Puritsky, Courtney

Concentration: Privitera, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney and associate in the firm since 2007, concentrates his practice on the representation of plaintiffs in complex and catastrophic personal injury and products liability matters. Privitera’s trial and advocacy skills have proven to be formidable as he has repeatedly achieved million dollar recoveries on behalf of his injured clients and their families.   

    ●    $3.025 Million Recovery for Family of Young Man Killed in a Construction Accident.         
    ●    $2.05 Million Recovery in Fatal Motorcycle Accident.
    ●    $1.5 Million for Family of Teenagers Killed in Train Accident.
    ●    $1.4 Million Settlement Obtained in Construction Site Accident.
    ●    $1.2 Million Awarded for Failure to Diagnose and Treat Pneumonia.

Experience: Privitera is a versatile and talented trial lawyer with an impressive legal pedigree.  Before joining the Eisenberg Rothweiler firm, from 2000 through 2007, Privitera was a trial lawyer at the prominent, global law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he successfully litigated a vast array of mass tort and products liability cases on behalf of one of the largest companies in the world.  In his capacity as national trial and coordinating counsel, Privitera was responsible for coordinating and supervising the trial strategy and defense of hundreds of asbestos personal injury cases then-pending in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, and Eastern Pennsylvania.  Among other high profile cases, Privitera was a part of Morgan Lewis’ representation of a global technology leader involved in a well-publicized “pretexting” and spying scandal that resulted in congressional inquiries and government investigations, as well as a global pharmaceutical manufacturer involved in one of the largest civil settlements in the history of False Claims Act litigation.  He also litigated a broad range of other civil matters involving contract, partnership and business disputes. 

At Morgan Lewis, Privitera also successfully handled significant white collar criminal matters involving public corruption, environmental crimes, tax offenses, and export violations.  Among his many notable white collar criminal defense victories, Privitera was lead trial counsel in the federal corruption case of United States v. Thomas Carbo.  Privitera made national news after a federal judge granted a motion for judgment of acquittal on behalf of his client following a jury trial, agreeing with Privitera that there was insufficient evidence for a jury to convict his client of honest services fraud, a type of mail and wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin, in a lengthy and thoughtfully written opinion, ruled that no “rational” jury would have been able to convict Privitera’s client of a federal crime based on the evidence presented at trial.  Professor David Kairys, a law professor at Temple University’s Beasley Law School, commented that the dramatic court ruling was “extremely rare.”

Privitera also is a former well-respected Philadelphia prosecutor. From 1995 through 2000, Privitera successfully prosecuted a wide range of serious felony offenses, such as attempted murders, aggravated assaults, sexual crimes, armed robberies, home invasions, gun offenses, shootings, burglaries, and drug offenses.  Privitera was hand-picked to serve in an elite drug interdiction unit whose mission was focused on the prosecution of some of the most violent and dangerous drug organizations in West Philadelphia.  A seasoned veteran of literally hundreds of non-jury and jury trials, Privitera has amassed an impressive record of achievement, including  successful prosecutions in such high-profile cases as:

    ●    Commonwealth v. Vincent Wilkerson: Charges: Attempted Murder/Aggravated Assault/Shooting/Gun  offenses/Robbery.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: Life without Parole under Pennsylvania’s Third Strike Law.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Mark Smith: Charges: Aggravated Assault/Robbery/Gun offenses.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 15 - 31 years.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Ronald Tann: Charges: Aggravated Assault/Gun offenses/Shooting.  Verdict: Guilty.    Sentence: 12 ½  - 25 years.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Gerald Cherry: Charges: Aggravated Assault/Shooting/Gun offenses/Robbery.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 12 - 24 years.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Francisco Camaro: Charges:  Conspiracy/Possession with Intent to Deliver.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 10 - 20 years.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Larry Ray: Charges:  Burglary/Aggravated Assault/Robbery/Beating. Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 7 - 20 years.
    ●    Commonwealth v. Jamar Tindle: Charges: Graffiti vandalism.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 6 - 12 years.     
    ●    Commonwealth v. Robert Stewart: Charges:  Conspiracy/Possession with Intent to Deliver.  Verdict: Guilty.  Sentence: 5 - 10 years.

