Firm News

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine has named Samuel J. Cordes as a Super Lawyer for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Pittsburgh.   John Stember was also named a Super Lawyer.  Maureen Davidson-Welling was named as a 2010 Rising Star.

Stember Feinstein Doyle Payne & Cordes in the News
Because our cases often involve important issues, international, national and Pittsburgh media outlets frequently report on lawsuits brought by Stember Feinstein Doyle Payne & Cordes. Our cases have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Denver Post, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and the Pittsburgh City Paper. Our attorneys have been interviewed on local radio and television stations and have appeared on Oprah and The Al Franken Show.

The following is some of the most recent coverage of our cases:

Class Actions – 401(k) and Private Pension Plans

• “Court OKs First Horizon Workers to Proceed with Prudence Claims,” BNA Pension & Benefits Daily, October 1, 2009.
• “The Law: Shutting Down to Avoid Paying Pensions,” AARP Bulletin, May 1, 2009.
• “Seventh Circuit’s Plan Fees Ruling Draws Criticism, Praise at ABA Meeting,” BNA Pension & Benefits Daily, February 23, 2009.
• “State Street 401(k) Plan Losses Being Probed,” Workforce Management, January 23, 2009.
• “Johnstown Pension Fight Near Closure,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, November 17, 2008.
• “Freightcar America Workers Still Waiting on Judge’s Decision,” wjactv.com (Johnstown, PA), November 17, 2008.
• “Litigation and the Credit Crunch,” Global Pensions (U.K.), November 4, 2008.
• “Former Employees Sue PFF Bank over their Losses,” Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.), August 20, 2008.
• “PFF Moves Toward Settling,” Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.), August 17, 2008.
• “Bank Execs’ Woes Mouth Legal Challeneges; Could Hurt Merger,” Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.), June 27, 2008.
• “Ex-Employee Sues First Horizon over Funds Decline,” Memphis Commercial Appeal, May 10, 2008.
• “Regions Employees File Class-Action Complaint,” The (Memphis) Daily News, April 7, 2008.
• “Supreme Court’s 401(k) Ruling Could Spur Firms into Action,” Pittsburgh Business Times, March 21, 2008.
• “Advisers Scramble as Credit Turmoil Claims Carlyle Fund and Bear Stearns,” Legal Week (United Kingdom), March 20, 2008.
• Interview of Ellen Doyle regarding Bear Stearns and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis, “SqueezePlay,” Business News Network (Canada), March 18, 2008.
• “FreightCar Case Headed to Higher Court,” The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, PA), February 12, 2008.
• “Judge Grants Union Injunction Against FreightCar America,” The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, PA), January 11, 2008.

Class Actions -- Governmental Pensions

• "State Pension Law Challenged in Court," Capital Journal (Pierre, SD), June 15, 2010.
• "Change to State Pension Plan Irks Some Retirees," Argus Leader," (Sioux Falls, SD), June 15, 2010.
• "Former Rapid City Judge, Three Others Sue State Over Retrirement Benefits Law," Rapid City Journal, June 15, 2008.
• "State Pension Law Challenged in Court, Captial Journal," (Pierre, SD), June 15, 2010.
• "Pension Cuts Face Test in Colorado and Minnesota," Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2010.
• "The Michele Tafoya Show (Interview)",WCCO Radio (Minneapolis), May 18, 2010.
• “PERA Benefit Cuts Bring Expected Class-Action Lawsuit,” Denver Post, February 27, 2010.
• “Retirees Sue Over Colorado State Pension Changes,” Business Insurance, February 26, 2010.
• “SEA, State Joust Over Deductions,” Concord Monitor, February 18, 2010.
• “Retirees Sue Over Pension Deduction,” Concord Monitor, August 4, 2009.
• “Unions Sue Over Mass. Pension Changes,” Boston Globe, July 3, 2009.
• “VA Nurses Win Pension Restoration,” Nursingmatters, April 2009.
• “Part-Time VA Nurses Win Long Battle for Full Pensions,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 12, 2008.
• “Retired VA Nurses Get Pension Victory,” KDKA-TV (video), November 11, 2008.
• “Part Time Veterans’ Nurses Getting Full Pensions,” Associated Press, November 11, 2008.

