Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Daniel E. Cummins, Esquire is a partner in the Scranton, Pennsylvania law firm of Foley, Cognetti, Comerford, Cimini & Cummins with 15 years of insurance defense experience in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including insurance defense work in the Poconos area and the surrounding counties.

He is currently accepting new clients along with other referrals including service as local counsel, defense arbitrator, or mediator in matters arising in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Attorney Cummins practices in the state and federal courts that cover the Northeastern Pennsylvania counties that include, but are not limited to, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Sullivan, Bradford, Monroe, Northampton, Carbon, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Columbia, Northumberland, Montour, and Lycoming.

Mr. Cummins has focused his practice on defending motor vehicle accident liability cases and UIM/UM arbitration matters along with premises liability and products liability cases. Mr. Cummins is also routinely summoned by his clients to handle matters involving insurance coverage questions and insurance subrogation claims.

Attorney Cummins is a cum laude graduate of Villanova University ('90, B.A., English) after which he attended the Dickinson School of Law ('93, J.D.) and completed his law school studies at the University of London in London, England (Spring, '93).

After graduating from law school, Mr. Cummins served as the Senior Law Clerk for the Honorable Harold A. Thomson, Jr. in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas for two years before going into private practice, where he has focused on insurance defense litigation ever since.

Along the way, in addition to practicing law, Mr. Cummins has also worked as an adjunct instructor for the paralegal program at the Worthington-Scranton campus of Penn State University.


AWARD-WINNING CIVIL LITIGATION COLUMNIST

Mr. Cummins has published many articles that have appeared in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, the Pennsylvania Bar Quarterly, the Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine, and the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Attorney Cummins' numerous articles have analyzed and predicted trends in a wide variety of areas of civil litigation law and have also provided practice tips for fellow members of the bar.

More recently, at the request of the editors of the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, a statewide legal news publication, Attorney Cummins has become a regularly contributing columnist on civil litigation issues. As noted below, several of his articles have been recognized for their excellence in legal journalism.

As a complement to his Pennsylvania civil litigation column in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, Attorney Cummins also recently started a blog on the same topic, the first of its kind by a Northeastern Pennsylvania attorney. The blog, which provides updates on cases and trends in Pennsylvania civil litigation law, can be found at www.torttalk.com. Readers of the blog may subscribe to have updated posts e-mailed to their attention.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Lawyers on the Fast Track

In September, 2005, Attorney Cummins was honored as one of only 35 lawyers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the age of 40 to be recognized by American Law Media as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track." This recognition was issued by a committee comprised of bar association leaders and a law school dean and was given to attorneys who have exhibited excellence in advocacy, advancement of the law, community service, and service to the bar. To date, Mr. Cummins remains one of only three attorneys from Northeastern, Pennsylvania to ever have been so recognized.

Schnader Print Media Awards

In both 2006 and 2007, Attorney Cummins was awarded First Place in the Weekly Newspapers category of the noted Schnader Print Media Awards, honoring excellence in legal writing and analysis in Pennsylvania publications, for articles of his that appeared in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly.

Who's Who

In 2005, Mr. Cummins was selected for inclusion in the 2005-2006 Honors Edition of The United Who's Who Registry which lists accomplished men and women based on their current position who have demonstrated outstanding leadership or achievement in their occupation, industry or profession.

More recently, in 2008, Attorney Cummins was selected for inclusion in Cambridge's Who's Who, an international Registry whose membership is limited to professionals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their industry and occupation.

Super Lawyer-Rising Star

In 2007, Attorney Cummins was also recognized in the Super Lawyers-Rising Stars edition of the Philadelphia Magazine as one of the top young attorneys in Pennsylvania.

Martindale-Hubbell Rating

Mr. Cummins has earned a BV Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory which denotes a high to very high level of legal expertise and the highest ethical standards as determined by the bar and the judiciary.

Martricia McLaughlin graduated magna cum laude from LaSalle University in l976 and from Rutgers School of law in December 1978. She has been actve in her profession and community especially regarding non-violence, education and family safty. She is married for over 30 years and has three children.

J.D., C.P.A., L.L.M.

PARTNER, ATTORNEY,
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

Areas of Practice and Experience
Family Law - Extensive experience in all aspects
of Family Law: Divorce, Custody, Support, Adoptions, Protection from Abuse Actions

Estate Planning and Administration:
Drafting of Estate documents: Wills, Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Living Trusts, Estate Administration in Monroe, Pike, Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties.

Education
University of Pennsylvania, LLM Liberal Arts, 1997

Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C.
LLM Tax Law; 1990

Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, PA
Juris Doctorate: 1998, Summa Cum Laude; Dickinson
Law Review; Merit Scholarship Recipient

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Bachelor of Science 1985; Accounting Graduate
Highest Honors, Phi Beta Kappa

I am the oldest of three attorneys in our Stroudsburg firm. We represent a significant number of post-developer nonprofit community associations in common interest communities (CICs) - Pennsylvania condominiums, cooperatives and planned communities. The work involves appplication of Uniform Acts for CICs; transition from developer control; project receiverships; association governance and operation; fiduciary duties; governing document opinions and amendments; covenant enforcement; strategic planning; ADR; sales of utilities, and other matters.

I am active in the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and am a Member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). I lecture frequently for CAI and for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) as a panelist in CLE programs on CIC issues. I have published extensively on CIC topics for those organizations. I am the 2009 President of the Monroe County Bar Associaiton, and have been quite active in other civic organizations in our community and region.

For six years right after college, I was a pilot in the USAF. I flew a combat tour in Vietnam in the A-1 Skyraider and later was an instructor pilot in the T-38A Talon. I have also held FAA commercial, multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings.