Theresa L. Teixeira

/in /by Theresa L. Teixeira

Experience

Theresa Teixeira brings more than 24 years of workers’ compensation experience to the F&P team. She started as an intern with a workers’ compensation firm while obtaining her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut. While working full time, she attended law school at night at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she gained her J.D. Theresa continued working for the same firm as an associate, where she handled workers’ compensation claims and personal injury cases, litigating in both the state and federal courts.

After practicing in Connecticut for eight years, she relocated and then barred in Maryland. Since then, she has successfully tried cases involving work-related injuries before the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission, including matters appealed from Workers’ Compensation to the Circuit Court.  She has also successfully litigated motor vehicle and slip and fall accidents before the Maryland District and Circuit Courts as well as matters before the United States District Court for Maryland. Theresa is a contributor to F&P’s workers’ compensation insights and blog articles.

F&P Blog and Insight Articles

Fall 2021 – Can Employers Require Vaccination?

Activities

Theresa is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Anne Arundel County Bar Association. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family, participating in 5K runs, knitting, and is an avid sports fan.

 

Naureen R. Weissman

/in , /by Naureen R. Weissman

Experience

Naureen Weissman attended law school at the University of Texas School of law in Austin, TX. She has worked in Administrative Law for the State of Texas, as a law clerk for Superior Court judges in Connecticut and as an associate attorney at Milano & Wanat, LLC in Connecticut in the area of general liability defense.

Before coming to Franklin & Prokopik, Naureen most recently worked as an associate attorney at O’Connell & O’Connell, LLC in the area of workers’ compensation defense and as an associate attorney. She is also a contributor to F&P workers’ compensation insights and blog articles.

F&P Blog and Insights Articles

Winter 2021 – Ramos v. District of Columbia Department of Employment Services Addresses Theory of Causation

Activities

Naureen is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Association of Compensation Insurance Attorneys.

Timothy P. Coffman

/in /by Timothy P. Coffman

Experience

Tim Coffman joined Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office in October of 2018, concentrating his practice in workers’ compensation and employers’ liability.  Prior to joining F&P, Tim was the senior associate at the Law Offices of Henry Holzman and Associates where he worked for more than 20 years. In this position, Tim ran the day-to-day operations of the law firm. His primary focus was on workers’ compensation with additional experience in personal injury, social security and family law.

Activities

Member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association and the Baltimore City Bar Association.

Marni E. Sperling

/in /by Marni E. Sperling

Experience

Marni joined Franklin & Prokopik as an associate in October 2018. She concentrates her litigation practice in the area of liability defense with a focus on automobile torts and premises liability matters. She has experience in all stages of the litigation process, including taking and defending depositions, drafting motions and representing her clients in the mediation process as a method of alternative dispute resolution. 

Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, Marni served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable C. Carey Deeley, Jr. in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. In law school, Marni was a staff editor of the Maryland Law Review and participated in the Gender Violence Clinic as a student attorney, assisting in the representation of clients in protective order matters. Also, while in law school, Marni served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Robert McDonald in the Court of Appeals of Maryland as well as a law clerk at Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner. 

F&P Blog and Insight Articles

Summer 2023 – CMV Safety Regulatory Updates

Spring 2023 – A Closer Look at the Doctrines of Frustration of Purpose and Legal Impossibility in a Commercial Lease Dispute During COVID-19 Pandemic: John Crtizos, II v. David Marquis, et Al., 256 Md. App. 684 (2023)

Awards and Distinctions

  • Selected to Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Stars 2024

Activities

Marni is a Baltimore County native. She is an avid sports fan and follows the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Capitals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and exploring the city.

Ellen R. Stewart

/in , /by Ellen R. Stewart

Experience

Ellen Stewart concentrates her litigation practice primarily in liability and insurance defense throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. She handles a variety of cases, including representing national and regional stores and restaurants in cases involving slip and falls and general premises liability; representing taxicabs, paratransit vehicles, and motor carriers in liability claims; and representing builders and contractors in construction defects and worksite incidents and injuries.

Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, Ellen worked as an associate at a general practice firm in Columbia, Maryland. While there, she handled family law, real estate matters, estate planning, and administration.

While in law school, Ellen served as the Production Editor of the Intellectual Property Law Journal and gained experience as a Rule 16 Student Attorney for the Innocence Project Clinic. Also during law school, Ellen interned at the United States Sentencing Commission.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2014 – 2024
  • Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch 2024

Activities

In her free time, Ellen enjoys running marathons and half marathons.

Kerry C. Raymond

/in , /by Kerry C. Raymond

Experience

Kerry Raymond is a litigator at heart.  Her primary focus is construction litigation.  She assists clients with taking proactive measures to avoid disputes but, when they arise, she is prepared to draw upon her knowledge and experience, couple that with a strong work ethic, and drive the dispute to resolution in her client’s favor.  Kerry is not compelled to follow one path to achieve this resolution.  She is both artful and nimble in handling her client’s claims.  Kerry does not limit her practice to pure construction litigation; she also tackles the matters that flow therefrom.  She defends contractors in property damage and personal injury claims that arise out of construction activities and the contractor’s business.

Kerry was an attorney at F&P for five years where she represented civil engineers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in breach of contract claims, construction defect claims, mechanic’s liens claims, tort claims and other civil actions.  Prior to re-joining F&P, Kerry worked for a mid-size firm in Minneapolis, serving as a partner and member of the firm’s construction and litigation practice groups. She concentrated her construction law practice on the litigation of complex construction defect cases and payment claims on behalf of owners, general contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers.  Her clients included highway heavy, infrastructure, concrete repair and various specialty contractors.

