Archived Celebrations

Shook, Hardy & Bacon partner Harvey Kaplan has been named for the fourth consecutive year as “Who’s Who Legal’s” Global Product Liability Lawyer of the Year.

In announcing this award in the 2011 edition of “Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers,” Editor-in-Chief Callum Campbell said, “Winning the Who’s Who Legal Product Liability Lawyer of the Year Award for a fourth time is an outstanding achievement. Harvey Kaplan received universally positive feedback from our sources across the globe, and we are delighted to once again declare him the leading lawyer in the world for product liability defense.”

Kaplan, who serves as chair of SHB’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Division, represents many multinational companies in significant litigation. Kaplan’s clients include some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as companies in other industries.

“Who’s Who Legal” is among a group of prestigious national and international publications that have consistently recognized Kaplan as among the very best in his field.

In the 2011 edition of “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,” Kaplan was listed in Band One as one of only seven leading individuals in its Nationwide Product Liability and Mass Torts section; and he was also included among the “Chambers” publication’s elite group of pharmaceutical product liability litigation “Stars.” Chambers called Kaplan “a highly knowledgeable and effective product liability defense lawyer.”

In its recent guide, “The Legal 500 US” (2011) ranked Kaplan among the very best in the nation, saying he is “a prominent veteran” who is “praised highly for his outstanding trial and litigation skills.”

In 2011, Kaplan was again included in “Lawdragon 500: Leading Lawyers in America.” This guide, the only publication to exclusively recognize the top 500 lawyers in the United States, pointed out that “the accolades keep coming for Kaplan, who remains the nation’s top defense-side choice for bet-the-company litigation related to pharmaceutical and medical devices.”

Legal Media Group, publisher of the “Guide to the World’s Leading Product Liability Lawyers,” named Kaplan one of its National Litigation Stars, as well as its World’s Leading Product Liability Lawyer of the Year in 2010.

In recent months, “Law360” recognized Kaplan as one of the nation’s “Most Admired Product Liability Attorneys,” singling him out for his “vital role in securing defense verdicts for some of the leading players in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry during the past 40 years.” (September 2010) “Kaplan has proven his ability to win favorable results for his clients in complex cases,” “Law360” continued.

These recognitions are capped with additional honors in the 2011 editions of “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers,” both of which have for many years recognized Kaplan for his advocacy skills.

Dr. Steven and Sandy Rosenak announce the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Spencer Cohen Rosenak, on Saturday, May 21, at Temple B’Nai Sholem, St. Joseph, Mo. Spencer is the grandson of Sidney and Beverly Burnstein Cohen, St. Joseph, and the nephew of Karen and Scott Bronston, Lenexa. Rabbi Scott White officiated.

Bob and Beverly Friedman will celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary on July 18. A family reunion is planned with their children, Dr. Allan and Nancy Reichman, Overland Park, and Steve and Donna Hess, Irvington, N.Y., and grandchildren, Michael Reichman, Boston, Mara and Mark Lambert, Overland Park, Warren Hess, New York, and Leah Hess, Boston.

Jerome C. Duggan of Kansas City and Jane Pollock Duggan of Prairie Village announce the engagement of their daughter, Margaret Neiman Duggan, to Dr. Amir Chaim Marouni, son of Herzl and Linda Marouni of Houston.

The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of the late Jerry and Dorothy Duggan of Kansas City and the late Dr. Leo and Adele Pollock of Mission Hills. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in healthcare quality and patient safety from Northwestern University in Chicago. She is currently employed as the patient safety leader in Quality Strategies at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

The future groom is the grandson of Molouk and the late Yadollah Marouni of Tel Aviv, Israel, and the late Jerry and Ruth Broth of Houston. He earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and molecular biology and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Amir is currently a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

A spring wedding is planned.

Tehiya (Magence) and Yehonatan Noyman of Ateret, Israel, announce the birth in Jerusalem of their son, Malachi Nachman. The maternal grandmother is Gloria Rashbaum Magence, formerly of Kansas City. She and her husband, David, live in Jerusalem.

Grandparents Frieda and Warren Soble of Norwood, Mass., formerly of Kansas City, announce the birth of their grandson, Joseph Harris Rosenberg of Natick Mass. Born on May 25, Joey is the son of Gabriella Soble, formerly of Kansas City, and her husband, David Rosenberg. He is also the grandson of Rabbi James and Sandra Rosenberg of Providence, R.I. Joseph Harris was named in memory of Gabi’s great-uncle, Joseph C. Kanter, and her grandfather, Harry A. Kanter. Joey has one sister, Charlotte Jane Rosenberg, who was named in memory of Soble’s grandmother, Charlotte H. Kanter, and Rosenberg’s aunt, Jean Kraemer of Maplewood, N.J.

Todd and Agnes Weiner announce the birth April 6 of a daughter, Sasha Bella, in Hong Kong. Sasha is the sister of Nathan Weiner. Grandparents are Joni and Larry Weiner, Go, Cheng Haun and Ng, Choi Yuet, both of Hong Kong. The Weiners live in Kansas City, Mo.

Molly Oberstein-Allen, a 2011 graduate of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, is the second place winner of the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundations’ (JPEF) 2011 Youth Writing Contest.

Molly’s essay was selected as the second place winner from over 500 student essays from 20 states, Canada and South Africa. Students representing public, private, Jewish and parochial schools competed for the notoriety, an iPod Touch and JPEF DVDs for both themselves and their teachers.

“I was glad to be given the opportunity to write about a topic so meaningful to me and to my heritage,” Molly said. “I think the contest is a great way for students to both learn about people who stood up for others and to relate those people’s actions to current times. The contest gave me new understanding of the Holocaust.”

Michal Cahlon, Judaic Studies teacher at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy added, “The Youth Writing Contest helped students reflect on the different ways they could effect change in their community, and on the importance of choosing to be a participant rather than a bystander during life’s most difficult moments.”

“The students’ essays were thoughtful, bright and creative. Each one of them, from middle school to high school, spoke from the heart and the students were moved to make a difference in the world in their own way,” said JPEF board chair elect, Elliott Felson.

JPEF is the only organization in the world solely focused on bringing the history and life lessons of the Jewish partisans to students and their educators across the globe. For more information, go to www.jewishpartisans.org.

Steve and Danielle Bordman announce the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Taylor Ryan Bordman, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 15, at Camp Sabra, Rocky Mount, Mo. Taylor is the grandson of Louis and Janet Bordman and William and Susan Berk.

In honor of their 60th wedding anniversary, Barbara and Bernard Birnbaum and their children and grandchildren, Patti, Gary, Bradley and Melissa Friedman, and Bruce Birnbaum and Jeanette Leissler, invite family and friends to attend Shabbat services and the Kiddush luncheon following at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 16, at Congregation Beth Shalom, 12400 Lamar Avenue.