Ashcraft & Gerel's Michelle Parfitt Receives Prestigious Clarence Darrow Award
Rockville, Maryland (PRWEB) November 12, 2013 -- Ashcraft & Gerel is pleased to announce that Senior Partner Michelle Parfitt has been awarded the Clarence Darrow Award, considered the most prestigious recognition of excellence in trial law.
Over the last 30 years, Michelle Parfitt has distinguished herself as a champion of individual rights as well as a leader before the bar in the area of mass torts, with a specialty in navigating complex pharmaceutical, medical device and product liability cases.
Ms. Parfitt has represented thousands of individuals in various state and federal courts across the country that have filed suit against pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. She has won numerous trials and appeals in a wide variety of cases, including medical malpractice cases, pharmaceutical and medical device cases and construction liability cases.
Long time colleague and A&G’s managing partner, Robert Enderle, said, “I’ve known Michelle a long time. She is one of the most passionate, hardworking, and caring attorneys I know. She is incapable of giving her clients anything less than her absolute best. We are proud and honored to have Michelle with us at A&G.”
In addition to this prestigious award, Ms. Parfitt is also a former president of the Washington D.C. Trial Lawyers Association. Most recently, Ms. Parfitt and Christopher Tisi litigated and won a $5 million dollar verdict against General Electric (Paul Decker and Karen Decker v. GE Healthcare Inc., et al. Case No. 1:12 GD 50004, USDC Northern District of Ohio Easter Division, In Re: Gadolinium Based Contrast Agents Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 1909). According to court documents, Ms. Parfitt’s client was severely and permanently injured by Gadolinium, a GE manufactured MRI contrast agent.
Ms. Parfitt, along with Sidney Schupak, also resolved a case against the District of Columbia resulting in a $10 million dollar settlement on behalf of a child abused in foster care (Sylvia Pearson, as Next Friend of RP, A Minor v. The District of Columbia, In the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Civil Division, Civil Action No. 2007CA 003081 B). The settlement is one of the largest in the District’s history and ensures the child, who is profoundly handicapped as the result of the abuse, will have the care he needs for the rest of his life.
Ms. Parfitt is held in high regard for her commanding knowledge in the areas of medical science and expert testimony preparation, demonstrated by the fact that judges in several federal district courts have appointed her to guide complex federal multi-district litigation cases in a variety of leadership posts, said Mr. Enderle.
Ms. Parfitt received the prestigious award at a gala luncheon attended by more than 250 leading trial lawyers at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
About Ashcraft & Gerel LLP
For more than six decades, Ashcraft & Gerel has been fighting for the rights of those injured due to the negligence of others. Over the years, we have recovered more than a billion dollars collectively for our clients and have grown to include nearly 40 attorneys practicing in offices throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Our plaintiff-focused team represents individuals in a wide range of areas including workers’ compensation, personal injury, complex medical malpractice, pharmaceutical litigation, social security disability, qui tam (whistleblowers) and more. And along the way, we’ve built a hard-won reputation as a smart, effective legal team that consistently goes the extra mile to help our clients.
For more information please visit us at AshcraftandGerel.com.
Karen McGagh, KCM Communications, http://www.kcmcommunications.co, +1 (443) 632-4217, [email protected]
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