Awards

  • Best Lawyers in Minnesota, 2010-2016

Associations/Organizations

  • Co-Chair, Training Committee, Association of Women Contractors, 2015 – present
  • Member, Minnesota State Bar Association, Construction Law Section, 2013 – present
  • Member, Hennepin County Bar Association, 2013 – present

Activities

Kerry enjoys traveling the world and exploring new places with family and friends.  She is always up for an adventure, whether it is riding through the countryside of Italy, gaining behind-the-scenes access to incredible restaurants in Paris, spending quality time with cheetahs at the safari park or riding the fastest roller coaster at the amusement park.  Kerry also takes pride in the transformation of ordinary grassy areas into beautiful flower and vegetable gardens and winning the unending battle against the weeds!

James K. Hetzel

/in /by James K. Hetzel

Experience

James Hetzel concentrates his litigation practice in the area of liability defense with a focus on the transportation industry.  He has successfully represented both motor carriers and brokers in a variety of cargo loss scenarios in both state and federal court through all stages of the litigation process including taking and defending depositions, drafting and arguing motions, and taking matters through the conclusion of trial.  James also has experience representing transportation clients in catastrophic tort claims as well as independent contractors on employee status issues. He currently serves as co-editor of F&P’s transportation insights and blogs articles.

Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, James served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Paul J. Hanley in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.  While attending law school, James was the Recent Developments Editor for the University of Baltimore Law Forum and gained trial experience as a Rule 16 student attorney for Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic.  Also during law school, James worked on sports-related class action litigation at Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin, and White, as well as working as a law clerk at Namanny, Byrne, and Owens in Laguna Hills, California.

Awards and Distinctions

  • The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2021-2024
  • Super Lawyers, Rising Stars 2024

F&P Blog and Insight Articles

Summer 2020 – Digital Freight Brokerages May Impact Liability for Shippers and Carriers

Activities 

James is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and a native of Harford County. In his free time, James enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as being involved in athletics by playing soccer and basketball and following the Ravens, Orioles, and Terps.

James J. Temple III

/in /by James J. Temple III

Experience

Prior to joining Franklin & Prokopik, James Temple III worked for one year with a small workers’ compensation firm in Ellicott City, Maryland and three years with Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company (formerly IWIF).  During this time, he focused primarily on workers’ compensation defense, while tackling such ancillary issues such as coverage and conflicts of interest.

During law school, James clerked for the Honorable Robert N. Dugan and the Honorable Nancy M. Purpura in the Baltimore County Circuit Court.  He also participated in mock trial litigation with the Trial Team under the American Association of Justice.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2016 – 2021

Activities

James is a member of the Baltimore County Bar Association.

Renee L. Bowen

/in /by Renee L. Bowen

Experience

Renee Bowen, a principal with F&P, is a zealous advocate for her clients in a wide variety of matters, from defending clients in litigation to negotiating contracts on behalf of her clients to serving as general counsel to provide advice on aspects of day-to-day business operations. By handling both litigation and transactional aspects of the practice of law, Renee brings a unique and informed perspective to drafting and negotiating contracts, as her active litigation practice gives her an up-close look at litigation outcomes when terms of a contract are challenged.

Renee’s practice areas include commercial transportation, premises liability, construction, products liability, intentional torts, insurance coverage, employment, regulatory compliance, commercial litigation, professional liability, landlord/tenant, and business and corporate. As part of her transportation practice, Renee serves as national counsel for numerous motor carriers and insurers on issues related to predatory towing.

In her litigation practice, Renee handles all aspects of claims, from the initial emergency response to a catastrophic accident through a jury verdict, and everything in between. Recognizing that the goals of each client and in each case is different, Renee works closely with her clients to develop strategies to achieve desired and favorable outcomes.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Selected to Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Stars for  2020-2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2023-2024

F&P Blog and Insight Articles

Spring 2022 – Maryland Passes Legislation to Address Excessive Towing and Recovery Invoices for Police-Initiated Tows

Activities

Renee is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and Trucking Industry Defense Association. Renee also serves on the American Transportation Research Institute’s Research Advisor Committee.

Heather A. Rice

/in /by Heather A. Rice

Experience

A firm principal and trial attorney, Heather Rice joined F&P in 2016. Heather concentrates her practice on professional liability, defending healthcare providers and medical institutions in medical malpractice, dental malpractice, and nursing home negligence cases.  She has litigated numerous complex civil suits and tried numerous jury trials throughout the state of Maryland.

Heather also has extensive experience representing individuals and businesses in a variety of civil litigation matters, handling premises liability claims, products liability claims, negligent security claims, dog bite claims, construction defect claims, commercial trucking accident claims, and claims against paratransit vehicles.  She has achieved several positive outcomes on behalf of her clients, including recently securing a favorable ruling from the Appellate Court of Maryland in a wrongful death case resulting from a mass shooting.  This reported opinion was the first of its kind in Maryland and addresses employer liability in the context of a mass shooting event.

Before joining Franklin & Prokopik, Heather worked as an associate attorney at a personal injury firm in Towson, Maryland.  While there, she litigated cases resulting from automobile accidents, nursing home negligence, and medical malpractice. This background enables her to analyze issues from different perspectives, having argued on both the plaintiff and defense sides.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Maryland Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2014 – 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2022-2024

Activities

Heather is a member of the Baltimore City Bar Association, the Baltimore County Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Professional Liability Attorney Network (PLAN).

Originally a native of Cleveland, Ohio who now calls Baltimore home, Heather is an avid volunteer for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  She has captained the MS Walk team “Heather’s Heroes” for the last fourteen years and has been a top fundraiser for the last several years. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, catching Broadway productions in New York City, spending time with her husband, friends, and family, and being a proud dog mom to Krypto, a biewer terrier.