Share

Health Care Law, Workforce Management Lawyer, Litigation Attorney

EBG co-Founder Steven Epstein Profiled in Columbia Law School Magazine

2 minute read

Epstein Becker Green co-founder Steven B. Epstein was prominently featured in the Fall 2008 issue of Columbia Law School Magazine. The article, titled “A Healthy Career,” states: “Over the past 40 years, Steven Epstein has crafted a remarkable career and become one of the most influential practitioners in the field of healthcare.”

The article also describes Epstein as “a trailblazer in the field” who “has perfected the art of doing well by doing good.”

The profile traces his career from the early 1970s, when health care was a new field of law, to his co-founding of Epstein Becker Green, to his current position, which has sometimes been described as “the father of the health care industry.”

Epstein, the article adds, balances his professional passions with “a healthy dose of charity work.” He serves as chairman of the Columbia Law School Board of Visitors, as well as on the boards of Tufts University and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Epstein Becker Green also helps underwrite and provides free space for a leadership program for young African-American men.

In the future, Epstein says, the country must focus on the millions of uninsured Americans.

“One initial way to address this complex and difficult issue would be to arrange for the universal provision of catastrophic care,” cases of major illness or injury, said Epstein. “Most people can deal with issues related to going to the doctor for nominal amounts of money, but if they end up with something really serious . . . there is no way those people can afford to pay for it, and we all get stuck with the bill, ultimately.”

Epstein has received distinguished alumni awards from both his undergraduate university, Tufts (in 1999) and Columbia Law School (in 2007). In February 2009, he will be awarded Columbia’s Medal for Excellence—the Law School’s most prestigious award.

ResourcesDownload

Neuhauser Quoted on How Young Women Lawyers Can Improve Marketing Skills

less than a minute

Maxine Neuhauser, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice in the Newark office, was quoted in The Women’s Advocate, a magazine of the ABA, on how young women lawyers can improve their marketing skills.

In the article, Neuhauser provided several specific suggestions on how junior associates can to develop their marketing skills.

“Take a few minutes everyday to stay in touch with a friend, a client, a contact, or even a lawyer in your firm,” said Neuhauser. “Keep your contacts warm, your profile high and your ego in check. Stay patient—the referral for business may take years, but you’ll be laying important groundwork.”

Ronald Green Quoted on Reluctance on Wall Street to Bring Employment Suits Amid Financial Crisis

less than a minute

Ronald Green, a Co-Founder of Epstein Becker & Green, was quoted in Conde Nast’s Portfolio magazine on a reluctance among those laid off on Wall Street to bring employment law suits.

In the article, titled, “Out On The Street,” Green said: “If you join in a publicized legal challenge, it can have consequences. So the banker at Wachovia who thought he might be losing his job might be taking a breath, because it’s too unsettled a time for most of the bankers to commit themselves to an adversary proceeding. They have no choice but to wait until the dust settles.”

Reif Quoted in Fortune Small Business on Questionable Business Deal

less than a minute

Robert Reif, Chair of the Firm’s Business Law Practice, was quoted in the “Ask & Answer” column on the CNNMoney/Fortune Small Business website concerning whether a contractual agreement that was unwittingly concluded with a partner at a rival company could have been an illegal business transaction.

The column was titled, “Did I Stumble Into An Illegal Business Deal?”

Generally, said Reif, there are few limitations on contracting, and it is not illegal to contract with the partner of a rival company. He added, however, that if the partner was prohibited by the rival company from entering into an agreement with a competitor, there could be grounds for a legal claim under the tort of “intentional interference with a contract” or “intentional interference with prospective advantage.” Other claims also could arise, such as if the parties to the contract are using trade secrets or if a contract.

Epstein Becker & Green Quoted On Summer Associate Programs

less than a minute

Amy Simmons, Marketing, Recruitment and Associate Development Manager in the Washington, DC office of Epstein Becker & Green, was interviewed in the National Law Journal about impact of the turbulent economy on law firm summer associate programs.

The article, titled “Summer Associates Feel the Heat,” stated that many law firms are cutting back on the number of summer associates they hire, and recruiters realize that the difficult economic situation has made students more anxious during the interview process.

“I think there’s a difference this year. You can sense it,” Simmons said. “Students know it’s not the same old thing.”

Despite the trend to scale back summer associate programs, however, Epstein Becker & Green plans to bring in between six and 10 summer associates, as it did for the previous summer.

