Dean C. Seman, Esq.

Dean Seman, a civil litigator for 20 years, is passionate about his representation of the companies and professionals who work hard to improve the communities and neighborhoods in which we work and live in the face of risk and today's litigious society. Dean leverages the knowledge and technical skills that he gained through his education and former experience as an environmental/civil engineer to defend his clients in state and federal courts as well as dispute resolution forums, in areas including environmental matters, design and construction defects, product liability and toxic tort.

Dean’s environmental practice is rooted in his multi-state engineering field work and legal regulatory internships with the Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Dean’s environmental work encompasses defense against professional negligence as well as with traditional matters regarding CERCLA, state-level contaminated properties, cost-recovery, storage tank releases and hazardous wastes. He also handles toxic and chemical exposure claims including benzene, lead, silica, air irritants and diacetyl. Dean's clients range from environmental professionals, developers, contractors, and waste water engineers to industrial and manufacturing companies. Representative examples include:

• Defending an environmental laboratory in state court concerning alleged negligent reporting that reportedly affected the development and marketing of remedial technology in the waste water treatment industry. This complex matter involved the feasibility of the remedial technology as well as speculative future earnings and patent claims. This matter was promptly resolved for a fraction of the claimed damages.
• Obtaining a favorable and cost-effective settlement of a claim against a waste water system designer in federal court against allegations of negligent design by developing evidence of improper operation and understanding of waste water characteristics by the business owner.
• Defending and minimizing exposure in numerous claims against fuel suppliers arising from storage tank releases through age dating of contaminants and proving wrongful acts of others. Dean has also successfully represented the Pennsylvania Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund in the past.

Within Dean’s experience in the construction industry is specific representation of architects, developers, general contractors, and subcontractors against property damage defect claims and personal injury tort claims. His technical background allows him to cost-effectively defend these matters by easily and quickly grasping the construction concepts at issue. Representative examples include:

• Defending an engineer against the owner’s claims of improper mechanical design causing delay damages and additional costs during the conversation of a commercial mixed-use building. This matter was resolved through mediation for a fraction of the claimed damages.
• Reaching a favorable settlement while defending an architect against alleged improper design and acoustical issues by proving that the contractor failed to follow the plans, and also identifying life safety issues that needed to be remedied due to the non-compliance.
• Defending a developer against multi-million dollar construction defect claims from a condominium association, spurring multiple state and appellate litigation proceedings and arbitration. Dean was able to resolve the matter with the plaintiff taking no action in support of its claims.

He also defends numerous national, regional and local businesses in tort matters involving dangerous conditions, defective products and negligent conduct. Through his practice and trial experience, Dean has achieved successful results and settlements for his clients.

Dean regularly publishes and presents at national conferences on his specialty areas. During law school, Dean was a member of the Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal and published an article that has been cited by federal and state courts.