Hunter Shkolnik of Rheingold Valet Moves to Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP

New York, New York, July 11, 2011, for immediate release: After more than fifteen (15) years as a Senior Partner in the New York personal injury firm Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney, LLP, Hunter Shkolnik has joined Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP (“Napoli Bern”) as a Senior Partner of the firm, which will henceforth be known as Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik, LLP. Paul Napoli said:“Mr. Shkolnik led the complex and mass tort litigation team at Rheingold, Valet and he has long been active nationally as a leader in Pharmaceutical and Mass Tort litigations. We expect that he will continue to do so in the future”.

Mr. Shkolnik has concentrated his areas of practice to the trial of significant personal injury cases primarily in the area of drug, medical device, automobile, heavy truck and aviation related product liability and medical malpractice actions. He serves as a chairman, leader or court appointed representative on Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees in various consumer class actions and drug and medical device mass tort litigations including: In re: Toyota Sudden Acceleration Litigation 10:2151: Member, Liaison Counsel Committee For Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claimants; In re: Oral Sodium Phosphate Solution- Based Products Liability Litigation 09:2066 Co-Lead Counsel; In re: Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Litigation Member, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee; In re: Kaba Simplex Locks Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation; In re: POM Wonderful LLC Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation; In re: Medtronic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators Litigation 05:1726 Member, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee; In re: Guidant Corp Implantable Defibrillators Products Liability Litigation 05:1708, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee; In re: Nuvaring Products Liability Litigation; New Jersey Levaquin Mass Tort Litigation-Discovery Co-Chair; New Jersey Nuvaring Litigation-Liaison Counsel; Co-Liaison Counsel New Jersey Metaclopromide Mass Tort Litigation. Hunter was a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee and a lead counsel in the N.Y. Diet Drug/Phen-Fen litigation; a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee and a lead counsel in the N.Y. Sulzer Inter-Op Hip and Knee Implant litigation.

“Shkolnik’s diverse experience, combined with that of Napoli Bern Ripka’s other Senior Partners and Associate Attorneys will make the firm an even more powerful voice in the legal community,” said Napoli Senior Partner Marc Jay Bern. Bern has been practicing since 1975 and has tried cases and lectured throughout the country. He was appointed to the Trasylol Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (“PSC”) Executive Committee by the Hon. Donald Middlebrooks of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, sitting on In re: Trasylol Products Liability Litigation (MDL-1928); Mr. Bern is also a member of the discovery committee for In re: MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) Products Liability Litigation (MDL-1358) pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York before Judge Shira Scheindlin. In addition, Mr. Bern has been appointed to the New Jersey Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Levaquin Products Liability Litigation. Senior Partner Paul Napoli has been in practice since 1992 and has extensive experience trying various types of tort cases. He has been named co-liaison counsel for the State of New York Diet Drug (Fen-Phen) litigation and Rezulin litigation. Mr. Napoli was also appointed by the Court to lead the U.S. District Court litigation seeking payment for the Ground Zero workers who suffered respiratory injuries working in the clean up and debris removal efforts at the WTC site following the September 11th attacks. In that capacity, Mr. Napoli recently negotiated the historic $812,500,000.00 settlement on behalf of the Ground Zero workers. The firm represents injured individuals and municipal entities throughout the United States in claims arising from defective products, pharmaceutical mass torts, environmental disasters, professional liability (including medical, dental and podiatric malpractice), complex liability cases and other tragedies involving loss of life or health as a result of the negligence of others. Over the years, Napoli Bern has recovered more than two billion dollars for its clients.

The newly formed firm has its primary offices in the iconic Empire State Building in New York, New York, with offices in Long Island, New Jersey, Miami, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Contact Information

Hunter Shkolnik

Senior Partner

Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik, LLP

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