses the “Great Resignation”
October 7, 2021 4:15pm
We see the headlines every day: more and more attorneys are leaving the practice of law. After the last year and a half, who can blame them? The COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain many working professionals. Some lawyers are struggling to find a balance between working from home and juggling parental responsibilities, caring for aging parents, or protecting their own physical and mental health.
Attorney Spotlight: Kevin P. McNamara
September 7, 2021 2:50pm
Today, we welcome Kevin McNamara as a new Partner in Tyson & Mendes’ Los Angeles office! Kevin brings more than 20 years of legal experience to our firm, having spent his career advising insurers on their duties under general liability, excess, umbrella, pollution, property, and auto insurance policies. His long history includes representing trucking companies and other commercial enterprises in personal injury litigation. He also has extensive experience in all phases of ERISA litigation in all of California’s federal courts.
New Partner Spotlight: Kevin Gray
February 2, 2021 8:43am
For our first Attorney Spotlight of 2021, we welcome Kevin Gray, Tyson & Mendes’ newest San Francisco partner. He leads a multi-attorney team focusing on personal injury defense, defense of trucking companies, defense of governmental entities, premises defense, and Special Investigation Unit work. Having tried cases in both California State and Federal Courts, the Nassau County, New York District Attorney’s Office, and Australia, Kevin brings unique and successful trial experiences to the firm. Read on to learn more!
T&M Giving End of Year Recap
January 11, 2021 12:16pm
The third year of T&M Giving has come to an end, and despite the challenges of 2020, Tyson and Mendes’ charity arm thrived! Our Giving Tuesday Campaign set an initial annual goal of $10,000, but the firm surpassed this goal, raising a total of $13,250. Bob Tyson and Pat Mendes graciously matched these donations.
Q&A: What the Passage of Prop 22 in California Means for “Gig Economy” Employees
December 17, 2020 12:22pm
App-based transportation and delivery companies spent the months leading up to election day heavily advocating for and supporting Proposition 22, a ballot initiative that would keep app-based drivers – “gig employees” – classified as independent contractors rather than employees, as mandated by the passage of the controversial California Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5). The effort paid off, and the proposition received enough votes in favor to pass into California law.
New Partner Spotlight: Steve Rich
November 3, 2020 8:53am
This month, we are pleased to introduce Steve Rich, the newest Partner in Tyson & Mendes’ Seattle office. Steve is an accomplished litigator and trial attorney with experience in complex and multi-party civil litigation. He passionately defends large companies and individuals in high-exposure lawsuits involving a myriad of issues, including premises liability, product liability, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death claims, automobile accidents, construction defect claims, toxic torts, and environmental contamination. Learn more about this Miami transplant and his surprising bartending skills below!
New Partner Spotlight: William Johnson
October 6, 2020 8:42am
This month, we are pleased to introduce William (“Bill”) Johnson, Managing Partner of Tyson & Mendes’ new branch in Nashville, Tennessee! Bill is a skilled trial attorney with extensive experience in all facets of litigation, including defending against claims of catastrophic personal injury, sexual torts, including childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault, medical malpractice, and employment practices liability. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team! Learn more about Bill below.
Bad Faith Migrates North – is New York Next?
August 3, 2020 11:00am
The state of New York is on the brink of making a costly mistake in regard to their unfair claim settlement practices. Following the lead of Florida and California, there is currently legislation that is on the fast-track to being passed in New York that would make it far easier to sue insurance companies for alleged “bad faith”. Additionally, Assembly Bill 5623 would also extend standing to third parties, which would allow them to bring direct causes of action against insurers. Looking at the big picture here, the passage…
August Attorney Spotlights: Scott Ruksakiati and Mark Shanberg
August 3, 2020 9:00am
For our August Spotlight, we are introducing two attorneys launching Tyson & Mendes’ new Chicago office. Please welcome Chicago Managing Partner Scott Ruksakiati and Senior Counsel Mark Shanberg! Both are experienced litigators who bring impressive track records of success to the Tyson & Mendes Midwest team. Read on to learn more about these two powerhouses below.
