Press Release - Sedgwick Elevates Seven Attorneys to Partnership

December 2006

Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP is pleased to announce that seven attorneys have been elevated to the firm's partnership:  Todd Betanzos and Dawn McCord of the Dallas office; Kevin Costello of the Los Angeles office; Martin Healy of the Newark office; Joseph Gebara of the Orange County office; and Kathleen Hurly and Dennis Rolstad of the San Francisco office.

"Elevating these exceptionally talented attorneys to partner is the perfect end to a year of incredible growth and achievement at Sedgwick," said Kevin Dunne, Sedgwick's chairman. "With more than 100 partners, Sedgwick is able to provide the invaluable service of safeguarding some of the nation's most important companies." 

Todd Betanzos has dedicated his career to complex business and personal tort litigation on behalf of major pharmaceutical corporations, medical manufacturers, and insurance brokers. He also provides regulatory counsel to corporations whose business is governed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, Betanzos is an active member of the Defense Research Institute, and is currently serving his fourth year on the DRI Young Lawyers Committee's steering committee. Betanzos received his B.A. in political science from the University of Arizona and his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University School of Law.  

The second Dallas-based attorney elevated to partnership, Dawn McCord, also handles  pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. In addition, she focuses her practice on healthcare, mass tort litigation, commercial litigation, business litigation, and wrongful death matters. She is a participant of the Defense Research Institute, the Litigation Practice Section of the American Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, and the Dallas Bar Association. Her J.D., magna cum laude, was conferred by Texas Tech University School of Law and she earned her B.A. from the Texas A&M University at College Station. 

Like Betanzos and Shawger, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation comprise a significant portion of Kevin Costello's practice. Based in the Los Angeles office, he also specializes in products liability, commercial litigation, medical malpractice and general/premises liability cases.  His extensive practice in federal and state courts includes individual cases, class actions and other statutory representative claims. Costello is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and of the American Legion. Costello received his B.A. from the University of Michigan, and his J.D. was granted by Syracuse University College of Law.

Based in the firm's Newark office, Martin Healy handles complex litigation, including class actions, and has served as national defense counsel for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer.  In addition to being a member of the state bars of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, Healy is also a member of the Defense Research Institute, and the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey. He received his B.A. in political science from Villanova University and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.  

Based in the firm's Orange County office, Joseph Gebara concentrates his practice on the representation of insurers in coverage and bad faith litigation, professional liability defense, and other civil litigation. He has substantial experience advising insurers with respect to a variety of insurance lines including commercial property, commercial general liability, errors and omissions, excess and reinsurance, life insurance, homeowners and automobile policies. Gebara earned his B.S. from the University of Southern California, and his J.D., cum laude, from Brigham Young University Law School.

New San Francisco Partner Kathleen Hurly represents management in employment disputes.  She has tried and arbitrated cases in which plaintiffs claimed wrongful termination, sexual harassment, gender and race discrimination. Hurly received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, and received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Baltimore. 

Fellow San Francisco attorney Dennis Rolstad, is a member of Sedgwick's insurance and healthcare practice groups, where he focuses his practice on the representation and counseling of insurers in coverage, bad faith and ERISA actions, particularly in the arenas of life, health and disability law. Rolstad represents insurers in federal and state courts throughout California and the country, has successfully argued multiples times before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and consults on cases in other states, as well as appears pro hac vice. Rolstad received his J.D. from U.C.L.A. School of Law and his B.A. from Stanford University.