KENT MCBRIDE - Key Persons
Antonio Sorrentino (Vinnie) is an associate attorney in Kent & McBride's Cherry Hill Office. He earned his Juris Doctorate with Honors from Rutgers University School of Law. In addition to his legal education, Vinnie has gained valuable experience working for a number of State Administrative Agencies such as the Department of Higher Education and Student Assistance Authority and the Office of the Public Defender. He has also clerked for the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law, where he researched State and Federal regulations and drafted initial decisions for Administrative Law Judges.
Bernadette was born and raised in Haddonfield, New Jersey. She graduated from Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in 1980, matriculating to Chestnut Hill College and graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1984. She continued her studies at Widener University School of Law in Delaware and graduated in 1989. Upon graduation from law school, Bernadette was honored to be chosen to serve as the Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Isaac I. Serata, J.S.C. in Cumberland County, New Jersey.
Bernadette is admitted to the Bars of Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.
She has practiced in the defense litigation area her entire career, concentrating her practice in the areas of Commercial Premises Liability, Hospitality Litigation and Motor Vehicle Litigation. She has served as an Arbitrator and Mediator on a number of cases in the various Southern New Jersey Counties as well as lectured and given seminars on topics including but not limited to Hospitality Litigation, Commercial Premises Liability, Construction Defect and Accident Claims, Contractual litigation, Defense and Indemnification and Motor Vehicle Litigation. Bernadette has successfully litigated cases in both the Superior Court of New Jersey as well as the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brenton C. Owens was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1991) and Widener University School of Law (J.D., 1994). He served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable E. Stevenson Fluharty, New Jersey Superior Court, Camden County, from September 1994 through August of 1995.
Brenton was admitted to the Bar of the State of New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal District Court of New Jersey in 1994. Additionally, he was admitted to the Bar of the Federal Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2001. He is a member of the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Camden County Bar Associations. Early in his career he received well rounded training in various defense litigation practice areas including: automobile litigation; premises liability litigation; workers' compensation litigation; Municipal Tort Claims Act litigation; and personal injury protection benefit litigation.
Presently, Brenton dedicates his practice to Workers' Compensation litigation. He oversees the New Jersey workers' compensation practice group. Representation includes large national corporations with thousands of employees as well as small local companies with relatively few. He provides services throughout the entire State of New Jersey, and has handled thousands of claims from the onset of litigation through trial at the trial and appellate court levels.
Practice Areas
Workers' compensation litigation
Education
University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1991)
Widener University School of Law (J.D., 1994)
Caitlin Harley was born and raised in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Caitlin attended Ursinus College where she obtained her B.A. in Politics and Religious Studies with a minor in International Relations. She then attended the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, where she was actively involved in the Moot Court team, competing at the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Caitlin also was a Fellow for the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. She presently resides in Philadelphia where she teaches barre and spin classes in her spare time.
Caitlin is admitted to the New Jersey Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She has experience in civil defense litigation, focusing her practice on defending premises liability matters, automobile claims and public entity claims. Caitlin has argued before the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court. She frequently serves as an Arbitrator in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and has lectured on Civil Trial tactics.
Christopher Devanny was born in Neptune, New Jersey. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in 1992.
Following graduation from college, he attended The City University of New York School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1997. He then worked for the New York City Law Department as an Assistant Corporation Counsel from 1997 until 2000. He was responsible for the prosecution of juveniles in Queens County New York.
Christopher is admitted to the Bars of New Jersey and New York and the federal courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Christopher specializes in asbestos litigation, criminal law, insurance law, mass tort litigation, motor vehicle, products liability, and premises liability.
Danielle M. Conroy was born in Vineland, New Jersey. She graduated from Stockton University (B.A., 2010) and Rutgers University School of Law (J.D., 2014). She served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable James W. Palmer, New Jersey Superior Court, Ocean County, from September 2014 through August of 2015. Danielle was admitted to the Bar of the State of New Jersey in 2015.
She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the New Jersey Women's Lawyers Association. Prior to her time at Kent McBride Danielle worker for the Burlington County Prosecutors Office along with the District Attorney's Office in Suffolk County, New York.