Class Actions – Retiree Health Benefits

• “Union Asks Court to Restore Century Aluminum Benefits,” Charleston (WV) Gazette, February 27, 2010.
• “Retirees Sue NewPage Corp. over Health Benefits,” Dayton Daily News, December 28, 2009.
• “Local Retiree, USW File Lawsuit Against NewPage,” Wisonsin Rapids Tribune, December 28, 2009.
• “Century Aluminum Retirees, Attorneys Meet,” News and Sentinel (Parkersberg, WV), November 20, 2009.
• “Union says it is Illegal to Cut Retiree Benefits at Century Aluminum,” WOWK-TV, November 19, 2009.
• “Michigan Federal Court OKs Modifications to VEBA Establisehed for Ford Retirees,” Pensions & Benefits Daily, Nov. 13, 2009.
• “Ruling Favors Morton Workers,” The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), October 4, 2008.
• “Rohm & Haas Loses Benefits Case,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 3, 2008.
• “Budget Cuts,” Pittsburgh City Paper, May 22, 2008.
• “Ex-Blues Boss to Oversee VEBA,” Detroit Free Press, April 10, 2008.
• “Class Action Case Upheld,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, August 8, 2007.
• “Judge: Continental Tire to Pay Benefits,” Charlotte Observer, August 7, 2007.
• “Continental Tire to Pay Health Benefits,” Toledo Blade, August 4, 2007.
• “Retirees Ask Judge to Retain Health Plan,” Toledo Blade, December 21, 2006.
• “Morton Salt Retirees Granted a Day in Court,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 28. 2006.
• “Higher health costs OK’d for GM retirees,” Detroit Free Press, April 1, 2006.
• “See You in Court, Pops,” Reader’s Digest, March 2006.
• “Union OKs Ford Health Care Deal,” Detroit Free Press, December 23, 2005.
• “GM Health Deal is Close to Approval,” Detroit News, December 20, 2005.
• “Broken Promises: Disappearing Retiree Health Benefits,” Now (PBS television program), April 1, 2005.
• “Companies Sue Union Retirees to Cut Promised Health Benefits,” The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 10, 2004.

Employment Law

• “North Side Man Claims Boss Harassed Him for Being Gay,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 30, 2010.
• “City’s Loss in EMS Pension Case Could Spur Others,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 25, 2010.
• “West Mifflin School Director Sues District,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 30, 2010.
• “ Dismissed Police Sue Duquense City School District,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 4, 2010.
• “Navigating Furlough Benefits,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 6, 2009.
• “Unemployment-Pay Ordeal Ensares Freelance Reporter," bctv,org, February 1, 2010.
• “NJ Lawsuit Accuses PNC of Abusive Overdraft Policy,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 9, 2009.
• “Navigating Furlough Benefits,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 6, 2009.
• “Don’t Delay, Know Your Stuff to Navigate Unemployment Aid,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, April 12, 2008.
• “Mars Woman Alleges Company Failed to Pay Overtime,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 23, 2008.
• “Jury Awards $1.8 million to Bethel Park Woman ,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 23, 2008.
• “Fiserv Overtime Suit,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, December 22, 2008.
• “Learn How to Fight Back When Insurance Claim is Denied,” WPXI Television, February 11, 2008.
• “Is Whistleblowing Worth It?” Medical Economics, January 20, 2006.
• “Hospital Discharge,” Pittsburgh City Paper, August 10, 2005.
• “Whistleblower or Trouble Maker?” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, May 13, 2005.

Pitt Basketball Lawsuit

• “Pittsburgh Basketball, Hippest Hottest Ticket in Town,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 13, 2007.
• “Ticket Settlement Gets OK,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 6, 2005.
• “Judge Approves Settlement Over Pitt Tickets,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, July 6, 2005.

Attorney Profiles

• “Stember Feinstein Takes New Partners,” Pittsburgh Business Times, April 1, 2010.
• “Students Learn Law As They Aid The Jobless,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, December 28, 2009.
• “Focus On . . . Stember Feinstein,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 22, 2006.
• “Stember Feinstein Doyle & Payne Picks Up General Motors Class Action,” Pittsburgh Business Times, November 18, 2005.
• “40 under 40,” Pittsburgh Magazine, November 2005.