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About JC Evans Law

Of Counsel: Elaine Specter

Elaine Specter has been associated with Specter Specter Evans & Manogue since January, 1977. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she was Order of the Barristers and a member of the school’s National Appellate Moot Court Team. Elaine was graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. degree in 1968 and from the University of Pittsburgh with an M.L.S. degree in Library Sciences in 1975.

Elaine is a member of ATLA, the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Western Pennsylvania Law Librarians Association. Her background in library sciences enables her to provide valuable assistance as a member of a complex litigation team in conducting and directing investigative projects and analyses in areas of litigation such as this involving industry practices, standards and esoteric research and investigation.

Elaine has extensive experience in class action and other complex litigation. She was actively involved in the representation of classes in numerous of the cases set forth below:

  • Wetzel v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, 508 F.2d 239 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 1011 (1975); 511 F.2d 199 (3d Cir. 1975) vacated on jurisdictional grounds, 424 U.S. 737 (1976); 449 F.Supp. 397 (W.D. Pa. 1978);
  • O’Bannon v. Merrill Lynch Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., Civ. A. No. 73-905 (W.D. Pa.);
  • In re L.E. Lay & Company Antitrust Litigation, MDL Docket No. 187 (E.D. Tex.);
  • In re South Central States Bakery Products Antitrust Litigation, 86 F.R.D. 407 (M.D. La. 1980);
  • McNary v. American Savings and Loan Ass’n, 76 F.R.D. 644 (N.D. Tex. 1977);
  • Parker v. Bell Helicopter Co., 78 F.R.D. 507 (N.D. Tex. 1978);
  • Parker v. Anderson, 667 F.2d 1204 (5th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 103 S.Ct. 63 (1982);
  • In re Potash Antitrust Litigation, MDL Docket No. 272 (N.D. Ill.);
  • State of Arkansas v. Borden, Inc., No. LR-C-77-126 (E.D. Ark.);
  • Hull v. Celanese Corp., 73 Civ. 3725 (S.D.N.Y.);
  • In re Folding Carton Antitrust Litigation, 75 F.R.D. 727 (N.D. Ill. 1977);
  • Merola v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 493 F. 2d 292 (3d Cir. 1974); 515 F. 2d 165 (3d Cir. 1975);
  • Markel v. Greater Pittsburgh Board of Realtors, Civ. A. No. 72-504 (W.D. Pa.);
  • In re Corrugated Container Antitrust Litigation, 80 F.R.D. 244 (S.D. Tex. 1978);
  • In re Water Heater Antitrust Litigation, Master File No. MdL 379 (E.D. Pa.);
  • In re Nissan Motor Corp. Antitrust Litigation, 82 F.R.D. 193 (S.D. Fla. 1979);
  • Wheaton v, Cessna Aircraft Co., Civ. A. No. 76-77-C5 (D. Kan.);
  • Marchwinski v. Oliver Tyrone Corp., 83 F.R.D. 606 (W.D. Pa. 1979);
  • Karran v. Nabisco, Inc., Civ. A. No. 75-1356 (W.D. Pa.);
  • Sobel v. Yeshiva University, 75 Civ. 2232 (S.D.N.Y.);
  • Brown v. Central Liquor Co., No. CIV-80-480-W (W.D. Okla.);
  • Kirkwood v. Taylor, Civ. A. No. 3-82-92 (D. Minn.);
  • Nemo v. Astrotech International Corporation, Civ. A. No. 85-982 (W.D. Pa.); and
  • Steiner v. Equimark, Civ. A. No. 81-1988 (W.D. Pa.).

Elaine is admitted to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Of Counsel: Howard A. Specter

Howard A. Specter was graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He was the founder of Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C. (then known as Specter Law Offices, P.C.) He is admitted to practice before the Courts of Pennsylvania, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mr. Specter is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (PaTLA), the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Specter’s reputation is well-known and well-established. He was elected by his peers to serve as president of ATLA from 1982-1983. As long ago as 1980, he was described by now Chief Circuit Judge Becker as “one of the abler, more experienced and better known class action attorneys currently practicing.” Bartelson v. Dean Witter & Co., 86 F.R.D. 657, 673 (E.D. Pa. 1980).

