Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Attorney William Kickham has more than 20 years of legal practice from diverse positions in law and media, providing counsel on a wide range of legal and trial issues, in both the civil and criminal arenas. Mr. Kickham presently practices law in his own firm in Westwood, Massachusetts, and until recently was the Executive Producer and host of his own TV talk show, At The Bar, previously broadcast on the Comcast network in the suburban Boston market, discussing a variety of legal and litigation issues within Massachusetts and nationally.

In his diverse legal roles, Mr. Kickham has served as the New England Regional Manager for the Insurance Information Institute, a nationwide trade association of liability insurance companies. In this capacity, Mr. Kickham acted as the Institute’s chief spokesperson to all media, industry and opposition groups having an interest in the industry’s legal and litigation issues. Within his role, Mr. Kickham worked with and appeared in all major print, radio and television media throughout New England, as well as in national publications such as USA Today, The National Law Journal, Lawyers Weekly USA, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Prior to his association with the Institute, Mr. Kickham served as Public Affairs Counsel for the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (MATA), in Boston. MATA is a specialty bar association, and is the state chapter of the American Association for Justice, (for many years formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). Mr. Kickham was responsible for media relations on all legal and trial issues, insurance liability, tort reform and civil justice issues. He directed all media coverage and commentary for the association, and served as Editor-In-Chief of all news operations. He regularly appeared in major print and broadcast media, regionally and nationally.

While attending Suffolk University Law School, Mr. Kickham also served on the House Judiciary Committee within the Massachusetts House, where he was Communications Coordinator for legal and legislative matters before the Committee. Prior to entering Suffolk Law School, Mr. Kickham directed media relations and communications strategy within a statewide coalition to reform auto insurance in Massachusetts, where he communicated complex legislative issues to a wide variety of media. Mr. Kickham is a former Special Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County in Massachusetts, and has tried numerous criminal cases, as both prosecutor and defense counsel.

Mr. Kickham holds a degree in Economics from Boston College, and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. He is a member of the Massachusetts and Federal Bars, was a 1982 award recipient from the Outstanding Young Men of America, and a scholarship recipient from Suffolk University Law School. In addition to serving as the host of his own talk show, At The Bar from1995 to 2005, Mr. Kickham has appeared as legal analyst and commentator on Court TV, and appeared as spokesperson and legal commentator in The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, WBZ-AM Radio, WCVB-TV, WBZ-TV, WHDH-TV, and New England Cable News, discussing a wide variety of legal issues and organizations. In addition, he has worked with such national news organizations as USA Today and 60 Minutes, in briefing researchers and producers on legal issues.

Mr. Kickham resides with his wife Debbi in Westwood, Massachusetts.

Eric J. Parker is a co-founder of Parker Scheer LLP and serves as the firm's Managing Partner. With over 23 years of experience in complex personal injury trial work, Mr. Parker represents adults and children injured or killed as a result of defectively designed and manufactured products, as well as victims of medical and dental malpractice, defective premises, motor vehicle negligence, and aviation related injury or death.

Mr. Parker is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA; Elected President, Massachusetts Chapter, 2009- ), and is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America), the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association, and the National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association. Mr. Parker has been named a "Massachusetts Super Lawyer" by the publishers of Boston Magazine every year since the designation was first created in 2004 (given to the top 5% of all Massachusetts attorneys), and is a certified member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mr. Parker has received the highest peer-review rating established by Martindale-Hubbell's Law Directory. This rating is only given to lawyers and law firms which are considered to have Very High to Preeminent Legal Ability and who are thought to embrace Very High Professional Standards.

In addition to serving as director of the firm's Complex Personal Injury Practice Group, Mr. Parker is also an FAA licensed Private Pilot, and was a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Media and Technology Charter High School of Boston (Elected Chairman of the Board, 2001-2005), whose mission is to prepare at risk, inner-city Boston high school students to succeed in college and beyond. In 2001 Mr. Parker was appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the Boston Law Tribune, and in January 2007 was appointed to the Editorial Board of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the leading weekly newspaper serving the Massachusetts legal community.

Before co-founding Parker Scheer, Mr. Parker was a partner in the Boston trial firm of Sarrouf, Tarricone & Flemming. Mr. Parker is a frequent guest lecturer at Boston College Law School and has served as a trial practice adviser to student participants in the Harvard Law School Trial Practice program. Mr. Parker has authored articles on a wide range of legal topics with an emphasis on the representation of children in tort actions. Mr. Parker's cases have received regional and national press coverage, and have been cited as among the "most important decisions" by the Massachusetts legal press.