Evaluating Novel Lawsuits in the Wake of the Novel Coronavirus
May 6, 2020 9:30pm
Due to the novel Coronavirus, there are more questions than answers surrounding how the civil landscape will play out once the courts reopen. Many of us who defend civil lawsuits are trying to figure out what types of lawsuits the plaintiffs’ bar will dream up in order to line their pockets. After reviewing the kinds of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) offered, hundreds of plaintiffs blog posts, and how industries are marketing to plaintiff’s lawyers, the consensus is the plaintiffs’ bar does not yet know what novel lawsuit will come from the novel Coronavirus…
New Partner Spotlight: David M. Frishman
May 6, 2020 9:22pm
Please help us welcome David Frishman, Tyson & Mendes’ new Los Angeles-based partner and a member of the Los Angeles Complex Trial Team! David brings with him a wealth of experience in all facets of personal injury and property damage litigation and is best known for his finesse and creative approaches to resolving complex and high exposure matters. Read on to learn more about this Chicago native and his long-time admiration of our firm.
New Partner Spotlight: Kara Pape
November 13, 2019 11:18am
Kara Pape is the newest partner in Tyson & Mendes’ Los Angeles office. Formerly a partner in Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP’s general liability practice, Kara specializes in catastrophic personal injury defense; general liability defense; commercial vehicle litigation; and the defense of public entities where sexual torts are alleged, including child sexual assault and harassment. She has developed a reputation for being able to critically…
EVENT RECAP – Flipping the Script: How Reverse Mentoring Can Benefit Employees Across Generations
November 5, 2019 8:02am
On Wednesday, October 16, Tyson & Mendes held its fourth annual Young Professionals Panel at the Andaz Wall Street rooftop to discuss the topic “Flipping the Script: How Reverse Mentoring Can Benefit Employees Across Generations.”
New Partner Spotlight: Rick Somes
August 7, 2019 3:09pm
For our August Professional Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce Richard Somes, Managing Partner of Tyson & Mendes’ new Orange County office. Rick has extensive experience representing individuals and businesses in state and federal courts throughout California, where his practice focuses on general liability, premises liability, personal injury, surety law, construction, medical malpractice, toxic and mass torts, and employment law. He…
Professional Mentorship Spotlight: Jessica Rogin
August 7, 2019 3:06pm
Jessica Rogin is the Vice President of Specialty Claims, US Casualty for Liberty Mutual Group and the winner of Tyson & Mendes’ first Professional Mentorship Award in honor of her efforts to close the gender gap and promote the growth of female claims professionals. Jessica is responsible for the leadership and management of the claims operations that support Liberty’s National Insurance Specialty’s verticals, including Construction, Energy, Public Entity, Healthcare, Programs and Unsupported Excess.
Tyson & Mendes Outmaneuvers Plaintiff Who Attempted to Extend the Statute of Limitations by Re-filing Suit Against a Foreign National in Federal Court
January 7, 2019 12:12pm
Tyson & Mendes’ Seattle office obtained a dismissal with prejudice of an insured from the Federal Court by following a legal strategy set in motion when a lawsuit was first filed in state court. Plaintiff was injured while riding a bus when a car turned left in front of the bus causing the vehicles to collide. Plaintiff incurred substantial medical treatment following the accident. He filed suit in Washington State Court against the car’s…
T&M Giving Year End Recap
January 7, 2019 12:03pm
T&M Giving Program’s first year is in the books! We had a great year with two successful employee volunteer days and a Giving Tuesday Campaign with contributions from the whole firm. We had 30 employees participate on our volunteer committee, over 100 employees participate in our volunteer days, and employees throughout our eight offices volunteered over 60 hours of their time.
EVENT RECAP: The Ask Event, Part II: Promoting Yourself in a Tough Legal Industry
November 5, 2018 9:00am
On October 3, 2018, the Tyson & Mendes Women’s Initiative partnered with the San Diego Lawyer’s Club (SDLC) to host a wonderful and thought-provoking event, inviting discussion and action to promote women in the legal industry. The event was designed to build on “The Ask, Part I,” hosted earlier in the year by the SDLC. The Ask, Part II was held at the La Jolla Country Club with over 100 professionals in attendance. The evening…