EFTA01177158.pdf

BURMAN, CRITTON LUTTIER COLEMAN LLP ISSUE 05 SUMMER 2012 31e 31 son^ this issue Letter From Our Partners Letter From Our Partners P.1 Friends, Colleagues and Clients: Practice Areas P.1 New Associate Spotlight P.2 With summer here, many of you are planning to spend days at the pool or beach with the News & Updates P.2 kids. We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you to be extra vigilant with your young Be In the Know P.2 children while swimming or hanging out by the pool. Precautions include: creating barriers around the pool, watching children closely and starting swim lessons early. According to the practice areas U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning kills more American children ages Complex Commercial Litigation 1-4 than any other cause except birth defects. Civil Litigation We'd also like to take this opportunity to inform you of the recent re-launch of our firm's Personal Injury & Product Liability website at www.BCLCLaw.com. The new site is easier to navigate and features blog postings, Insurance Bad Faith links to archived newsletters, profiles on the firm partners and associates, and morel Please take a look and let us know your thoughts. And don't forget to like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BurmanCritton) and follow us on Twitter @BCLCLaw. Sincerely, BCLC Partners MAIN OFFICE: WEST PALM BEACH. FLORIDA • 561-515.3130 IAVWRCLCLAW.COM I WWW.FACEBOOKCOM/BURMANCRITTON EFTA01177158 NEW ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT: Stephen Walker Stephen Walker, a Palm Beach County native, joined the Law Firm of tamt6cuo\, Burman, Critton, Luttier & Coleman as an associate attorney in March, 2012. Stephen has over a decade of experience, practicing in the areas of complex commercial and construction litigation, as well as marital and Vil‘k.U.to family law. As a former prosecutor, Stephen has extensive trial experi- ence. As a civil litigator, Stephen has successfully represented a variety of clients — from individuals to multi-national corporations. The breadth of Stephen's experience provides him with the perspective to prudently and effectively handle a wide spectrum of matters. NtLJ Stephen earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, News & Updates from the University of Florida. He is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of Florida. and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern • Congratulation to BCLC Associate Districts of Florida. Stephen is a member of the Florida Bar and the Palm Beach County Bar As- sociation. Stephen has been recognized as a 'Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine. Daniel Lustig and his wife Dara on the birth of their first child—Jacob Stephen's areas of practice include: Contact Stephen at [email protected] Samuel Lustig. • Complex Divorce Litigation or 561.842.2820. • On the weekend of May 18, BCLC • Complex Commercial Litigation sponsored the 12th annual Palm • Construction Litigation Beach County Justice Association • Personal Injury (PBCJA) Fishing Tournament. A • Wrongful Death portion of the event's proceeds went to the Legal Aid Society, an organization committed to provid- ing high quality civil legal advice, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW...PORTABLE POOL SAFETY representation and education to the By: Dean Xenick. BCLC Associate disadvantaged of PG County. • On May 1/, BCLC partner and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. Ohio released a study which reveals that portable swimming pools, including the PBCJA president Mike Pike joined increasingly popular. inflatable models, pose serious risks to with local Bar association presi- young children. Researchers studied the drowning deaths of Et dents in welcoming a newly minted more than 200 children under 12 years old, and found a link to a fiat group of PBC practicing lawyers. variety of above-ground pools. some large and deep, others small ./Qpi,; ,, and shallow. • In May, BCLC associate Dean Xen- ick was rewarded a "Superb" rating According to lead researcher Dr. Gary A. Smith. director of the Sion by Awo and American Registry. hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy, "About every The rating reflects facts about an five days a child drowns in a portable pool in the U.S.." and because these pools are inexpensive and easy to attorney's career accomplishments assemble. many parents may not consider them as big a risk as in-ground pools. he said. and is earned by onFy a select few. In the Nationwide Children's Hospital study, using 2001-2009 data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety • The Law Firm of BCLC was a proud Commission. Smith's team of researchers identified 209 drowning deaths and 35 near-drovmings in children supporter of this year's "Raise the under 12. The team discovered that 94 percent of the children were under 5 and most (56 percent) were Bar" event hosted by the Women's boys. Further, about three-quarters of the deaths took place in the child's own yard. usually during the sum- Foundation of PBC. Partner Mike mer. Over 40 percent of the drownings happened while the child was being supervised: 39 percent occurred with no adult supervision: and 18 percent were blamed on a lapse of supervision. The study also concluded Pike attended the event and was that about 40 percent of the drownings took place in a shallow wading pool. featured in the Sun-Sentinel. • New BCLC associate Stephen Walk- "That's in 18 inches or less of water,' Smith said. "Children can drown in very small amounts of water. Very young children can drown in a five-gallon bucket with water in the bottom. It only takes a couple of inches and er was featured in the South Flori- a few minutes. Close supervision of young children around water is really important. but supervision alone da Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, isn't enough." he continued. and South Florida Business Journal as a "Person On The Move." While in-ground pools have a variety of safety measures available for parents to purchase, such as fencing and pool alarms. this is not the case for portable pools. Thus, in their study, Smith and his researchers make • BCLC Partner Mark Luttier was a call for industry development of reliable pool alarms, covers, and affordable fencing for portable pools. 'We profiled in the Florida Bar News for have to come up with other strategies that are affordable and effective for portable pools.' his recent appointment as President of the Boy Scouts of America—Gulf Dr. Barbara Gaines. director of trauma and injury prevention at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, said that Coast Council. "this reminds us that while water is very inviting for children, it is also extremely hazardous. Never underesti- mate water." Gaines' advises that parents need to be very watchful when their children are in and around • In April, Partner Mike Pike was water. including pools. ponds and bathtubs, to empty wading pools when not in use. it out when the pool is named a trustee of the Wellington not in use, and parents must actively supervise their children "Someone has to be on pool duty." at all times. Chamber of Commerce. MAIN OFFICE: IS/ ST PALM REACH. FLORIDA • S61-5 I 5-3130 WWW.ICLCLAW.COAt I MILAW.FACEBOOKCOM/BURMALCIUTPON EFTA01177159