Mr. Parker has received the highest peer-review rating established by Martindale-Hubbell's Law Directory.

I am a trial lawyer and handle civil cases throughout Massachusetts. I have tried over over 100 cases to a jury verdict. I am experienced in the defense handling of insurance claims in Massachusetts state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies and appeals.

Significant cases I have defended include:

PRODUCTS LIABILITY. Burgos v. Danly Machine, U.S. District Ct., D.Mass., 17 Verdicts, Settlement and Tactics 361-362, 1997 WL 33345564, Natl. Jury Verdict Rptr. 10:15. Defense verdict for manufacturer of 50 ton power press sued by injured worker struck by metal blanks. Roberge v. Roberge, U.S. District Ct., D.Mass., 1999 WL 33488789, 15 New England Jury Verdict Rptr. 7:C8. Verdict of no defect in defendant's bicycle operated by boy whose jaw was fractured in accident. In DaConceicao v. Tru-Grit, U.S. Dist. Ct., D.Mass. 4/02), a jury returned a verdict of no liability for breach of warranty or negligence against the supplier of a knife-making machine. Summary judgment was granted for the manufacturer in Witte v. Thermold (Worc. Dist. Ct. 7/07) for an injury caused when a shower handle broke.

WRONGFUL TERMINATION. Tuper v. North Adams Ambulance Service, Inc., 428 Mass. 132 (1998). After summary judgment on defamation and tortious interference claims, defense verdict was returned in wrongful termination case. On appeal Mass. Supreme Judicial Court upheld trial ruling that unemployment hearing decision finding employee was discharged without just cause was inadmissible and not binding in later breach of contract suit. Weissman v. Altra Marine Products (U.S. District Court, D.Mass), 1995 WL 1933839, 10 New England Jury Verdict Rptr. 12:6. Favorable verdict against manufacturer sued by representative for breach of agreement, fraud, tortious interference with advantageous relations with customer.

DEFENSE VERDICTS IN REAR-END COLLISIONS. In Rouvellat v. Guarco, 187 F.3d 622 (1st Cir. 1999), a federal jury found a defendant motorist not negligent where plaintiff claimed over $100,000 in medical and wage losses, following refusal of a generous settlement offer at mediation. In Martin v. McKenna, 2005 WL 4397793 (Hampden Super. Ct.), a jury found no negligence despite the admission in evidence that the case was previously tried to a judge who awarded $30,000 and that award was Aprima facie@ evidence in favor of the plaintiff. Similarly, in Mulvey v. Roy, 2006 WL 4654733 (Hampden Super. Ct.), the jury found no negligence on the part of a motorist who rear-ended another vehicle starting a four-car chain collision.

DEFENSE VERDICTS FOR INSURANCE AGENTS/ERRORS & OMISSIONS. In Capozza v. Johnson, 6 Western Mass. Law Trib. 4, 1 (April 2005), 2005 WL 115548 (Hampden Super. Ct.), a jury found the agency did not err in obtaining insurance coverage on a Mercedes, there was a $1.5 million verdict against the co-defendant motorist. Similarly in Greaves v. K-D Agency, 2006 WL 4654729 (Worc. Dist. Ct. 7/06), a jury returned a verdict of no negligence where an insured had reduced his coverages below his mortagage balance and was underinsured for a fire. In Chenevert v. Remillard, 1999 WL 3348883, following an uninsured theft claim a jury found no negligence, deceit or contract breach in the procurement of a homeowners policy. In Miller v. Moulton, (Palmer Dist. Ct. 3/98), a judge entered judgment for the defendant agency following trial on a claim an agent was responsible for an insured being uninsured for a restaurant fire. In Harder v. Cebula, (Palmer Dist Ct. 3/93), a defense finding was entered after trial exonerating an agent for uninsured damages for a boiler loss.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT FOR AGENTS/E&O. In both Leger v. INA, 38 Mass. App. Ct. 1102 (1995), and Grey v. Finn, (Franklin Super. Ct. 11/1/00), an agent was granted summary judgment following an uninsured fire loss. In Lata v. Remillard (Norfolk Super. Ct. 10/29/04), summary judgment was granted on a claim an agent failed to procure sufficient underinsured motorist limits. In Sacadura v. Ideal (Springfield Dist. Ct. 7/04), a directed verdict was granted at trial where a homeowner sued his agent to cover an uninsured dog bite loss.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN LEGAL MALPRACTICE CLAIM. In Bratcher v. Moriarty, Donoghue & Leja, P.C., 54 Mass. 111 (2002), the court found no duty existed between the lawyer for the widow in a wrongful death action and the co-administrator of the decedent=s estate.

