Nicholas joined German, Gallagher & Murtaugh as an associate in 2023, focusing his practice on the defense of insured and self-insured entities in a variety of litigation matters, including products liability, premises liability and motor vehicle accidents. Prior to joining German, Gallagher & Murtaugh, Nicholas was an associate at a civil litigation firm where he represented both individuals and corporate entities in personal injury claims, premise liability claims and insurance coverage disputes. Before shifting his focus into defense work, Nicholas zealously represented Plaintiffs in personal injury matters in several counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a Philadelphia based law firm.

Nicholas earned his Juris Doctorate from Widener University Delaware Law School in 2018. While earning his Juris Doctorate, Nicholas worked in a boutique law firm in Philadelphia, which specialized in transaction matters for small businesses.

Francis joined German, Gallagher & Murtagh as an associate in 2021, focusing his practice on casualty litigation and trucking litigation. Francis participates in the defense of insured and self-insured entities in a variety of litigation matters, including premises liability, dram shop/liquor liability cases, motor vehicle accidents, and professional liability matters.

Prior to joining German, Gallagher & Murtagh, Francis was an associate at a Philadelphia-area civil litigation defense firm where he defended parties in a wide range of matters, including premises liability, nursing home liability, and asbestos litigation matters.

Francis earned his Juris Doctorate from Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia. During his time in law school, Francis was the Managing Editor of the Temple International and Comparative Law Journal and a Law and Public Policy Scholar. He also served as a Certified Legal Intern for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted cases at preliminary hearings. Additionally, Francis interned with a federal district court judge and the United States Department of Justice.

As an associate at German, Gallagher & Murtagh, M. Dinora Smith contributes to the firm’s products liability, medical malpractice, casualty litigation, and premises liability practice groups. Dinora’s litigation strategy involves developing a comprehensive grasp of the merits of a case to generate efficient defensive tactics, which often lead to dispositive motion practice.

Dinora successfully represented hundreds of clients in employment litigation matters in Manhattan and its surrounding counties. She has handled claims of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination before federal courts and various governmental agencies in both New York and New Jersey.

Dinora earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. During her time in law school, Dinora maintained a variety of internships, including positions at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in the Employment Litigation division and the New York Department of State Office of Administrative Hearings. Dinora was also elected to the Board of Cardozo’s Arts & Entertainment Law Journal as an Articles Editor.  The Journal published Dinora’s Note, Abilify, Brintellix, Champix: The ABCs of FDA Proprietary Name Disputes.

Jacqueline defends insured and self-insured companies in commercial vehicle, construction accident, employment, premises liability, and product liability cases. She leads real-time catastrophic accident investigations to identify any potential claims early on and secure the evidence needed to defend them. Her unique approach involves finding creative ways to move cases forward, be cost-effective, and identify pathways for early resolution or dismissal. To that end, she frequently discovers opportunities for tendering defense or transferring risk, removes cases to federal court, and moves for dismissal based on lack of personal jurisdiction or improper venue.

Jacqueline has successfully tried several complex injury cases to verdict in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. She has significant experience defending third-party claims brought by employees and temporary workers and enforcing her client’s worker’s compensation immunity. In addition to litigation, Jacqueline counsels clients on drafting contract provisions and releases that provide them with the most protection from future claims. Also, Jacqueline handles employment litigation cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. She has been selected to serve as an arbitrator for the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.

A Bucks County native, Jacqueline has lived in Philadelphia since the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. She lives in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia and eagerly awaits the next victory parade on Broad Street.