Steven G. Wigrizer Joins SMBB As Chair, Medical Malpractice Department While Firm's Co-Founder Michael F. Barrett Becomes Chair, Practice And Professional Development

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominent trial lawyer Steven G. Wigrizer is joining Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett and Bendesky (SMBB) as Chair of its medical malpractice department and co-founder Michael F. Barrett is being named Chair of the Firm's practice and professional development department, Robert J. Mongeluzzi, President of SMBB announced today. 

"Steve has been one of the premiere medical negligence attorneys in the region for decades," Mongeluzzi noted, "and he will be a tremendous addition to our growing medical malpractice department." Wigrizer, a co-founding partner at Wapner Newman Wigrizer Brecher & Miller, is an accomplished trial attorney with scores of million dollar verdicts and settlements in medical negligence and other cases. He is also a past President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and a perennial Top 100 SuperLawyer. 

Wigrizer was one of the lead attorneys in the landmark Salvation Army building collapse case, perhaps the highest profile personal injury case ever tried in Pennsylvania. Mongeluzzi  said, "We spent years together on the case and it reinforced my understanding of Steve's strategic brilliance and exceptional courtroom skills." Mongeluzzi and Wigrizer have known each other for more than 30 years and were neighbors for 20 years. "The opportunity to have a tremendously talented attorney join us, who has also been a longtime friend, is an incredible opportunity for our firm," he added.

Attorney Jason S Weiss will also be making the move to SMBB. He has been an integral part of Wapner Newman's professional negligence practice and was also prominent in the Salvation Army collapse case.

Wigrizer remarked, "While I have nothing but admiration and respect for my long time colleagues at Wapner Newman – they are a talented group of lawyers and good friends -  I am excited for a new challenge and the opportunity to work with a firm that I have long admired. Saltz Mongeluzzi is uniquely situated to move forward with leading-edge litigation on a local, regional and national basis, and I am certain that there will be tremendous interdepartmental synergy which will allow us to provide exceptional service to the victims of medical negligence."

Mongeluzzi stated that "we have entrusted Michael Barrett with the critical task of heading our practice and professional development department. We have exploded in size, geographic scope and diversity of practice areas and recognized that we needed a superb communicator and strategic planner to continue to strengthen our relationships with our clients and referral attorneys." Barrett said, "I love trying cases, but also recognize that we are a different firm today than we were 20 years ago and that we must respond strategically to meet the needs of not only our clients, but also the referral attorneys that put their trust in us to zealously and successfully represent their clients."

Mongeluzzi added, "As we continue to expand in both size and reach, we wanted to ensure that clients, and the attorneys that refer them to SMBB, continue to be treated with the trusted personal connection that has been our hallmark. There is no one better at it than Michael Barrett."

SOURCE Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C.