April 2019 — Melvin C. McDowell, Attorney at Law

April 25, 2019

Split 5 to 4, Supreme Court Deals a Blow to Class Arbitrations – The New York Times

The justices ruled that an arbitration clause in an employment contract barred workers from banding together to pursue privacy claims.

Source: Split 5 to 4, Supreme Court Deals a Blow to Class Arbitrations – The New York Times

April 23, 2019

Chalking tires to enforce parking rules is unconstitutional, court finds

Marking your tires with chalk is trespassing, not law enforcement, the federal appeals panel said in a Michigan case.

Source: Chalking tires to enforce parking rules is unconstitutional, court finds

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019

Personal Jurisdiction

A litigation defendant, when sued in a court located in a state in which it does not reside, may be able to challenge the jurisdiction of that court. For example, in a recent case decided in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, Seeley v. Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation, the Court held that the plaintiffs could not sue a New Jersey casino in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for a slip and fall which occurred in New Jersey.

Photo by Claire Anderson on Unsplash

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019

Temple Law Rankings Rise

My Bio

I live in Everett, Bedford County, Pennsylvania and am a member of the Bedford County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

I concentrate my practice in general litigation, including commercial and business cases. I also have experience in insurance and personal injury litigation, as well as employment and discrimination litigation, estate litigation, guardianship proceedings, trademarks, and zoning. I also have handled state court and federal court appeals. In fact, I have more than 26 years of civil litigation experience.

Before commencing my legal career, I served as a Revenue Officer with the Internal Revenue Service where I was awarded the IRS Special Achievement Award. I also served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy with Airborne Early Warning Squadron VAW-123.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University and my Juris Doctorate from Temple University.

I am admitted to practice in all the state courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Western District of Pennsylvania. I am also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Disclaimers

Posts and comments on this blog are only for general educational purposes. None of my posts or comments on this blog should be construed as giving legal advice. For reasons of simplicity and easy understanding, posts may omit discussion of exceptions or qualifications which may be relevant to the reader’s particular circumstances. Similarly, any links to legal resources from this website are for general educational purposes only and may not be up to date at the time you read the linked information. You should not rely upon such for legal advice.

You are not my client and we have not created an attorney/client relationship unless I have provided you a written engagement agreement which you have signed and returned to me, and I have acknowledged the receipt of such document.

If you wish to become my client, you should know that I do not have professional liability insurance.

Any comments appearing on this blog which are not my own should not be construed as representing my opinions. Furthermore, my allowing comments by others on this blog should not be construed as my agreeing with or endorsing such comments.