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deleted section "Unsuccessful libel plaintiff" does not belong, a minor issue, deleted section "Author" self published book not relevant ~~~~
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| occupation = [[Lawyer|Attorney]]/[[Author]]/[[Lecturer]]
| occupation = [[Lawyer|Attorney]]/[[Author]]/[[Lecturer]]
| education = [[Temple University]], B.S., 1965; [[Temple University School of Law]], J.D., 1968
| education = [[Temple University]], B.S., 1965; [[Temple University School of Law]], J.D., 1968
|website = [http://arthuralanwolk.com arthuralanwolk.com]
}}
}}


'''Arthur Alan Wolk''' (born October 25, 1943) is an attorney, author and the founding partner of The Wolk Law Firm in [[Philadelphia, PA]], which specializes in [[aviation law]] and air crash litigation for plantiffs.
'''Arthur Alan Wolk''' (born October 25, 1943) is an attorney, author and the founding partner of The Wolk Law Firm in [[Philadelphia, PA]], which specializes in [[aviation law]] and air crash litigation for plantiffs.
The Wolk Law Firm has successfully obtained large settlements and verdicts against aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.airlaw.com/verdicts.htm The Wolk Law Firm - Aircraft Disaster Verdicts and Settlements<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2001 Arthur Wolk won the case of James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co with damages of $480 million.<ref>[http://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/case.asp?n=Unknown&s=FL&d=13673 James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> From 2001 to 2007 Arthur Wolk won more than 20 cases with damages awarded in the millions for each,<ref name=autogenerated1 /> another milestone was the 2007 verdict for Godfrey v. Precision Automotive with the total damage award of $54,752,632.<ref>[http://www.courtroomview.com/proceedings/godfrey-v-precision-trial-2007-07-16 Video of Godfrey v. Precision Automotive - Trial - 07/16/07 to 07/26/07<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2010 Wolk obtained $88.7 million award in Pridgen v. Avco, "the largest (award) out of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court in the last five years..."<ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202447625093 Law.com - Pa. Jury Awards Nearly $89 Million in Plane Crash Case<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The Wolk Law Firm has successfully obtained large settlements and verdicts against aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.airlaw.com/verdicts.htm The Wolk Law Firm - Aircraft Disaster Verdicts and Settlements<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2001 Arthur Wolk won the case of James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co with damages of $480 million.<ref>[http://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/case.asp?n=Unknown&s=FL&d=13673 James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> From 2001 to 2007 Arthur Wolk won more than 20 cases with damages awarded in the millions for each,<ref name=autogenerated1 /> another milestone was the 2007 verdict for Godfrey v. Precision Automotive with the total damage award of $54,752,632.<ref>[http://www.courtroomview.com/proceedings/godfrey-v-precision-trial-2007-07-16 Video of Godfrey v. Precision Automotive - Trial - 07/16/07 to 07/26/07<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2010 Wolk obtained $88.7 million award in Pridgen v. Avco, "the largest (award) out of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court in the last five years..."<ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202447625093 Law.com - Pa. Jury Awards Nearly $89 Million in Plane Crash Case<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


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Other notable cases Wolk was involved in include: Comair 3272, Monroe, MI, (Detroit), EMB-120;<ref>[http://mi.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.%5CFDCT%5CEMI%5C1998%5C19980915_0000106.EMI.htm/qx Findacase™ | In Re Aircrash Disaster Near Monroe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Swissair 111]], Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, MD-11;<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/swissair/swissair.htm WashingtonPost.com: Swissair Flight 111 Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[EgyptAir 990]], near Nantucket, MA, [[Boeing 767]];<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/24/local/me-41057 Families Sue Airline in 1999 Crash That Killed More Than 200 - Los Angeles Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and Alaska Air 261, Port Mugu, CA, MD-83.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-01-30-alaska.htm Pilot error contributed to crash, lawsuit says<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Other notable cases Wolk was involved in include: Comair 3272, Monroe, MI, (Detroit), EMB-120;<ref>[http://mi.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.%5CFDCT%5CEMI%5C1998%5C19980915_0000106.EMI.htm/qx Findacase™ | In Re Aircrash Disaster Near Monroe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Swissair 111]], Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, MD-11;<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/swissair/swissair.htm WashingtonPost.com: Swissair Flight 111 Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[EgyptAir 990]], near Nantucket, MA, [[Boeing 767]];<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/24/local/me-41057 Families Sue Airline in 1999 Crash That Killed More Than 200 - Los Angeles Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and Alaska Air 261, Port Mugu, CA, MD-83.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-01-30-alaska.htm Pilot error contributed to crash, lawsuit says<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

He was the plaintiff in the [[libel]] lawsuit ''[[Arthur Alan Wolk v. Walter Olson]]'', which reaffirmed the principle that internet publications are "mass media" publications for purposes of determining the statute of limitations.<ref name=sullum/><ref name=Duffy/><ref name=pbj/>

