As part of those promotions, Gina Stanziale, Lori Brown Sternback, and I. Blakeley Johnstone have all been named Partners of the Firm. Amanda Sawyer and Leslie Koch have been named Counsel to the Firm, and Paul Endler has been named an Attorney Manager.

The firm also announces that Edward L. Thornton will become Of Counsel to the firm as of July 1, 2017.

“We are thrilled to announce these promotions, recognizing the deep contributions and significant impact to our clients and the firm of these professionals,” said Matthew Werbel, co-Managing Partner. “They have all been with the firm for substantial periods of time, and are recognized by bench and bar alike for their expertise and professionalism in their specific fields of practice, all of which relate of course to the Insurance and Claims Industry. We applaud and congratulate all of them.”

Ms. Stanziale is co-Attorney Manager of the Property Team at M&W, and practices in the areas of Property Claims, Coverage, and First Party claims. Ms. Sternback is a liability defense trial attorney handling complex claims and high-value injury cases.  She has tried well over 50 cases to verdict. Mr. Johnstone is the attorney Manager of the Subrogation Team at M&W, and specializes in the prosecution of high value subrogation claims. Ms. Sternback and Mr. Johnstone are both certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as Civil Trial Attorneys.

Ms. Koch has specialized in the defense of employment claims and third party claims under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act and other civil rights statutes, since joining the firm in 2006. Ms. Sawyer began her career at M&W in 2009 and handles complex liability defense cases of all types.

The firm also recognizes the untold noteworthy contributions of Ed Thornton. “Ed is universally recognized as one of the top civil trial attorneys in the State of New Jersey,” said co-Managing Partner John Methfessel Jr. “He has been with the firm for almost 40 years, and while he will reduce his role somewhat, we and our clients are still extremely fortunate that he will be with us and available to us in an ‘Of Counsel’ role. We wish Ed well in this new chapter of his professional life, comforted by the fact that he will still be part of our team.”

About Methfessel & Werbel
Methfessel & Werbel was established in 1972 to serve the needs of the Insurance and Managed Risk Industry. Our team of 58 attorneys and approximately 50 support staff pursues excellence with integrity in its mission to serve our clients every day. To learn more, visit the company’s website at http://njinslaw.com.

Methfessel & Werbel Named 2016 Insurance Law Litigation Department of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal
The first three-time winner of this prestigious award is recognized for its excellence and impact in the fields of first party, third party and subrogation work.

“It’s an honor to receive this award for the third consecutive year. We have worked very hard for a very long time to establish ourselves at the top of insurance law firms in the state of New Jersey. Our 44 year commitment to the insurance and managed risk industries has allowed us to participate in some of the most significant developments affecting our clients and our industry,” said co-Managing Partner John Methfessel. “As the insurance industry has expanded we have responded in kind, with a growing civil rights and employment practice group and augmentation of our existing practice areas to respond to the needs of a changing industry. We’re extremely proud to be recognized for the third straight year as the premier law firm practicing insurance law in the state.”

“To be recognized a third time as the winner of this award is a tremendous accomplishment for our organization,” stated Joel Werbel, co-founder of the firm. “When Methfessel and Werbel was established in 1972 we founded it with the idea that we would create relationships with our clients in the insurance and risk industry that would serve their needs over the long term. One of the things that makes me the most proud is that we have a number of clients who have been with us for that entire period – a fact that has validated our approach.”

In the two years since first winning the award in 2015, M&W attorneys have tried over 50 cases, some of which were among the largest exposure cases tried in the state. M&W attorneys also have been counsel of record in more than 50 written opinions issued by state and federal courts. The firm continues to enjoy tremendous success not only in the performance of its seasoned veterans, but also by less-experienced attorneys who are all involved in the firm’s structured mentoring and supervision program. As a result, not only are the needs of clients met today; the firm ensures continuity of service and value by ensuring succession.

Methfessel & Werbel serves clients ranging in size from mono-line program carriers and MGAs to Fortune 500 multi-line carriers and self-insureds. It is one of the longest standing, stable firms in New Jersey. Founded in 1972, the firm has grown steadily to its present size of 58 attorneys, and was most recently noted to be the 39th largest firm in New Jersey by N.J. Biz Magazine. Yet the firm has never strayed from its core mission: to serve the needs of the insurance and managed risk industry.

“Our mantra is to deliver value to our clients every day, on every matter, and our team lives by that mission. They put our clients’ needs first every single day, and our clients have rewarded our efforts with their trust,” added co-Managing Partner Matt Werbel. “We never, ever take our clients for granted, and we work hard every day to demonstrate that by anticipating and serving their every need.”

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About Methfessel & Werbel
Methfessel & Werbel was established in 1972 to serve the needs of the Insurance and Managed Risk Industry. Our team of 58 attorneys and approximately 50 support staff pursues excellence with integrity in its mission to serve our clients every day. To learn more, visit the company’s website at http://njinslaw.com.

It has long been the law in New Jersey, pursuant to the Owens-Illinois/Carter Wallace doctrine, that there is a continuous trigger in New Jersey for long tail claims such as toxic tort and environmental claims. Every carrier on the risk from first exposure until manifestation is triggered. The Courts have also consistently stated, on more than one occasion, that the insured bears the risk of periods of self insurance and carrier insolvency. The Supreme Court has changed this doctrine.

Our firm handled this case from the outset. It was always understood that this was going to be a test case and numerous other carriers allowed us to carry the ball on behalf of the homeowners carriers who were similarly situated. It was our contention that PLIGA was the entity responsible in the event of insurer insolvency. We were successful at the trial court level and entered into consent judgments against PLIGA. At the Appellate Division level the Court effectively undercut the multiple pronouncements by the Supreme Court over the years that the insured would be responsible in the event of insolvency and ruled that a solvent carrier is responsible for protecting an insured against an insurer insolvency in the event there is more than one insurer applicable to the loss.    Case Alert: September 2013

New Jersey Law Journal

Vol.217 No. 461
Monday August 11,2014
NJLJ.COM