All Posts By

Katie Allen

Nov 07 2025
Shifting the Risk: Dodd DelCollo Presents Key Insights on Tender Demands to AXIS Capital

Shifting the Risk: Dodd DelCollo Presents Key Insights on Tender Demands to AXIS Capital

By News
Stephanie Hibbert, Dodd DelCollo

Stephanie Hibbert

Jody Benard, Dodd DelCollo

Jody Benard

At Dodd DelCollo, we believe one of the most valuable services we offer to clients, carriers and claims professionals is clear, actionable information and education. That’s why we were thrilled to be invited by AXIS Capital to lead a specialized in-house seminar on a crucial litigation topic: risk transfer through tender demands.

Senior Counsel Stephanie Hibbert and Partner/New York Team Lead Jody Benard led a highly engaging presentation titled: “Tender Demands in Premises Liability. Let’s Discuss!” Read More

Jan 20 2025
Hickey Smith Dodd is now Dodd DelCollo. Man and woman standing near an office table shaking hands.

Hickey Smith Dodd is now Dodd DelCollo

By Firm News, News, Press Releases

New name. Same team & stellar service.

We are excited to announce that Hickey Smith Dodd is now Dodd DelCollo.

While our law firm’s name has changed, our unwavering focus on delivering more value remains the same. You can expect the same dedicated team of legal professionals you know and trust to continue representing you.

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Nov 08 2024
Judge using gavel

Dodd DelCollo’s Jody Benard Obtains Unanimous Defense Verdict

By Firm News, News, Press Releases

Jury rendered defense verdict after only 30 minutes of deliberations on liability case

Headshot image of Jody Benard of Hickey Smith DoddOn November 7, 2024, Jody Benard, Partner and New York Team Leader for Dodd DelCollo’s Insurance Defense Practice Group, obtained a unanimous defense verdict on liability in the Suffolk County Supreme Court in the case of Scott Doumas v JCWC, LLC, Index No. 619958/2018, Judge George Nolan presiding. The jury rendered the verdict after only 30 minutes of deliberations. Read More

May 24 2023
Tortious Interference Claims Under Florida Law

Tortious Interference Claims in Florida: Proof Of Justification Remains Confusing

By Blog
Under Florida Law, “tortious interference with a contract and tortious interference with a business relationship are basically the same cause of action. The only material difference appears to be that in one there is a contract and in the other there is only a business relationship.” Smith v. Ocean State Bank, 335 So. 2d 641, 642 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976) (quoted in St. Johns River Water Mgmt. Dist. v. Fernberg Geological Services, Inc., 784 So. 2d 500, 504 n. 4 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)). Under both torts, plaintiff must prove, among other things, that defendant’s interference with plaintiff’s contract or business relationship was without justification. See Tamiami Trail Tours, Inc. v. Cotton, 463 So. 2d 1126, 1127 (Fla. 1985); Crawley-Kitzman v. Hernandez, 324 So. 3d 968, 976 (Fla. 3d DCA 2021). Thirty years ago, a Florida court specifically recognized that “[j]ustification is a confusing element, and probably a poorly developed aspect, of this tort.” GNB, Inc. v. United Danco Batteries, 627 So. 2d 492, 494 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993) (Altenbernd, J. dissenting).
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Apr 21 2023
Image of Land Surveyor

Have a Legal Dispute over the Location of Plaintiff’s Fall? Hire a Land Surveyor

By Blog

by Damian M. Sammons

It is often the case that a Plaintiff who suffers a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury names several adjoining property owners as defendants in a lawsuit. This occurs when the Plaintiff is unsure whose property he or she fell on, or is unclear exactly where he or she fell. Faced with this uncertainty, the Plaintiff sues the owners of all the adjoining properties. This is akin to what one does when making spaghetti: throw everything up on the wall and see what sticks. Read More

Apr 05 2023
Hickey Smith Dodd Blog Post Arbitral Rules

Arbitration: Read The Rules

By Blog

Arbitral Rules Incorporated Into An Arbitration Agreement May Empower An Arbitrator To Rule On His Or Her Own Jurisdiction

Commercial contracts often include an agreement that the contracting parties will arbitrate disputes that may arise between them in the course of their business dealings. And it is quite common for the arbitration agreement provision to specify which arbitral rules will apply if an arbitration is commenced by either party. For example, the arbitration provision contained in a contract between a business and one if its vendors may specify that the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Arbitration Rules will apply.
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Mar 23 2023
Do Healthcare Providers In Florida Implicitly Agree To Safeguard Their Patients’ PII and PHI?

Do Healthcare Providers In Florida Implicitly Agree To Safeguard Their Patients’ PII and PHI?

By Blog

PHI and PII: When questioning legal requirements to protect data, the answer may depend on venue.

When a patient in Florida provides personally identifiable information (“PII”) and protected health information (“PHI”) to her healthcare provider, is there an implicit agreement between the parties that the provider will safeguard this sensitive information? If litigation over a data breach ensues, the answer may depend on which Florida Federal District Court has venue.
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Feb 27 2023

Hickey Smith Dodd Senior Counsel Damian Sammons Named One Of 25 Notable Pennsylvania Attorneys

By Firm News, News, Press Releases
Damian M. Sammons - Hickey Smith DoddAttorney Intel recently announced its 25 Notable Attorneys of Pennsylvania for 2023. Hickey Smith Dodd Senior Counsel Damian Sammons made the shortlist, which includes award-winning attorneys, environmental pioneers, and veterans of the legal field. Damian’s practice focuses on toxic torts, product liability, construction design defects, and commercial and general liability matters. Read more about Damian’s recent recognition here, and about his background and practice here.

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Sep 02 2022

Hickey Smith Dodd Welcomes Dominic Boone To The Firm

By Firm News, News, Press Releases

Experienced Senior Counsel Adds Depth To New York Insurance Defense Practice Group

Hickey Smith Dodd LLP is pleased to announce that Dominic Boone, Esq. has joined the firm as a Senior Counsel in the firm’s Insurance Defense Practice Group in New York. Mr. Boone brings more than twenty years of experience representing clients in all aspects of property damage and personal injury matters, including matters catastrophic injuries and traumatic brain injuries. His practice includes the defense of claims involving alleged New York labor law violations, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, general and premises liability, construction defects, and automobile accidents.
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