Nathaniel ("Nate") Tawney is a member in the Workplace Liability Group of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso in Charleston, West Virginia. He specializes in defending deliberate intent cases, a relatively unique statutory cause of action in West Virginia. He represents a variety of employers in these matters, including those in the coal, oil and gas, timber, construction, mining and drilling industries. He also counsels clients on regulatory matters (OSHA and MSHA), preventative measures, and proper investigation and documentation of work-place accidents.
In addition, Mr. Tawney possesses experience in a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including commercial and contract litigation, negligence/personal injury cases, various employment law matters, professional malpractice cases, and appellate work.
Education:
- J.D., West Virginia University College of Law (2001)
- B.A., summa cum laude, English, Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University (1998)
Court Admissions:
- United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia
- West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
Reported Cases:
- Pinnacle Mining Co., LLC v. Bluestone Coal Corp., 624 F. Supp. 2d 530 (S.D.W.Va. 2009)
- Murphy v. E. Am. Energy Corp., 224 W.Va. 95; 680 S.E.2d 110 (2009)
- Wahi v. Charleston Area Med. Ctr., 453 F. Supp. 2nd 942 (4th Cir. 2009)
- Worley v. Beckley Mech. Inc., 200 W.Va. 633; 648 S.E.2d 620 (2007)
- Barnett v. Commtec/Pomeroy Computer Res., Inc., 439 F. Supp. 2d 598 (S.D.W.Va. 2006)
- Deskins v. S.W. Jack Drilling Co., 215, W.Va. 525; 600 S.E.2d 237 (2004)
- Marks v. Watters, 322 F.3d 316 (4th Cir. 2003)
- Lewis v. Arthur B. Hodges Center, Inc., 230 F.Supp.2d 724 (S.D.W.Va. 2002)
Professional Involvement:
- Energy and Mineral Law Foundation
- West Virginia Bar Association
- Chair, Young Lawyer Division (2006 - 2007)
- Kanawha County Bar Association
- Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
- Defense Research Institute
Awards & Honors:
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer-Review Rated AV®
- Graduate, Leadership West Virginia Class of 2007
- Order of the Barristers, West Virginia University College of Law
- Law Review, West Virginia University College of Law
Teaching & Lecturing:
- Upstream without a Paddle: Avoiding Parent and Affiliate Company Liability in Tort Actions against Subsidiaries (Energy & Mineral Law Foundation 35th Kentucky Mineral Law Conference, October, 2011)
- West Virginia University College of Law’s 2010 Mountaineer Series Discovery Tools and Strategies CLE – Workshop on Discovery in Deliberate Intent Cases from the Defense Perspective (2010)
- Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University College of Law, Legal Research and Writing Program (1999 - 2000)
- How to Successfully Resolve Automobile Injuries in West Virginia, CLE (2005)
Writings & Publications:
- Employers' Immunity Under Workers' Compensation Statutes: Deal or No Deal?, Energy & Mineral Law Institute (2007)