In addition to serving as past President of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and the Melvin M. Belli Society, Mr. Specter is past Chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association Antitrust and Class Action Committee, past Chair of the Commercial Litigation Section of ATLA, a member of the Subcommittee on Multidistrict Litigation of the Section of Antitrust Law of the ABA and a past President of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of PaTLA. In addition to serving as a frequent faculty member and as three-time Chair of the National College of Advocacy and the National Advanced College of Advocacy (conducted at Harvard Law School, University of Southern California Law School, the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada, Suffolk University Law School and Georgetown University Law Center), where he has lectured and conducted workshops on various aspects of complex and class action litigation, he has lectured on those subjects at various seminars and educational programs in at least: Florida, California, Washington, West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Louisiana, Nevada, Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, the District of Columbia, Mexico and Canada. He has published papers on these subjects for Trial Magazine, the Texas Trial Lawyers Forum and two editions of the Civil Advocates Manual, published by the Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy, Hastings College of the Law, University of California. The President of the National Judicial College in Reno recently named Mr. Specter as a member of the Council for the Future to serve the Judicial College.

Mr. Specter was charged with drafting comments to the Manual for Complex Litigation for ATLA. He is the author of “Criteria for Fee Awards,” published in Public Interest Practice and Fee Awards, Practising Law Institute, 1980, and the co-author of “Preparation and Presentation of Fee and Cost Petitions,” published in Court Awarded Fees in “Public Interest” Litigation, Practising Law Institute, 1978. He is also the author of “Weight of Opinion Evidence,” published in Forensic Sciences, Matthew Bender & Co., 1981, a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the National Law Review Reporter, and co-author of the two-volume Individual Employment Law and Litigation, The Michie Company, 1989. In addition, Mr. Specter has also authored or co-authored publications including “Class Actions: Job Bias,” Trial Magazine, January/February, 1974; “Recent Developments in Class Action Litigation,” Civil Advocates Manual, Published by Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy, Hastings College of Law, the University of California, 1974 and 1975 editions; “Organization of the File,” Trial Preparation: The 100 Day Countdown, PBI No. 1993-787; “The Hospital Emergency Room: Haven or Hazard?” Trial Magazine, May 1983; “Incentive Awards in Class Action Litigation,” 3 Federal Litigation Guide Reporter, 591 July, 1991.

Mr. Specter has been actively engaged in class action and other complex litigation for more than 25 years. He is a member of the Editorial Board for Class Action Reports and the Federal Litigation Guide Reporter and a member of the Review Panel for the Medical-Legal Aspects of Breast Implants. Mr. Specter argued the class action of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. Wetzel, 424 U.S. 737 (1976), before the Supreme Court of the United States and also tried that case to a successful result in one of the relatively few nationwide class actions of any kind to be tried. 449 F.Supp. 397 (W.D. Pa. 1978).

Mr. Specter and Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C., have been given the highest possible ratings by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Some of the other, most significant cases on which Mr. Specter has worked are:

  • In Re Westinghouse Securities Litigation, Civil Action No. 91-0354 (W.D. Pa.);
  • In re Chambers Development Company Securities Litigation, Civil Action No. 92-0679 (W.D. Pa.);
  • In re Air Crash Near Pittsburgh on September 8, 1994, Misc. No. 94-1014, MDL No. 1040 (W.D. Pa.);
  • Hartings v. American Express Company, Civil; Action No. 88-744 (W.D. Pa.);
  • In re Baxter Corporation Gammagard Product Liability Litigation, (MDL 1060), (C.D. Cal.);
  • Piggly Wiggly Clarksville, Inc. v. Mrs. Baird’s Bakeries, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 3:95-CV-48 (E.D. TX.);
  • Marrs et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No. 94-2037 (Allegheny Co. Court of Common Pleas, PA);
  • Deal et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company, et al., Civil Action No. 94-8938 (Allegheny Co. Court of Common Pleas, PA);
  • In Re Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Sales Practices Litigation, (MDL 1091) (W.D. Pa.); and
  • Cope et al. v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, et al., 95-CO-46 (Ct. Of Appeals 7th Appellate) (Columbiana Co. Ct. of Common Pleas, OH).