Eckert Seamans Announces 2019 Attorney Promotions
May 24, 2019
Eckert Seamans is pleased to announce that nine attorneys have been promoted to member (partner), effective June 1, 2019. The newly elected members are as follows: Julia A. Charnyshova (Pittsburgh), Casey A. Coyle (Harrisburg), Nicholas M. Gaunce (Princeton), Derek Illar (Pittsburgh), Gosia Kosturek (Pittsburgh), Eric N. Losey (Boston), Rachel E. Moynihan (Boston), Matthew D. Rodgers (Boston), and Mark T. Vogelbacker (Philadelphia).
“It is an honor to recognize the unwavering commitment these talented attorneys have demonstrated to their clients, colleagues, the practice of law, and our firm,” said Timothy Q. Hudak, CEO of Eckert Seamans. “We can count on these future leaders to continue to uphold the firm’s highest standards.”
Julia A. Charnyshova (Pittsburgh) focuses her practice on corporate transactions within the hospitality industry. A substantial portion of her practice is devoted to representing large institutional hotel investors as well as individual developers in connection with the ownership and operation of hospitality assets. In addition, Charnyshova handles the drafting and negotiation of management agreements for leading hotel operators throughout the world. She also represents hotel owners in the negotiation of franchise agreements and brand management agreements with major U.S. hotel brands throughout the world.
Casey A. Coyle (Harrisburg) is a litigator who concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation. He regularly represents businesses in disputes pending before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and other state and federal trial courts. His representative matters include cases involving theft of trade secrets, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, shareholder litigation, emergency injunctions, class actions, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duties. Casey also has extensive experience in the area of appellate law and has presented oral argument in appeals pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, and Pennsylvania Superior Court. He has also briefed appeals pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and every appellate court in Pennsylvania.
Nicholas M. Gaunce (Princeton) maintains a practice that revolves around serving two distinct types of institutional clients: banks and financial institutions — and insurance carriers and self-insured entities. In his role as counsel for banks and financial institutions, he handles all aspects of the litigation process for troubled loans, including foreclosures, bankruptcies, workouts, and collection actions. When representing insurance carriers and self-insured entities, Gaunce handles a wide variety of matters, including premises liability claims, broker malpractice claims, automobile accident claims, legal and medical malpractice claims, and general liability matters.
Derek Illar (Pittsburgh) has significant experience representing clients in court proceedings and before administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Department of Labor, Department of Labor and Industry, and Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. Derek counsels clients to ensure their compliance with federal, state, and local laws and advises them on the implementation of best practices. He also represents clients during administrative audits and investigations – and assists them with internal audits and investigations.
Gosia Kosturek (Pittsburgh) focuses her practice on corporate transactions within the hospitality industry. Her practice is devoted to representing real estate development companies, investors, lenders, and hotel management companies in all aspects of acquisition, disposition, development, management, licensing, and finance of real estate and hotel assets in the United States and throughout the world. She also regularly advises hotel clients on operational matters and property-level agreements, including data security and privacy matters – a topic on which she has been published several times. In addition, Kosturek is a member of Law360’s Hospitality Editorial Advisory Board.
Eric N. Losey (Boston) concentrates his practice on the defense of personal injury, property damages, and environmental cases, including the defense of asbestos, mass tort, and product liability litigation matters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He also has experience handling complex litigation matters in all stages of litigation, from pre-suit evaluation through discovery disputes, trial, and verdict. Losey handles a variety of cases, including complex insurance coverage litigation, lead paint poisoning, construction defect, personal injury, employment discrimination and retaliation, regulatory matters concerning the numerous health departments throughout New England, contract disputes, and commercial evictions.
Rachel E. Moynihan (Boston) focuses her practice in commercial litigation, employment law, and product liability. She handles employment, trade secret, real estate, and trust litigation. She also handles professional liability matters in the defense of health care providers and institutions. She has extensive courtroom experience in prosecuting and defending claims in the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to joining Eckert Seamans, Moynihan practiced with a regional law firm where she specialized in a variety of complex litigation matters, primarily related to professional liability and the defense of health care providers.
Matthew D. Rodgers (Boston) focuses his practice on all phases of commercial litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. He also has experience advising energy and telecommunication industry clients on regulatory compliance issues and assisting project developers on zoning and permitting matters. Rodgers previously served a clerkship with Judge D. Michael Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where he was involved in numerous civil appeals, including cases raising issues under securities and environmental laws.
Mark T. Vogelbacker (Philadelphia) focuses his practice on patent procurement and enforcement matters. His litigation experience includes patent, trademark, and copyright disputes covering a range of technologies and industries, including automobiles, medical devices, optical measurement devices, and apparel. His technical background is in the mechanical and electro-mechanical arts, including medical devices, consumer goods, power systems, software, and business methods. Prior to practicing law, Vogelbacker was a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and a fluid systems engineer at General Dynamics, where he helped develop and implement design alterations on Ohio class nuclear submarines.