Andrew C. Hecker Award

In the midst of the 1994 Annual Meeting, members of the Federation were shocked and grieved by the sudden death of Andrew C. Hecker, just shy of his fifty-first birthday. A senior partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Hecker, Brown, Sherry, and Johnson, Andrew held many positions of responsibility in the Federation, including serving on the Board of Directors and chairing the Publications Committee for many years. In 1995, the Board established the Andrew C. Hecker Award, which is presented annually to the Federation member who authors the year's most outstanding FDCC Quarterly article. In this way, we honor and perpetuate the memory of a treasured leader of the defense bar and a man whose extraordinary intelligence, dedication, warmth, and wit enriched us all. Past Recipients...

We are proud to recognize these past recipients of the Hecker Award:

2023....Kelly E. Petter of Rocky Hill, CT & Michael L. Young of St. Louis, MO, “The Evolution of Litigation Immunity in the Context of Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith Litigation,” (FDCC Insights; Fall 2022)

2022....Alycen A. Moss of Atlanta, Georgia, "Coverage Issues Regarding Riots, Civil Commotion, and Curfews" (FDCC Insights; Spring 2022)

2021....Marisa Trasatti of Baltimore, Maryland, "The Travel Industry on Trial: The State of the Art of Human Trafficking Awareness and the Impact of Third-Party Civil Cases."

2020... Michael A. Walsh of Dallas, Texas, "PFAS: Ubiquitous and Persistent Chemicals: Assessing Liability and Allocating Risk" )FDCC Insights; Spring 2020) 

2019… Stephen P. Pate of Houston, Texas, “The Incredible Mr. Appleman: A Tribute to John Alan Appleman” (1912-1982) (FDCC Insights; July 2019)

2018 … Charles T. Frazier, Jr. of Dallas, Texas, “Legal Writing in the Electronic Age” (FDCC Insights; September 2017)

2017 … Marisa Trasatti of Baltimore, Maryland, “The Internet of Things and its Impact on Data Retention, E-Discovery, Products Liability, and Cybersecurity,” (FDCC Insights; December, 2016)

2016 … James T. Clancy of Corpus Christi, Texas, “The Intersection of Arbitration and Litigation” (FDCC Insights; March, 2016)

2016 … Scott L. Machanic of Natick, Massachusetts, “The Intersection of Arbitration and Litigation” (FDCC Insights; March, 2016)

2016 … Linda S. Woolf of Baltimore, Maryland, “The Intersection of Arbitration and Litigation” (FDCC Insights; March, 2016)

2015 …David M. Fuqua of Little Rock, Arkansas for his article: “Technology and the Fourth Amendment: History and Application of Principles of Decision in Light of New Means of Surveillance (Fall, 2014)

2014 … Jeffrey R. Pilkington of Denver, Colorado for his article: “Sidestepping Preemption: Generic Drug Litigation in the Aftermath of Mensing” (Winter, 2013)

2013 … Thomas R. Newman of New York, New York for his article: “Claims-Made Coverage: What is a Claim?” (Fall, 2012)

2012 …Mercedes Colwin of New York, New York for her article: “Taming the Town Crier: Litigation and Media,” (Winter, 2012)

2011 … Sandra F. Clark of Beaumont, Texas for her article: “The Art of Cross-Examination,” (Winter, 2011)

2010 … Thomas R. Jayne of St. Louis, Missouri for his article: “The Use and Abuse of the Differential Diagnosis to Prove Causation in Toxic Torts,” (Spring 2010)

2009 … Leslie C. O’Toole of Raleigh, North Carolina for her article: “Admitting that We’re Litigating in the Digital Age: A Practical Overview of Issues of Admissibility in the Technological Courtroom,” (Fall 2008)

2008 … Allison O. Van Laningham of Greensboro, North Carolina for her article: “Navigating in the Brave New World of E-Discovery: Ethics, Sanctions and Expoliation” (Summer 2007)

2007 … William C. Roedder, Jr. of Mobile, Alabama for his article: “An Introduction to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005” (Summer 2006)

2006 … Marc A. Young of Houston, Texas for his article: “New Challenges to Insurance Coverage for Defective Construction” (Winter 2006)

2005 … Gary Schuman of Glenview, Illinois for his article: “Post-Claim Underwriting: A Life and Health Insurer’s Boon or Bane” (Fall 2004)

2004 … E. Phelps Gay of New Orleans, Louisiana for his article: “Professionalism in Depositions: The Sound of Silence” (Spring 2004)

2003 …James W. Semple of Wilmington, Delaware for his article: “Accountants’ Liability after Enron” (Fall 2002)

2002 … Thomas F. Segalla of Buffalo, New York for his article: “Bad Faith as a Continuum: From Claim to Trial” (Fall 2001)

2001 …Kurtis B. Reeg and Marshall S. Shapo of St. Louis, Missouri for their article: “E-Commerce and Products Liability: A Primer on Exposure at the Speed of Light” (Winter 2001)

2000 … Patrick J. Hagan and Pamela Winston Bertani of San Francisco, California for their article: “Gatekeeping and the Admissibility of ScientificEvidence in the Post Daubert/Joiner/Kumho Tire World” (Summer 1999)

1999 … Eric A. Weiss of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for his article: “Enforceability of Rule 26(c) Confidentiality Orders and Agreements” (Winter 1999)

1998 … Lloyd E. Williams, Jr. of Chicago, Illinois for his article: “The Plaintiff’s Arsenal: Emerging Theories of Liability in Managed Health Care” (Winter 1998)

1997 …Thomas R. Newman of New York, New York for his article: “Challenging an Insured’s Settlement” (Winter 1997)

1996 … James W. Semple of Wilmington, Delaware for his article: “The Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing in Insurance Contracts in Delaware” (Spring 1996)

1995 …Merton C. Marks of Phoenix, Arizona for his article: “The Application of RICO Laws to Product Liability Actions: Are Manufacturers Racketeers?” (Summer 1994)