===Unsuccessful libel plaintiff===
On September 30, 2002, in a lawsuit in federal court in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia]], ''Taylor v. Teledyne'', Judge [[Julie E. Carnes]] sanctioned Wolk for "intentionally disobeying the orders and directives of the Court." As part of the settlement of the case in 2003, the court agreed to vacate the order critical of Wolk. Wolk unsuccessfully sought the [[impeachment]] of Judge Carnes in retaliation for her order critical of him.<ref name=sullum/>

After the settlement, Wolk sued [[Teledyne]] and its attorneys, [[Lord Bissell & Brook]], for [[libel]] because they transmitted "a United Stated District Court order that was valid, binding, and publicly available at the time it was transmitted." In 2007, Judge [[Norma Levy Shapiro]] of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania]] dismissed the lawsuit as without legal merit.<ref name=sullum/>
In 2007, [[Ted Frank]] wrote a blog for [[Overlawyered]] critical of Wolk's conduct in the ''Wolk v. Teledyne'' and ''Taylor v. Teledyne'' litigation.<ref name=sullum/> In 2009, Wolk sued Overlawyered editor [[Walter Olson]], Frank, Overlawyered, and Overlawyered blogger David Nieporent, claiming that the blog libeled him. Judge [[Mary A. McLaughlin]] of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissed the lawsuit for failure to comply with the one-year [[statute of limitations]] on the grounds that a [[blog]] is [[mass media]] and the statute of limitations runs from the date of publication.<ref name=sullum>[[Jacob Sullum]], ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'', [http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/06/lawyer-trying-to-protect-his-r "Lawyer Trying to Protect His Reputation As an Effective Advocate Misses Deadline for His Libel Suit"], August 6, 2010</ref><ref name=Duffy>Shannon P. Duffy, ''[[The Legal Intelligencer]]'', [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202464319845 Discovery Rule for Libel Doesn't Apply to Blogs, Says Federal Judge], August 6, 2010</ref><ref name=pbj>Jeff Blumenthal, ''[[Philadelphia Business Journal]]'', [http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blogs/law/2010/08/overlawyered_blog_case_testing_statute_of_limitations_for_defamation.html Overlawyered blog case testing statute of limitations for defamation], August 6, 2010</ref> Wolk has appealed his loss.<ref name=sullum/><ref name=Duffy/>

When ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'' wrote about the unsuccessful ''[[Arthur Alan Wolk v. Walter Olson]]'' lawsuit, Wolk threatened to sue Reason.<ref>[http://reason.com/blog/2010/09/16/who-you-calling-touchy "Who You Calling Touchy?"]</ref>


== Personal aviation experience ==
== Personal aviation experience ==
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The Temple University Beasley School of Law honored Arthur as its 2005 Founder's Day award recipient. He was selected for special recognition for his achievements as a lawyer and for bringing honor and recognition to the law school. Arthur is appointed to the school's faculty as Adjunct Professor of Law teaching the first course in Aviation Law.<ref>[http://www.philadelphiabar.org/WebObjects/PBAReadOnly.woa/Contents/WebServerResources/CMSResources/june_2005.pdf Bar Repoter June 05<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The Temple University Beasley School of Law honored Arthur as its 2005 Founder's Day award recipient. He was selected for special recognition for his achievements as a lawyer and for bringing honor and recognition to the law school. Arthur is appointed to the school's faculty as Adjunct Professor of Law teaching the first course in Aviation Law.<ref>[http://www.philadelphiabar.org/WebObjects/PBAReadOnly.woa/Contents/WebServerResources/CMSResources/june_2005.pdf Bar Repoter June 05<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==Author==
In 2010, Wolk self-published the book ''Recollections of My Puppy''.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-attorney-arthur-alan-wolk-publishes-recollections-of-my-puppy-83881377.html Aviation Attorney Arthur Alan Wolk Publishes 'Recollections of My Puppy' - PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==

Revision as of 22:28, 3 November 2010

Arthur Alan Wolk
Born (1943-10-25) October 25, 1943 (age 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
EducationTemple University, B.S., 1965; Temple University School of Law, J.D., 1968
OccupationAttorney/Author/Lecturer
Known forAviation Law and Air Safety

Arthur Alan Wolk (born October 25, 1943) is an attorney, author and the founding partner of The Wolk Law Firm in Philadelphia, PA, which specializes in aviation law and air crash litigation for plantiffs.

