Napoli Shkolnik Expects to Benefit from Recent Bern Ripka Collapse

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - August 12, 2016) - In August 2015, the members of Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik LLP separated to form Napoli Shkolnik PLLC and Bern Ripka LLP. Unlike Napoli Shkolnik, which has ridden a wave of success since the split, Bern Ripka recently disbanded. But Bern Ripka's failure could have a silver lining for Napoli Shkolnik, which has offered a lifeboat to clients who are expected to exit the Bern Ripka sinking ship.

As was recently reported on the front page of the New York Law Journal, Bern Ripka is dissolving its partnership after less than a year in business. Paul J. Napoli, Of Counsel at Napoli Shkolnik, was asked for his opinion on the matter: "Neither Bern nor Ripka have the leadership qualities or business acumen to run a law firm …Unfortunately the Bern Ripka break up hurts their employees, of course, but most importantly the clients they promised to represent." Hunter Shkolnik, one of Napoli Shkolnik's Managing Partners, provided a similar assessment: "Effective firm management is a key component to success. With Ripka's rapid departure from Bern it's clear that this is not happening there. If you are unable to run a firm, how can you try a case?"

Once Bern Ripka's clients catch wind of the firm's problems, it is expected that many will run for the exits and seek out other firms to represent them. Since the vast majority of Bern Ripka's clients were former clients of the predecessor firm, Napoli Shkolnik is in a unique position to step in as counsel.

Napoli Shkolnik PLLC continues to expand its national presence with 8 offices across the country. With more than 50 attorneys and 100 support staff, the firm provides representation in class actions and complex commercial litigation, as well as cases involving environmental contamination disasters, aviation accidents, defective prescriptions drugs and medical devices, asbestos-related illnesses, and other serious personal injury matters.

Notably, since its inception last year, Napoli Shkolnik PLLC has enjoyed one success after another:

• Napoli Shkolnik is Co-Lead Counsel in the In Re Daily Fantasy Sports Litigation in the United States District Court of Massachusetts;
• Napoli Shkolnik has gained leadership positions in several high-profile pharmaceutical litigations, including the Viagra Melanoma MDL;
• Napoli Shkolnik was appointed to the Bair Hugger MDL Litigation;
• Napoli Shkolnik freed a client from prison after a Judge tossed out a double murder conviction;
• Napoli Shkolnik has filed numerous class actions against UBER in federal courts across the country to stop the company from misclassifying its drivers;
• Napoli Shkolnik has filed a class action with the NAACP in Flint, Michigan;
• Napoli Shkolnik represents thousands of RushCard customers who were allegedly shut out of their prepaid card accounts last October;
• Napoli Shkolnik has filed a class action in the Northern District of New York on behalf of Hoosick Falls residents against Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. and Honeywell International, Inc. for water contamination;
• Napoli Shkolnik has expanded its aviation department, which is handling numerous air-crash litigations; and
• Napoli Shkolnik has built a robust complex commercial litigation practice.

In addition to the firm's many successes, the Managing Partners—Marie Napoli and Hunter Shkolnik—continue to distinguish themselves individually, both in and outside the courtroom. They have handled numerous headline-making litigations and appeared as legal commentators on CBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, Fox News, and CNN.