Beatrice O'Donnell

Practice Details

• Firm Information
  Position

  Partner

  Firm Name

  Duane Morris LLP
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Representative Matters: Achieved a defense verdict for two major railroads in a case brought by a former worker with a diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia allegedly as the result of exposure to diesel exhaust while working for the railroads.
  Obtained a defense jury verdict in favor of a concierge physician in a case of alleged medical malpractice, breach of contract
  violation of consumer protection statutes. Estate of Julius Newman v. Yardney, M. D.
  MDVIP.
  Successful in having a case voluntarily dismissed during the discovery phase on behalf of a licensed nuclear facility in Illinois related to injuries from the claimed discharge of radionuclides into the air
  groundwater. Sauer v. Exelon Corp.
  UniTech.
  Defended cases in both state
  federal courts, on behalf of a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical company involving the company's premier biological product against a competitor for purported breach of a critical supply agreement
  for patent infringement, favorably settling before trial.
  Case voluntarily dismissed by Plaintiff during the trial of a case of purported improper administration by a neurosurgeon of steroids causing aseptic necrosis of the hips. Heary v. Bruno, M.D.
  Counseled a healthcare related non-profit in its h
  ling of a security breach when a disgruntled employee removed a flash storage drive containing thous
  s of patients' personal
  medical information.
  Obtained a jury verdict in favor of defendant orthopedic surgeon in a case involving a below the knee amputation following a two week trial. Anderson v. Martinez, M.D.
  Resolved a software implementation case brought on behalf of a leading manufacturer of musical instruments.
  Achieved a favorable resolution of a AAA case bought behalf of a gasoline refining company based on the contract for the sale of steam. Sunoco (R & M), Inc. v. Seneca Petroleum Company.
  Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted physician-client's interpretation of the retroactivity of the Mcare statute based on amicus brief. Wexler v. Hecht (companion case to Bethea v. Philadelphia AFL-CIO Hospital Association ).
  Won a jury trial involving catastrophic brain injury allegedly related to a failure to diagnose a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which occurred immediately before the delivery of plaintiff's child. Erlich
  Sugarman v. Cohen, Patrick
  Pennsylvania Hospital .
  Achieved dismissal of claim against our client, a third-party defendant, after case had been on appeal on the issue of our client's joinder
  venue. Forrester v. Sea Gull Manufacturing Co. v. Salkind .
  Mediation of AAA arbitration dispute involving an alleged wrongful termination of warehousing contract on behalf of a major animal products manufacturer, with results that the client found favorable. Bayer Corporation, Animal Products Division.
  Defended a complex insurance coverage case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which included an award of attorney's fees to our client. Blair v. Ranger Insurance Company.
  H
  led the enforcement of an employment agreement that included the recovery of interest, attorney's fees
  costs. In re: Thomas Sauer.
  Appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court acknowledging the pharmaceutical industry's ability to provide low cost or free prescription programs without being subject to claims for negligent promotion. Case dismissed as to the pharma defendant only. Pierce v. Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  Served as regional
  trial counsel for multiple manufacturers' asbestos claims, h
  ling trials, mediations, arbitrations
  supervising other local counsel. Fibreboard Corporation, NARCO.
  Long-term counseling of major manufacturer of refractory products regarding the management
  coordination of its asbestos cases nationally. Resco Products Inc.
  Achieved the dismissal of a catastrophic injury case after extensive discovery. Schofield v. Acutech.
  Achieved a defense verdict in favor of a physician in a double-amputee case. Wilson v. Daniels.
  Brought a subrogation suit in the Federal District court in New Jersey on behalf of a manufacturer of acetylene gases whose entire property was destroyed in a fire, with an outcome that the client found favorable. Hunterdon Industrial Gases v. Kistler-O'Brien Fire Protection.
  Successful appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court upholding the grant of summary judgment on behalf of a medical laboratory's alleged mish
  ling of a company's prospective employee's drug sample. Ney v. Medtox Laboratories.
  Won an arbitration among co-defendants despite client being the target defendant after the parties agreed to settle with plaintiff
  arbitrate culpability among the 5 defendants. Pressley v. Dawley.
  Tried to verdict the first Fen-Phen cases in Pennsylvania
  one of the first cases tried nationally. Scott v. Wyeth v. Guinta.