The Wolk Law Firm has successfully obtained large settlements and verdicts against aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers.[1] In 2001 Arthur Wolk won the case of James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co with damages of $480 million.[2] From 2001 to 2007 Arthur Wolk won more than 20 cases with damages awarded in the millions for each,[1] another milestone was the 2007 verdict for Godfrey v. Precision Automotive with the total damage award of $54,752,632.[3] In 2010 Wolk obtained $88.7 million award in Pridgen v. Avco, "the largest (award) out of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court in the last five years..."[4]

Wolk is also an author,[5] editor and lecturer on aviation law and air safety with articles published by The Aviation Consumer, Aviation Safety and other publications and has appeared on ABC Evening News,[6] CBS Evening News,[7] CNBC,[8] and CNN Larry King Live[9] as an expert in aircrash litigation and aviation safety. He is a frequent lecturer on aviation law presenting to the National Air Transportation Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Southern Methodist University Aviation Law Symposium, Temple University School of Law, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Aviation Section of the American Bar Association.[10]

Arthur is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.[11] He received his B.S. degree, cum laude, from Temple University in 1965[12], and his J.D. degree from Temple University School of Law in 1968.[13]

Notable cases

Arthur Wolk has represented victims in several major airline disasters [1] and offers expert comments on the cause of these crashes on National TV. Some of the most notable air crash cases Arthur has had involvement in include:

USAir 427, Aliquippa, PA., Pittsburgh, B-737. The flight crashed on September 8, 1994, killing everyone on board. Arthur Wolk predicted the cause of the crash was rudder failure and appears the next day on ABC Evening News for Friday September 9, 1994 Peter Jennings reporter,[6] in this program Wolk offers views on the cause of the crash. Wolk published his opinion that rudder failure was the likely cause of USAir 427 crash in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, October 10, 1994. On October 25 he appears on CBS Evening News with Reporter Dan Rather October 25, 1994, and offers comments about possible rudder failure.[7] After the longest investigation in aviation history, more than four and a half years later, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded the probable cause was rudder failure.[14] Wolk was the plantiffs attorney in Hamley vs. The Boeing Corporation, the manufacturer of USAir's B-737 and won the case establishing that it was the rudder actuator that failed.[15]

Other notable cases Wolk was involved in include: Comair 3272, Monroe, MI, (Detroit), EMB-120;[16] Swissair 111, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, MD-11;[17] EgyptAir 990, near Nantucket, MA, Boeing 767;[18] and Alaska Air 261, Port Mugu, CA, MD-83.[19]

Personal aviation experience

Arthur has been a pilot for more than 30 years and holds an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP) certificate for multi-engine land and sea aircraft.[20] Wolk owned a Grumman F9F Panther jet fighter[21] that he has flown in air shows[22] throughout the country; performing low level aerobatics and formation flights.[10]

Awards and recognition

The Temple University Beasley School of Law honored Arthur as its 2005 Founder's Day award recipient. He was selected for special recognition for his achievements as a lawyer and for bringing honor and recognition to the law school. Arthur is appointed to the school's faculty as Adjunct Professor of Law teaching the first course in Aviation Law.[23]


Sources

  1. ^ a b c The Wolk Law Firm - Aircraft Disaster Verdicts and Settlements
  2. ^ James Cassoutt, et al. v. Cessna Aircraft Co
  3. ^ Video of Godfrey v. Precision Automotive - Trial - 07/16/07 to 07/26/07
  4. ^ Law.com - Pa. Jury Awards Nearly $89 Million in Plane Crash Case
  5. ^ Writing for Dollars: 75 Tips for the ... - Google Books
  6. ^ a b Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / USAir Flight 427 Crash - Sep 09, 1994 - ABC - Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  7. ^ a b Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / USAir Flight 427 Crash - Oct 25, 1994 - CBS - Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  8. ^ Arthur Alan Wolk - CNBC Pilots Sleeping - Redlasso.com
  9. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts
  10. ^ a b Arthur Alan Wolk - Aviation Accident Attorney
  11. ^ Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  12. ^ Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA), Class of 1965, Page 380
  13. ^ Arthur Alan Wolk Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com
  14. ^ http://www.ntsb.gov/events/usair427/items.htm NTSB Accident Investigation Docket
  15. ^ http://www.airlaw.com/verdicts.htm Arthur Wolk Verdicts
  16. ^ Findacase™ | In Re Aircrash Disaster Near Monroe
  17. ^ WashingtonPost.com: Swissair Flight 111 Report
  18. ^ Families Sue Airline in 1999 Crash That Killed More Than 200 - Los Angeles Times
  19. ^ Pilot error contributed to crash, lawsuit says
  20. ^ FAA Civil Aviation Registry - Airmen Inquiry
  21. ^ warbirdregistry.org - A Warbirds Resource Group Site - F9F Panther/Cougar Registry
  22. ^ Fighter-plane Airshow Opens Today At Willow Grove Station - Morning Call
  23. ^ Bar Repoter June 05

[1]

  • Pennsylvania Law Weekly, Monday October 10, 1994, Volume XVII, Number 41
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