CHARLESTON --: Three attorneys with the firm Jackson Kelly PLLC have been recognized as leading litigation lawyers in the nation by the publication Benchmark Litigation for 2018.
The honorees are Michael T. Cimino, A.L. Emch and Thomas J. Hurney.
The Jackson Kelly firm is ranked a highly recommended by Benchmark, its highest distinction.
Michael Cimino
| Jackson Kelly law firm
According to the firm, Hurney’s litigation practice involves cases of serious personal injury and wrongful death. He currently serves as president of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). Hurney also has significant experience defending medical negligence and toxic tort actions, including mass tort and class action litigation.
Hurney has been practicing more than 30 years and feels a high sense of obligation to his clients. Hurney told The West Virginia Record, “What we do every day is try to solve someone else’s problem and to have someone trust you to solve their problem. If you get sued and you hire a lawyer, you are trusting that lawyer to defend you in that suit, and to me the ultimate compliment that you can give me is that you would ask me to represent you.”
Cimino’s practice centers on the representation of companies challenging enforcement by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He also litigates cases in which his clients are being sued for on deliberate intent, premises liability and toxic tort.
Cimino appreciates the honor of being recognized by his peers, and he told The Record, “We spend a lot of time working with and against other lawyers while litigating cases. So it’s an honor to be recognized by those lawyers who are out there doing the same thing as you, day in and day out.
“I try cases for mining, manufacturing and general industry clients against the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We are typically the first lawyers to show up at a workplace after a workplace fatality or serious accident. That is a very stressful time for a mine or plant or business owner and if you can successfully help navigate the client through this challenging time it can be very gratifying.”
Emch’s practice focuses on the representation of defendants in trial and appellate litigation in both state and federal courts. He handles cases involving personal injury (deliberate intent cases and industrial accidents), products liability, toxic torts, class actions, mass torts and other complex litigation.
Emch told The Record the Benchmark recognition honors Jackson Kelly as well as himself, explaining “I certainly owe a great debt to the firm for any success I may have achieved in the practice of law. The firm provided my mentors and has always created and nurtured the atmosphere of professionalism and camaraderie."
Emch values peer recognition, noting “This is the most important aspect, especially for litigators; our practice is by definition adversarial, so gaining the respect of your peers in such a way is very satisfying.”
Jackson Kelly PLLC employs more than 160 attorneys in 12 offices throughout Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.