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Congratulations, Frank Verderame, on Your Election to the Board of Directors of the Melvin M. Belli Society

Congratulations, Frank Verderame, on Your Election to the Board of Directors of the Melvin M. Belli SocietyAll of us at Plattner Verderame, PC would like to offer a heart-felt “Congratulations!” to firm partner Frank Verderame, who has just been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the prestigious Melvin M. Belli Society. Formed in 1981, the Belli Society’s “stated purpose [is] to promote the international exchange of ideas among lawyers throughout meetings and education.” We can think of no better fit for the Society than Frank, whose dedication to education rivals his commitment to protecting his clients’ rights.

A brief history of Melvin Belli and his legacy

Melvin Belli was dubbed the “King of Torts” in 1954 by Robert Wallace, a writer for Time Magazine. He was an actor, a writer, a film executive and an attorney to the stars. He may be best known for defending Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald. His personal life was colorful, but that did not stop Belli from being one of the most important legal figures in American history.

It was Melvin Belli who made demonstrative evidence – photographs, accident reconstruction models, pieces of defective products or machines, etc. – the “law” of the land when it came to jury trials. It was Belli who laid the foundation for today’s modern consumer protection laws – and how to win those cases in trial. And it was Belli, agreeing with Stanley Preiser’s idea, who helped bring together attorneys within the then-called Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now known as the American Association for Justice, a group Belli helped to found) who were dedicated to education and progress.

Today, the Melvin M. Belli Society is an invitation-only group of trial attorneys from around the world, who have dedicated themselves to preserving Belli’s legacy of learning and exploring new ways to protect people who have been injured or wronged. The Society offers free seminars available to any plaintiff’s attorney who wishes to go, and hold annual meetings and events for its members. Here, trial lawyers can exchange ideas and strategies, and discuss what works – and what does not – with other like-minded attorneys dedicated to providing the best possible counsel and service to their clients.

We are very proud of Frank for being elected to the Board of Directors for this group, which strives to important work in countries throughout the world. His lifelong dedication to improving his own abilities, and thereby improving his clients’ experiences and outcomes, is mirrored by the Society itself. He is most deserving of this honor.

Congratulations, Frank!