Denis P. McBride was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He majored in Political Science and graduated from the University of Scranton with a B.S. degree in 1981. Denis was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society, upon his graduation from the University of Scranton. He then continued his legal studies at Temple University School of Law and graduated with honors, earning a J.D. degree in 1984. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1984 and the New Jersey Bar in 1985. He is also barred in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District Court for the State of New Jersey as well as the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Denis began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard A. Powers in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After serving his tenure as a federal law clerk, he began practicing law in the defense litigation arena.
He currently enjoys an AV peer rating (highest) in Martindale Hubbell. Throughout his career he has arbitrated, mediated and tried to verdict a plethora of cases for insured and self-insured clients in the State and Federal courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. In addition to his more than three decades of trial experience, Denis has argued cases before the Appeallate courts and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In a case of first impression before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, he successfully argued what eventually became the seminal standard under Pennsylvania law precluding discrimination during jury selection which ultimately aligned Pennsylvania law with the federal Batson standard.
Diana Brocco was born and resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She graduated with honors from St. Joseph's University in 1993 with a B.A. in English. She then went on to pursue her legal career and attended Widener University Commonwealth School of Law. She received her J.D. in 1996. She is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars and practices in United States District Court.
Diana has been in practice for over 20 years. She began her career as a criminal defense attorney practicing in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She had the opportunity to work on many high profile criminal cases in the early stages of her legal career. Additionally, Diana practiced civil rights law in Philadelphia County. Diana then began a more general practice of law and gained considerable experience in personal injury and family law matters.
Throughout the years, Diana has gained extensive and diverse civil defense litigation experience. Currently, she specializes in premises liability; wrongful death/survival actions; large loss claims; construction claims; trucking claims; defense and indemnification matters; insurance coverage analysis; and automobile claims. Diana handles all defense litigation matters from the inception of litigation through trial and post-trial, including appeals.
Diana particularly enjoys handling matters for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office representing the rights of individuals who face legal issues as a result of their roles as New Jersey state employees.
Dominique N. Ryan was born in Delaware County, PA. She earned her bachelor's degree from West Chester University in 1997, and her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University in 2000.
She has been admitted to the Bars of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey since 2000, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since 2002, and to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 34d Circuity in 2007. Dominique is a member of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. Her areas of specialty include Medical Malpractice, Corporate Law, Bankruptcy Law, General Liability, and Worker's Compensation.
PRACTICE AREAS
Insurance coverage/bad faith litigation
Elise Bradley is a Shareholder in the Philadelphia Office of Kent/McBride and she concentrates her practice in the defense of Pennsylvania workers' compensation claims. Prior to joining Kent/McBride, Elise worked for a prominent workers' compensation firm representing claimants throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Elise is also a former Assistant District Attorney for the Delaware County Office of the District Attorney, where she prosecuted various cases through jury and non-jury trials, including homicides, other violent felonies, narcotics cases, and crimes against property.
Elise received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The Catholic University of America, where she graduated cum laude. Thereafter, Elise attended law school at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was a member of the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society. Elise earned her Juris Doctorate from Widener University in 2008. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and she is a member of the Pennsylvania and Delaware County Bar Associations. Elise currently resides in Havertown, Pennsylvania and she is a lifelong resident of Delaware County.
Elizabeth Chung was born in Philadelphia, PA. After receiving a B.S. degree in Criminology from The College of New Jersey, Elizabeth went on to earn her J.D. from Rutgers Law School in Camden, NJ.
Previously, she was a judicial extern to the Burlington County N.J. Superior Court Presiding Judge of Chancery, the Honorable Paula T. Dow, and subsequently served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck, of the N.J. Superior Court in Camden County.
At Kent & McBride, Elizabeth continues to focus her practice on the representation of insurance carriers and employers in the defense of workers' compensation claims at all stages of litigation.
Elizabeth is admitted to practice in New Jersey, as well as the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Practice Areas
Workers' compensation litigation
Education
The College of New Jersey (B.S. 2011)
Rutgers Law School ( J.D. 2017)
Hannah MacKay is an associate in the Philadelphia Office of Kent/McBride, and she concentrates her practice in Pennsylvania civil defense litigation, including premises liability, automobile, and public entity claims. Prior to joining Kent/McBride, Hannah worked for the Support Center for Child Advocates, representing children in the Philadelphia foster care system throughout their dependency cases.
