News

Burns White Philadelphia office expands healthcare practice

Aug 1, 2013 | News

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1, 2013 — The Philadelphia office of Burns White is expanding its healthcare and long-term care practice with the addition of three seasoned Associates, two with extensive nursing backgrounds. Sylvia A. McCullough, Melissa C. Morris and M. Sean Maravich recently joined a team of litigators that has more than doubled in size since January 2012.

A Critical Care Certified Registered Nurse (CCRN) since 1985, Ms. McCullough draws from her extensive medical background when defending long-term care and healthcare facilities against negligence, medical malpractice and general liability claims. In addition, she has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state court, federal court and arbitration in workers’ compensation, Social Security and employment law. She earned a J.D. from Widener University and a B.S.N. from Gwynedd Mercy College.

Ms. Morris, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in bioethics, primarily represents long-term care providers in medical malpractice claims. Prior to joining the firm, she served in various legal, consulting and medical roles throughout the Philadelphia area, including Manager of the Progressive Care Unit at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Owner of Morris Legal Nurse Consulting. Ms. Morris received a J.D. from Temple University, an M.B.E. from the University of Pennsylvania, a B.A., magna cum laude, from Temple University and an R.N. from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Maravich brings more than 20 years of experience in representing physicians, nurses and healthcare institutions in all facets of medical malpractice litigation to the Healthcare and Long-Term Care Group at Burns White. This area of practice was honed at several large Philadelphia-area law firms, where he assisted a diverse array of clients with medical malpractice, products liability, commercial litigation and insurance-related matters. Mr. Maravich received both J.D. and B.A. degrees from Temple University.

Sylvia, Melissa and Sean will be great assets to our team,” said William J. Mundy, Co-Chair of the Healthcare and Long-Term Care Practice Group. “Sylvia and Melissa’s medical backgrounds, paired with Sean’s seasoned litigation experience, will play a pivotal role in assisting with practical case analyses and detecting discrete issues that ordinarily might be missed.”

Aside from the growing team of attorneys, the group has expanded in another way—with a new office. Burns White opened a Wilkes-Barre, Pa. office in 2012 to support existing and prospective healthcare clients in the area.

“The opening of the Wilkes-Barre office has enabled us to better serve area clients,” said Member Stuart T. O’Neal. “While it currently functions as a second home for me and several other Philadelphia-based attorneys, we are hopeful of the future growth potential there.”