FAVORABLE VERDICTS FOR AT-FAULT TRUCKING COMPANIES. In Fernandez v. May Trucking Co., 1993 WL 1466090, and Bird v. Lott Trucking, 2001 WL 1041973, jury verdicts were obtained in a nominal amount well below the last offer of settlement. In Digiovanni v. Borden and McCormick v. Borden (U.S. Dist. Ct. 10/92), a jury awarded nominal damages to a mother and daughter claiming injury from a rear-end collision. Similarly, in Gendron v. Waste Management, 2002 Mass. Super. LEXIS 32057895, a jury rejected a claim of permanent disability and awarded only special damages to a plaintiff.

DEFENSE VERDCTS WHERE MOTORIST STRUCK BICYCLIST/PEDESTRIAN. In Evans v. Devereaux Foundation, 1992 WL 1352918, a jury found a motorist who struck a pedestrian in a cross-walk not negligent. In Boyle v. Silluzio, 2005 WL 2148520, the jury found a negligent motorist who struck a bicyclist at an intersection cross-walk was not causally responsible for plaintiff=s damages. In Delmolino v. Doyle (34 Mass. Lawyers Weekly 593, Nov. 7, 2005), a pedestrian struck by a backing motorist in a parking lot was found not negligent.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT FOR NURSING HOME IN WRONGFUL DEATH ACTION. In Fentross v. Geriatric Authority of Holyoke, 2002 Mass. Super. LEXIS 533, a dismissal was obtained for failure to make presentment under torts claims act.

PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT ENFORCING DAMAGES CAP IN BRAIN INJURY CLAIM.In Reynolds v. Williston Northampton School, 2006 Mass. Super. LEXIS 46, court allowed motion for summary judgment enforcing charitable cap on claim of brain injury allegedly suffered by spectator due to premises defect at private school's hockey facility rented to outside group.

DIRECTED VERDICTS. In Roman v. Pulaski Club (Hampden Super. Ct. 10/92), a judge dismissed a negligent security claim against a private club where one patron assaulted another. In Ditto v. Town of Palmer, 1995 WL 1722613, a road defect claim alleged to have caused a motorcycle accident was dismissed at the close of the plaintiff=s evidence.

PREMISES DEFECT CLAIMS. In Lash v. Apollo, 1995 WL 1768599, 10 Nat'l. Jury Verdict Rptr. 7:26, a jury rendered a verdict of no negligence where a deliveryman was claiming $150,000 in special damages and permanent impairment from a fall at allegedly unsafe premises.

DEFENSE VERDICTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. In Glabicki v. Sarad, 1991 WL 1063382, no negligence was found on the part of a truck driver for a broadside accident where plaintiff had significant special damages and permanency. In Antuna v. Bergollo, 2004 Mass. Super. LEXIS 2216614, a jury found no negligence on the part of a motorist who took a right on red and whose vehicle was then struck. In Reyes v. Florence Casket (Springfield Dist. Ct. 5/04), a jury found no negligence on the part of delivery truck alleged to have sideswiped a vehicle backing into a parking spot. In Meadows v. Travel Time, 7 New England Jury Verdict Rptr. 2:16, a bus company was found not negligent by a jury for a disc injury allegedly caused when the bus went over a speed bump at an inappropriate speed.

APPEALS COURT REVERSAL OF PLAINTIFF'S VERDICT. In Gibbons v. Nichols [Tenneco], 1994 Mass. App. Div. 28, the Appellate Court vacated a finding for the plaintiff in an intersection accident and granted a new trial due to judicial error against the defendant.

NEW TRIAL GRANTED IN $1.5M VERDICT. In CIGNA Fire Underwriters Ins. Co. v. MacDonald & Johnson, Inc., 86 F.3d 1260 (1996), a federal judge allowed judgment notwithstanding the verdict of $750,000 on tortious interference counterclaim against insurer, and new trial on breach of contract claim verdict of $500,000, which was reduced to $250,000 on re-trial.