Hannah received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science and International Studies from Loyola Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Hannah also completed a minor study of Spanish during her time at Loyola Chicago. Hannah then attended law school at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, where she was actively involved in Women's Law Caucus and the Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal. She earned her Juris Doctorate in 2021. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is a member of both the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Bucks County Bar Association. She is also a committee member of the Villanova Law Women's Network. Hannah currently resides in Philadelphia County.
PRACTICE AREAS
Construction Defect
Howard R. Rabin was born on a U.S. Army base in Germany, while his father was serving as an Army Captain and surgeon treating casualties during the Vietnam War. Howard majored in Mathematics at the University of Dallas, receiving his BA in 1984. He attended Fordham Law School at Lincoln Center in New York and received his J.D. in 1987
For many years, Howard worked for Lloyd's and London Market Insurers focusing on asbestos, health hazard, and other long-tail losses. Howard specialized in mitigating direct long-tail liabilities and litigated mass tort claims across the United States. More recently, as coverage counsel for domestic carriers, Howard focused on 1st party, business interruption, fraud, marine, cargo, construction accident, and other disputed claims for coverage.
Howard has appeared in the New York Supreme Courts for Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, all 5 New York City boroughs, and the New Jersey State Courts from Hudson to Camden.
Howard has presented briefs and argued appeals before the New York First Department and New Jersey Appellate Divisions.
Howard's most recent legal practice focused on helping individuals and business owners safeguard their business interests and resolve their business disputes. For the past ten years, Howard has litigated disputes over partnership agreements, power of attorney, Trusts and Wills, as they relate to breach of loyalty or breach of fiduciary duty.
Howard has represented franchisees, fortune 500 companies, major insurance companies and individual business owners.
Howard has been a licensed attorney since 1987. He is admitted to the State bars of New York and New Jersey and the federal US District Courts in New Jersey, and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
Jack Marshall is an associate in Kent/McBride's Cherry Hill Office. Prior to joining Kent/McBride, Jack served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Tamika Washington and the Honorable Frank Palumbo in the Criminal Trial Division of Philadelphia County's Court of Common Pleas. Presently, he concentrates his legal practice on premises liability, products liability, toxic and mass torts, construction litigation, and motor vehicle litigation.
Jack received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a minor in Business Administration from Fordham University in New York, NY in 2018. He then attended Widener University's Delaware Law School in Wilmington, DE, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2021.
Jack is currently licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey, and the State of New York with Bar Association memberships in all three states. He is a lifelong resident of the City of Philadelphia.
PRACTICE AREAS
Construction Litigation
Following his tenure as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, John began working as a civil practitioner with primary focus on insurance defense in 1979. He enjoys an AV peer rating (highest) in Martindale Hubbell and has repeatedly been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer. He has handled all levels of insurance defense and has tried to verdict a variety of cases including asbestos, benzene-leukemia, medical malpractice, products liability, construction accidents and general negligence. He has served as national counsel for three corporations involved in the latex glove litigation and to date he has represented the only distributor defendant to secure a winning verdict following nine weeks of trial in New Hampshire. He also obtained a directed verdict in what was then the longest jury trial in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas history (5.5 months) in 1986.
Other highlights include setting the Daubert standard by successfully representing a major carpet manufacturer in a matter known as Heller v. Shaw Industries which became the law in the Third Circuit when he successfully challenged the experts in that litigation. Also, in a construction accident case involving a severely injured plaintiff, he secured a defense verdict which was appealed to the Supreme Court on issues which changed the law in the construction litigation in a matter known as Leonard v. PennDot, et al.
In addition to trying cases in various jurisdictions at the state and federal levels, John has lectured on litigation issues to a number of insurance carriers and defense organizations, including the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and has served as an instructor of criminal law at Temple University. John has been retained as defense counsel for national and international medical device and health sciences companies and has served as National Counsel and Regional Counsel to a number of medical device and manufacturing companies. John is also active with regard to Alternative Dispute Resolution, and has had numerous appointments as an arbitrator/mediator in private proceedings as well as a Judge Pro Tem in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
John Geoffrey Glenn Simolike was born and raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He holds an A.A. in Communications a B.A. in Business Administration. John obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California, where he was active in Hon. Judith Meyers trial advocacy program, held the elected position of Research Editor on the Whittier Law Review editorial board, studied abroad in both Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, and completed the Americorps "Equal Justice Works" Fellowship with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. In his free time, John enjoys playing guitar and piano, cooking, and practicing conversational Spanish.
