FRIDAY & COX - Key Persons
Mike specializes in medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases, and he is successful in obtaining significant recovery for his clients.
Due to the highly technical nature of Mike's malpractice cases, he constantly stays abreast of developments in health care and medicine. Because many of the catastrophic injury cases occur at the worksite, he also stays knowledgeable about the industries in which these accidents occur. It is this research and preparedness that allows him to conceive the best solutions for his clients. Mike takes the time to prepare families for the emotional challenge of making tough decisions in the face of the many adversities encountered in litigation, balancing between acting as a voice of reason and a source of empathy. He is licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Mike has taught expert evidence at the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science & Law and trial advocacy at Duquesne University School of Law. He is currently Pitt Law School's Director of Trial Advocacy where he oversees the development of law students into trial lawyers. Over the last two decades that Mike has been involved in teaching, his trial teams have won several national championships. Mike is an elected member of Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers, which comprises the best trial attorneys in Pittsburgh, and his actively involved with the American Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association,
Mike grew up the son of a steel worker and bank teller in Rochester, PA, and now lives in Robinson Township with his wife, Krista, and son, Chase.
Alicia D. Loy is an associate attorney at Friday & Cox, practicing general civil litigation in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Ms. Loy, a lifelong West Virginian, graduated with Honors in 2017 from Potomac State College of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Studies. She then attended West Virginia University College of Law, earning her Juris Doctorate in 2020.
During law school, Ms. Loy was awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for her exemplary research and writing in both Appellate Advocacy and her coursework relating to a study abroad program in Geneva, Switzerland for international trade and human rights.
Ms. Loy has experience working with judges in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and the Southern District of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Circuit Court of Harrison County. Through her externship and clerkships, Ms. Loy gained valuable, practical experience in courtrooms, sharpened her legal research and writing skills, and became familiar with a variety of legal practice areas. Prior to joining Friday & Cox, Ms. Loy worked in private practice in Pennsylvania, focusing on criminal defense and family law cases.
Ms. Loy moved from West Virginia to Pittsburgh, PA. In her free time, Ms. Loy enjoys traveling, cooking, baking, weightlifting, and spending time with her boyfriend, Brandon, and her cat, Bean.
Andrew Darnell is an Associate Attorney at Friday & Cox, and has been with the firm since May of 2022, when he began as a law clerk.
Mr. Darnell received a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law and Society, along with a minor in Legal Studies, from George Mason University in 2020. He then attended the Duquesne University School of Law on Academic Scholarship until he received his Juris Doctorate in 2023.
During law school, Mr. Darnell served as a student representative in the Duquesne University Unemployment Compensation Clinic assisting low-income individuals in both applying for benefits and the appeals process. Mr. Darnell received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for scholarship in the study of Secured Transactions.
While serving as a law clerk for Friday & Cox, Mr. Darnell has distinguished himself in research and writing. Mr. Darnell focuses his practice on personal injury claims.
Mr. Darnell is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and is pending admission to the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Darnell enjoys traveling and hiking in his free time.
Having been in practice over 30 years, Attorney Brian Cox focuses in the areas of workers' compensation and personal injury litigation including experience with cases involving workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, and product liability claims. He is also familiar with handling insurance bad faith and breach of contract matters for our clients.
Attorney Cox received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bucknell University (1984) and a Juris Doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law (1993). He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and is a member of Allegheny County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.
In his free time, Attorney Cox enjoys playing rugby and is a longstanding member of the South Pittsburgh Rugby Football Club.
Chad handles a wide variety of cases in Pennsylvania and West Virginia including nursing home and hospital injuries, civil rights, medical malpractice, premises liability, products liability, oil and gas injuries, catastrophic injuries, and railroad collisions.
He believes in helping the most vulnerable of our society.
Over his nearly two decades of practice, Chad has tried several cases including a toxic tort case of first impression in West Virginia. He also holds a $400,000 nursing home verdict, the largest one in Allegheny County. However, he may be most proud of his work in Marlene Thrower, as the Administrtix of the Estate of Csilisa Whitehead v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania et al. (873 F. Supp. 2d 651 (W.D. Pa. 2012)), a case that extended civil rights causes of action to the mentally disabled for injuries sustained while in a state-run facility.
Beyond his work in the law, Chad is an award winning short film director and writer as well as a published author. His first book, The Best Seven Years of My Life: The Story of an Unlikely Caregiver was featured in the New York Times on February 14, 2019.
Chad has been a Pennsylvania Rising Star and Super Lawyer and has been asked to speak on various legal topics at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.
Madeline Stuchell is an Associate Attorney at Friday & Cox and has been with the firm since May 2021 when she began as a law clerk.
Ms. Stuchell is admitted to practice in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, the United States District Courts of the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Stuchell divides her time between Pittsburgh and her farm in Morgantown, West Virginia where she raises horses with her husband, Drew. She also enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and playing with her collie dog, Sosa, and reformed barn cat, Keeta.
Nelson has 37 years of civil litigation experience, concentrating on auto, premises liability, defamation.
He has practiced in 27 counties in western Pennsylvania, and also in the Federal Western District of Pennsylvania, Federal Third Circuit, Pennsylvania Superior Court and Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In his career he has done defense work for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, State Auto, Donegal Mutual Insurance Company, Cincinnati Insurance Company, Prudential Insurance Company, Keystone Insurance Company and American States Insurance Company. He has also has been a certified instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy since 1998. From 2015 to 2021 Nelson was a Senior Hearing Committee Member for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board.
Nelson has five grown children sprinkled all along the eastern seaboard. He is a third degree black belt in Taekwondo and also an avid tennis player.
Paul G. Mayer, Jr. has over four decades of social security disability, worker's compensation, and civil litigation experience.
His career kicked off in his hometown of McKeesport where he assisted laid-off steelworkers file for bankruptcy. Earlier in his career, Paul worked for several insurance companies giving him with invaluable insight he now uses to his clients' advantage in their cases. Paul is admitted and has practiced in a majority of the counties in Pennsylvania as well as the federal courts in western and central Pennsylvania. He's also practiced in the Federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals and Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. His exceptional knowledge and experience has earned Paul many speaking engagements at legal education seminars.
Paul goes above and beyond for every client as he strongly believes every case deserves someone to fight for them. When he is not fighting for his clients he enjoys playing hockey and spending time with his wife and daughter.