Biography: Born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1960. He has been an attorney with the firm since 1985 and a partner since 1991. Mr. Forsythe has been selected for inclusion in U.S. News and World Report Best Lawyers in America for 2011 and 2012, in the practice area of Professional Malpractice Law, and for 2013-2017 in the practice area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action-Defendants. He has earned an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available.
Mr. Forsythe served on the Professional Liability Specialty Board of Editors for CLM’s prestigious publication, the Journal of American Law.
In addition, Mr. Forsythe was interviewed on-line in Pennsylvania Homes in September 2014, for insights on the issue of real estate short sales.
Admissions: Pennsylvania Common Pleas, Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts, 1985;
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 1985;
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1991;
West Virginia Circuit and Supreme Courts, 1993;
United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, 1993;
United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, 1995;
Ohio Common Pleas and Supreme Courts, 1996;
Memberships: Member of Duquesne Law Review;
Allegheny County Bar Association;
West Virginia Bar Association;
Risk and Insurance Management Society (Pittsburgh Chapter);
Insurance Club of Pittsburgh;
Associate Member, Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies;
Premium Member, CLM Alliance (Claims and Litigation Management)
Publications: Case Note, “Jones v. United States,” Volume 23, Duquesne Law Review;
Comment, “The Demise of the Doctrine of Basic and Fundamental Error and the New Role of Strict Issue Preservation,” Volume 23, Duquesne Law Review;
Article, “Pleading the Defense of Local Agency Immunity in Pennsylvania,” Volume 27, Duquesne Law Review, cited as authority in Wurth v. City of Philadelphia, 136 Pa. Cmwlth 629, 635, n.3, 584 A.2d 403, 406, n.3 (1990).
Also authors “Legal Highlights” for the newsletter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society and “Focus on Comp” for RIMS and various insurance entities, and serves as editor for firm’s quarterly Newsletter, “Your Best Defense.”
Contributed articles for Newsletter include:
“Lead Based Paint Does Not Fall Under Polllution Exclusion,” Vol.1, No.1, Summer, 2002;
“Eckenrod Standard Fine-Tuned in Asbestos Case,” Vol.1, No.1, Winter, 2002;
“Recreational Use of Land and Water Act,” Vol.2, No.1, Spring, 2003;
“Minors as Third Party Beneficiaries,”, Vol.2, No.4, Winter 2003;
“Eckenrod Refined,” Vol.3, No.2, Fall 2004;
“Medical Standards in Asbestos Cases Clarified by Superior Court,” Vol.4, No.2, Fall 2005;
“Agency in Context of Mortgage Broker Relationship,” Vol.6, No.2, Fall 2007;
“Pennsylvania Supreme Court Examines Eckenrod Standard,” Vol.7, No.1, Spring 2008;
“Liquor Licensees Beware New Superior Court Ruling,” Vol. 7, No. 3, Fall 2008;
“Boilerplate Release Held Invalid,” Volume 8, No. 1, Winter 2009;
“Bifurcation of Punitive Damages Claims in Ohio,” Vol. 11, No. 1, Winter 2012;
“Pennsylvania Supreme Court Affirms/Expands Betz Holding in Asbestos Cases,” Vol. 12, No. 4, Fall 2013.
“Pennsylvania Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Exclusivity of Workers’ Compensation Act in Asbestos Cases,” Vol. 13, No. 1, Winter 2014.
Presentations: “Wrongful Employment Practices,” for Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 9, 1997;
“Legal Issues for Internet Usage and E-Business,” for Pittsburgh Claims Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 2, 2001;
Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law, UM/UIM, Bad Faith Update, for Encompass Insurance, Reading, Pennsylvania, October 2002;
“The Fair Share Act,” for Midwestern Claims Associations, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 19, 2003;
“Trends in Asbestos Reform, Medical Malpractice Reform, and Class Action Reform,” for Risk and Insurance Management Society,Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, April 12, 2005;
“Contractual Liability Language for Risk Managers,” for Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, November 14, 2006;
“Avoiding and Managing Mortgage Broker Litigation,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mortgage Brokers, Mid-Atlantic Conference, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, May 23, 2007, with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.;
“Mortgage Broker Liability,” for CNA Insurance Real Estate Division National Claims Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, November 5, 2007;
“Mortgage Broker Liability,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mortgage Brokers, Western Regional Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, March 18, 2008, with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“General Liability Update,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Reading, PA, April 9, 2008, with James W. Creenan, Esq.
“Negotiations for Claims Adjusters,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Reading, PA, September 10, 2008.
“2009 Update on Home Valuation Code of Conduct and Certificate of Merit,” for Victor O. Schinnerer and CNA Insurance, Chevy Chase, Maryland, June 22, 2009, with Gregory S. Knight, Esq. and Jeffrey A. Kubay, Esq.
