Subrogation Department History
White and Williams LLP, founded in 1899, is the oldest firm in the nation to maintain an ongoing subrogation practice. In the early 1940s, C. Laurence Cushmore, one of the firms eight lawyers practicing during WWII, represented insurance companies in subrogation and property damage litigation with the Insurance Company of North America as the major client. After WWII, Mr. Cushmore continued in this specialty as part of the litigation group headed by Wilson White after his return from military service. Mr. White, son of one of the firms two founders, later became counsel to President Eisenhower and the Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
In 1948, Richard Hopkins joined the firm and learned the subrogation specialty under Mr. Cushmore and continued to work with him in the subrogation practice until he retired in the 1970s. Mr. Hopkins carried on the subrogation specialty in Pennsylvania with two associates.
In 1978, Peter Parashes joined the group after having prosecuted cases for the U.S. Department of Labor under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, with particular emphasis on accidents involving fires and explosions in steel mills and foundries. Under Peter's leadership, the Subrogation Department gradually expanded during the 1980's to a regional practice taking advantage of the firm's offices in New Jersey and Delaware. By the 1990's, the subrogation practice extended from Maine to Florida. The department continued to expand and, by the mid 2000's, received subrogation assignments from throughout the continental United States.
After a long and dedicated 38 year career with White and Williams LLP, Peter Parashes retired at the end of 2015. As of January 1, 2016, Ed Jaeger assumed the position of Chair of the Subrogation Department. Currently, the department has eight partners, three counsel, 23 associates and 12 paralegals/clerks. The partners and counsel, all of whom have tried numerous major cases, have been recognized for their performance in a variety of ways including selection as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, election to the American Board of Trial Advocates, receipt of A ratings by Martindale-Hubbell, and selection as presenters at national conferences on subrogation and in-house programs for the various departments for over thirty insurance clients. Subrogation will remain the sole focus of the department for the foreseeable future. Expansion and growth will remain at a pace and to an extent needed to ensure continued adherence to standards of excellence in legal practice and client service.