Before his tenure as a city prosecutor, from 1994 through 1995, Privitera served as a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable John R. Padova, a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Awards and Accolades: Privitera has earned – perhaps the highest honor any lawyer can achieve – the respect and praise of his peers.  Privitera has distinguished himself as an accomplished and skilled advocate, a diligent and conscientious attorney, and an outstanding person with the highest professional and ethical standards.  Throughout his career, Privitera has been recognized by his peers for his excellence:  
    ●    In 2006, Privitera was selected as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” by the Legal Intelligencer and the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, a distinction limited to only 45 attorneys in Pennsylvania under 40 years of age.
    ●    In 2006, Privitera was selected as a “Pennsylvania Rising Star Super Lawyer” by Philadelphia Magazine, a distinction limited to only 2.5% of eligible attorneys in Pennsylvania.
    ●    In 2007, 2010, and 2011, Privitera was selected as a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” by Philadelphia Magazine, a distinction limited to only 5% of eligible attorneys in Pennsylvania.
    ●    In 2011, Privitera received an AV Preeminent Lawyer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a distinction limited to only about 2 out of 10 lawyers and which identifies the highest legal ability and ethical standards as determined by other attorneys.     
    ●    In 2011, Privitera received a Superb Lawyer Rating with a perfect 10 out 10 score from Avvo, an on-line directory of attorneys committed to providing an unmatched level of transparency in attorney ratings.
    ●    In 2011, Privitera was awarded a Legislative Citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in recognition of his outstanding pro bono representation of a former Iraqi interpreter seeking permanent residency status in the United States.   
    ●    In 2011, Privitera was nominated for exclusive membership in The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
    ●    In 2011, Privitera was appointed to the Editorial Board of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association monthly publication, Verdict.   

Community and Pro Bono Service: Through his pro bono representations, Privitera has made a real commitment to helping crime victims, the poor, disadvantaged and less fortunate.  

In the first case of its kind, in 2006, Privitera represented a former Iraqi interpreter who sought permanent residency status in the United States after being nearly-killed in a car bombing attack.  Privitera succeeded in obtaining special residency status for the former Iraqi interpreter under legislation enacted in January 2006, which at that time permitted only 50 interpreters from Iraq or Afghanistan to seek permanent refuge in the United States.  Privitera’s client was the first person ever to receive the benefit of special residency status under the new law.

In January 2007, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, who at the time had co-sponsored refugee legislation, invited Privitera and his client to appear before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which had convened hearings regarding the  “Plight of Iraqi Refugees.”  Using a pseudonym and hidden behind a curtain to protect his identity, Privitera’s client testified at the Committee hearings about his work as an interpreter for American military forces stationed in Mosul and the threats made on his life.  Only recently has the former Iraqi interpreter felt safe enough to speak publicly about his journey to freedom.  In 2011, Privitera was awarded a Legislative Citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives commemorating his outstanding pro bono representation in this case.
 
Privitera’s other many pro bono cases representations have involved prisoner civil rights, sexually abused children, the homeless, the elderly, and innocent home owners in forfeiture proceeds.  Privitera also has participated in “Buildable Hours,” a nonprofit organization of Philadelphia law firms committing financial and physical resources to build homes with local Habitat for Humanity organizations. 

In recognition of his long-standing commitment to the community and outstanding pro bono achievements, Privitera has been named to the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Pro Bono Roll of Honor from 2006 through 2010.  Privitera was also the 2002 recipient of the Morgan Lewis Pro Bono and Public Interest Award recognizing his tireless efforts and valuable contributions on behalf of Philadelphia’s Volunteer for the Indigent Program.    

Education: In 1993, Privitera obtained his law degree, cum laude, from Temple University School of Law. Among his many impressive academic achievements, Privitera served as the Managing Editor of the Temple Law Review, published a casenote law review article on federal sentencing law, was consistently recognized as a Dean’s Honor Scholar, and earned several distinguished performance awards in trial advocacy and litigation strategy.  In addition, Privitera  was the recipient of the prestigious Sarah A. Shull Memorial Award, which is presented to the Temple Law graduate demonstrating excellence in legal research and writing. 

Before law school, Privitera attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he graduated in 1989 with his B.A. degree in Journalism. 

Bar Admissions: Privitera is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
 
Membership/Associations: Privitera is a member of the American Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association,  Philadelphia Bar Association, National Crime Victims Bar Association,  Justinian Society of Philadelphia, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Alumni Association, National Italian American Foundation,  National Italian American Bar Association,  Federal Bar Association -  Criminal Law Committee, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  
Privitera also has served on the Executive Board of the Temple Law Alumni Association, the Board of Directors of the Police Athletic League, and as a member of the Investigative Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee, which evaluates candidates for statewide appellate courts.