“Personal Injury Protection Benefits,” for CNA Insurance, Reading, Pennsylvania, August 12, 2009, with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“Fraud and Abuse,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Reading, PA and Cranbury, NJ, September 23-24, 2009, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Presumption of Negligence,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Cranbury NJ, September 24, 2009, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.;
“Fraud and Abuse,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Syracuse, NY, November 5, 2009, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Joint and Several Liability Law,” for CNA Insurance Companies, Reading, PA, April 14, 2010.
“Fair Share Act in Pennsylvania,” for PAMIC, Western Pennsylvania Insurance Group, November 3, 2011, Indiana, PA., with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Things You Need to Know About Bad Faith and Unfair Claims Practices,” for IFPA/IASIU Fraud Prevention Conference, May 14, 2012, Hershey Pa., with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
Seminars: “General Liability Update,” and program coordinator, for Pittsburgh Claims Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 2000, March 2002, March 2003.
“General Liability Update,” and program coordinator, for Pennsylvania Claims Association’s 2004 Western Pennsylvania Claims Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 2004.
“General Liability Update,” and program coordinator, for Pennsylvania Claims Association’s 2005 Western Pennsylvania Claims Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 2005.
“Legal Process 101” and “Effective Investigation and Negotiation,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 2007 Claims Summit, Lancaster, PA, April 12, 2007, with Michael L. Magulick, Esq.
“Legal Process 101,” for Western Pennsylvania Insurance Group, Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Indiana, PA, June 28, 2007, with Michael L. Magulick, Esq.
“Keeping Important Papers in a Paperless World – Discovery of Electronically Stored Information,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 100th Annual Convention, Rocky Gap Resort, Flintstone, Maryland, August 6, 2007, with Michael L. Magulick, Esq.
“Insurance Coverages Legal Panel,” panel member, for Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 100th Annual Convention, Rocky Gap Resort, Flintstone, Maryland, August 7, 2007.
“Property Exclusions – Case Law Update,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 2008 Claims Summit, Harrisburg, PA, April 2, 2008.
“E-Discovery and Record Keeping – What Everyone Should Know,” for Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 2008 Annual Convention, PAMIC/VAMIC/WVAIC Combined Convention, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania, August 5, 2008, with Michael L. Magulick, Esq. and Alana R. Rose
“Guide to Ohio Auto Law for Claims Professionals,” for Rider Insurance, Springfield, New Jersey, November 13, 2008, with Krista Orashan, Esq.
“Auto Liability/PIP Coverage,” for SRS Hartford National Webinar, February 3, 2010, with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“2010 Real Estate Transactions: New RESPA Rules and the Impact on Real Estate Transactions,” for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. and CNA Insurance Companies, June 28, 2010, Chevy Chase, MD., with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“Mass Tort Drug Litigation,” for Hartford Insurance, National Webinar, July 15, 2010, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Auto Liability/PIP Coverage,” for Broadspire Insurance, July 19, 2010, Berkeley Heights, NJ, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Your Work Exclusion in CGL Policies,” for Hartford Insurance, September 7, 2010, National Webinar, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Presumption of Negligence,” for Hartford SRS, March 9, 2011, National Webinar, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Marcellus Shale – New Risks for Existing Insureds,” for PAMIC Spring Claims Summit, April 7, 2011, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Fraudulent Activity Awareness and the Struggling Economy,” for CNA Insurance, May 24, 2011, National Webinar, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Fair Share Act in Pennsylvania,” for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. and CNA Insurance Companies, October 10, 2011, Chevy Chase, MD., with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“Handling Short Sales,” for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. and CNA Insurance Companies, October 10, 2011, Chevy Chase, MD., with Gregory S. Knight, Esq.
“Just the Facts: Liability Claims Handling and Emergency Medicine Liability,” Webinar for CNA Insurance/HealthPro, August 13, 2012, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Pennsylvania Law Update,” Webinar for Hartford Insurance, September 13, 2012, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Marcellus and Utica Shale: New Issues for Real Estate Professionals, Webinar for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc., November 16, 2012, Chevy Chase, MD., with Jeffrey A. Kubay, Esq.
“Cellular Data Analysis,” seminar for Nationwide Insurance, November 5, 2013, Harrisburg, PA, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq. and Bill McGirk, Cellular Solutions, LLC.;
“Medical Fraud and Abuse,” for CNA National Webinar, March 19, 2014, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Fraudulent Activity Awareness and the Struggling Economy,” for Hartford National Webinar, June 3, 2014.
“Spoliation of Evidence,” for North American Risk Services, Altamonte Springs, FL, September 25, 2014.
“Effective Investigation and Recorded Statements,” National Webinar for CNA Insurance, June 17, 2015, with Scott W. Stephan, Esq.
“Medical Fraud and Abuse,” National Webinar for North American Risk Services, July 14, 2015.
Practice Areas: Toxic Torts (Asbestos, Benzene, and Silica); Products Liability; General and Commercial Liability; Government, Municipal, and School Law Liability; Insurance Law; Real Estate Litigation; Mortgage Broker Litigation; Professional Malpractice; Restaurant and Food Service Industry Claims; Premises Liability; Insurance Agent Malpractice; Legal Malpractice
Wayman, Irvin & McAuley, LLC 