Nicolai A. Schurko focuses his practice on defense of product liability actions in a wide range of industries, including matters involving fire protection and alarms, automotive, aviation, trucking, heavy machinery and elevator/escalator claims.
He also has handled numerous general liability matters, ranging from premises liability to wrongful death cases. In addition, Nicolai has significant experience litigating contractual indemnification and insurance issues.
His practice has also included work on technology and data security matters, particularly in the area of state and federal data privacy laws, helping clients anticipate and respond to data breaches and establish identity theft prevention programs.
Nicolai is familiar with all phases of a case from inception through trial. In addition to his pretrial experience, Nicolai has served as lead counsel in numerous arbitrations and second-chaired multiple jury trials.
He also has worked on briefing for several high-profile appellate matters, Before joining Shook, Nicolai was an associate with the Philadelphia office of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin.
Representative Matters:
- Obtained dismissal of multiple clients in several, separate catastrophic aviation cases on the basis of lack of personal jurisdiction, where Nicolai drafted and briefed dispositive motions based on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Daimler v. AG Bauman and the narrowed standard for general personal jurisdiction.
- Obtained award in favor of a helicopter repair stateion at an arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce in a dispute with a foreign helicopter operator. He also helped the client collect the arbitration award by pursuing the foreign operator in its home country.
- Second-chaired a jury trial involving a commercial trucking accident in which the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of the client, a subcontractor that hung temporary traffic signals at the intersection where the accident occurred.
- Won arbitration for a government-owned airport in a premises liability claim involving alleged traumatic brain injuries.
- Obtained dismissal with prejudice of all legal malpractice claims against a client alleged to have misappropriated estate assets.
- Successfully reversed a multimillion-dollar jury verdict against a client in a legal malpractice case on appeal by successfully briefing issues in a complex suit limitations clause defense.
- Obtained dismissal of all claims against a client with an attenuated ownership interest in an apartment building in a matter involving a contractor who fell to his death during installation of communications equipment on the roof.
- Successfully confessed judgment against an entity that defaulted on settlement obligations to his client, a charter flight services provider and Part 135 operator under federal aviation regulations in a matter involving breach of contract claims.
Education:
- J.D., cum laude, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 2010
- Pittsburgh Tax Review, Articles Editor
- Trial Advocacy Award
- B.S., magna cum laude, University of Pittsburgh, 2006 (Finance, with minor in Economics)
Bar Admissions:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Memberships:
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
Cost
Rate : $$$