Swirsky Quoted on Employers Facing Corporate Campaigns by Unions

less than a minute

Steven Swirsky, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment and Health Care and Life Sciences practices in the New York office, was quoted by Law360 on methods used by unions to recruit members, which are being called into question by some employers.

In the article, titled “Employers Bob And Weave As Unions Look For Target,” Swirsky was interviewed on the subjects of corporate campaigns and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Swirsky suggested that before employers litigate, they should ensure they are not giving the other side what they want, which is a public forum and more attention. The best solution is to avoid becoming embroiled in a union corporate campaign altogether, Swirsky said.

“The key things are monitoring and auditing one’s own practices, being a good employer and in good direct communication with employees,” he said. “These are all things to be done, and avoiding the types of situations that will make you the target.”

Bradley Thompson Quoted on Impact of Gunvalson Case on Medical Trials

less than a minute

Bradley Thompson, a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences Practice in the Washington, DC office, was quoted in The Regulatory Affairs Journal about a decision by a US appeals court to put on hold a district court judge’s order to PTC Therapeutics to provide an experimental drug for a teenage boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The district court had ordered that the terminally ill patient have access to the drug, despite objections by the drug manufacturer. Drug sponsors fear that they may have to revise their “compassionate use” policies to accommodate patients, even those who do not meet criteria to participate in a clinical trial.

In the article, titled, “US court Suspends Patient’s Access to Experimental Medicine,” Thompson said that drug companies should use greater caution when interacting with patient groups.

“The Gunvalson case is an illustration of the risks that are out there,” he said. “The pharma companies need to be on guard about how they talk to patients. In all their correspondence, they must emphasize that they do not intend to provide access to an investigational drug [outside of the trial]. The order could distance the patient groups from the industry.”

Thompson said, however, it is too early for drug companies to revise their compassionate use policies on the basis of this case. The Gunvalson case is unique because the family’s argument is based on the company’s alleged contract assuring access to the experimental drug rather than a drug being provided as a statutory right to the terminally ill patient.

Steinmeyer Featured as Panelist at Employment Law Conference

less than a minute

Peter Steinmeyer, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice in the Chicago office, was a featured speaker at the “Law Bulletin Seminars 2008 Employment Law Conference.”

Steinmeyer was among the “leaders in employment law” prominently featured in an article in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin on October 1, 2008, that covered the conference, which reviewed recent U.S. Supreme Court employment law cases and new EEOC policies.

Protecting trade secrets has become more difficult with advances in technology, especially in a down economy, said Steinmeyer. He noted that courts generally have not favored non-competes, and emphasized the importance of careful drafting to ensure enforcement. He also highlighted the challenges of hiring employees with knowledge of a prior employer’s trade secrets and the need for prompt action when faced with an apparent theft of trade secrets.

Gerson Speech in Helsinki on Effects of U.S. Bailout Package Covered by Media

less than a minute

Stuart Gerson, a Member of the Firm in the Litigation and Health Care & Life Sciences practices in the Washington, DC and New York offices, gave a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Finland on the crisis of the American economy and the efforts of Congress and regulators, as well as the legal system, to address it.

Gerson was a keynote speaker at the program, titled, “The Bailout Package and its Effects,” on October 8, 2008.

His speech, “The Bailout Package and What to Expect Now,” examined the possible impact of the bailout package of financial institutions by the U.S. Government, and was addressed to an audience that included leading executives from financial institutions, insurance companies, and other entities that do business both in Norway and the United States.

In addition, Gerson was interviewed in Helsinki by the country’s 11 daily newspapers, including the leading business newspaper, Kauppalehti, and three TV networks, which covered his remarks and insights prominently. He also met with officials of the Finnish Parliament and National Bank.

James Flynn Quoted on Federal Court Bias Against Plaintiffs in Discrimination Suits

less than a minute

James Flynn, a Member of the Firm in the Litigation and Labor and Employment practices in the Newark office, was quoted in the New Jersey Law Journal on a study that indicates plaintiffs claiming employment discrimination fare worse in federal than state courts, which has led to a decline in federal filings.

In the article, “Job-Bias Plaintiffs Shun U.S. Courts, New Study Finds,” Flynn said speculation that the decline of filings reflects a bias among federal courts against plaintiffs is unwarranted. He remarked that “the judges in the New Jersey federal courts play it right down the middle.”

Flynn added that the drop in filings could result from the alternative explanations: increasing use of alternative dispute resolution or the availability of state court remedies that plaintiffs consider superior. He also noted that study did not state whether state court filings in employment cases had increased or decreased, and that plaintiffs may be filing more often in state courts because they are using state statutes and common-law theories of recovery.