PRACTICE AREAS
Construction Defect
John is a Shareholder with the law firm of Kent/McBride, P.C. He is a graduate of Providence College (B.S., Accounting, magna cum laude, 1989) and Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 1992). He was admitted to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars in 1992 and the Connecticut Bar in 1994. John is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. In addition, John is admitted to the United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.
His areas of concentration and experience include public/private transportation litigation, medical malpractice litigation, professional malpractice litigation, , complex commercial litigation involving construction, commercial real estate, insurance coverage/bad faith and products liability. John has successfully tried numerous cases in both State and Federal Courts. In addition, John has been asked by health care institutions to consult on risk management and policy implementation. John has also been invited to discuss various issues concerning the transportation sector. John also has experience in commercial and corporate areas including representing parties in commercial and residential real estate matters. He has been involved with the incorporation and formation of corporations as well as serving as a consultant and advisor to businesses on general legal issues.
Kathryn was born in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. She graduated from University of North Carolina Wilmington (B.A. 2018) and Rutgers University School of Law (J.D. 2022). She was admitted to the Bar for the State of New Jersey in 2022.
Throughout law school Kathryn developed analytical research and writing skills and refined them while working as a legal clerk for eight months in 2021. There, she drafted memoranda for attorney review on varied legal issues such as New Jersey constitutional rights, legal rights of state and federal inmates, admissible evidence in Personal injury cases, and legal rights of municipal entities. Kathryn additionally has relevant experience in employment law matters.
PRACTICE AREAS
Civil Defense Litigation
Lori Klinger was born in New York City. She received her Bachelors of Science degree at SUNY College at Cortland and her J.D. degree from Syracuse University, graduating Cum Laude. Lori is admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey and to the United States Federal Court for the District of New Jersey. Prior to joining Kent/McBride, she worked for several years as in house counsel for a major National insurance company.
PRACTICE AREAS
Auto Defense
Sean P. Hart, MBA, Esq. is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Mr. Hart is a graduate of Rutgers University School of Law, where he was admitted into the highly selective and rigorous JD/MBA program. He finished both degrees a semester early due to his outstanding achievement and scholarship as a student.
Steve is a shareholder in Kent/McBride's Cherry Hill, New Jersey office. Stephen graduated from the Pennsylvania State University (B.A., 1991) and Widener University School of Law (J.D., 1995). He was admitted to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars in 1995 and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
He has successfully represented clients as a civil trial attorney in all counties in the state of New Jersey, counties in the Philadelphia area and federal court. He also specializes in private arbitration and mediation and has successfully argued numerous cases on appeal.
Taylor McCartney is an associate in the Philadelphia Office of Kent/McBride, and she concentrates her practice in the defense of Pennsylvania workers' compensation claims. Prior to joining Kent/McBride, Taylor worked for a personal injury firm representing injured persons throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She concentrated on various cases including motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls and construction accidents.
Taylor received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Taylor also completed a minor study of Spanish during her time at Ursinus College. Taylor then attended law school at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was a member of the Transactional Law Honor Society. Taylor earned her Juris Doctorate from Widener University in 2021. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Taylor currently resides in Philadelphia County.
Mr. Bate grew-up in Mount Laurel, NJ and attended Lenape Regional High School where he played football and baseball. Thereafter, he attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, majoring in Sociology and Anthropology. After graduating college, Mr. Bate went to work as an Investigator for the Office of the Public Defender, assisting in the defense of criminal cases, first in Camden County and later in Gloucester County. Mr. Bate attended Graduate School at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA where he earned a master's degree in Journalism. He went on to attend Law School at Widener University School of Law, where he earned his JD and was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and received awards in Trial Advocacy, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure.
PRACTICE AREAS
Admiralty/Maritime law
Thomas Carney is a shareholder in Kent/McBride's Cherry Hill, New Jersey office. He graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law. Thomas is admitted to the Bar of New Jersey, as well as to the District of New Jersey.
Thomas has conducted hundreds of binding arbitrations from start to finish. He has also represented insured clients in first and third-party matters and insurance carriers in declaratory and coverage actions. Thomas has given seminars to insurance companies on topics including automobile litigation, premise liability and personal injury protection benefits. Thomas has also served as a defense arbitrator in UM and UIM arbitrations.