"My name is Alan Pierce and I'm a comp lawyer".

So began my first address at our Annual Convention in Chicago ( and  my first President's Message on our Home Page) barely a year ago.

What appeared before me was the perception of a long, busy year ahead; busy? Yes-long? Hardly. It went by in a flash.

Soon we gather again, this time at the Boulders in Carefree Arizona for what appears to be a highly attended and anticipated convention with informative CLE's; Board, Committee and Section meetings and a chance to gather together- sharing our stories, applauding our successes and preparing for the challenges ahead.

A year ago, I outlined my theme; we are modern day colonial patriots spreading the message country wide about the challenges threatening our clients and our practices:

In the hour of darkness and peril and need,

The people will waken and listen to hear

The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,

And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

A year ago I outlined the following:   "We must strengthen and expand our base via membership." Through the efforts and hard work of our staff, notably Jennifer, Juli and our marketing/social media director Kaleigh Hickey, we have seen dramatic membership growth- we are at record levels; we also have merged our Federal Comp section with members of FLAG (FECA Law and Advocacy Group) and strengthened this area of practice.

"We must have a 'seat at the table' with various national organizations." This past year we initiated and participated in panel discussions or debates at NASI, WCRI, IAIABC, and were members of several national workers' compensation summits in Dallas and Orlando; Washington DC, Portland Maine, the Roscoe Pound Civil Justice Institute at Rutgers in Camden, NJ. We travelled among other places to; Tennessee, Denver, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington, DC, Illinois, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Montana, California, Boston and Cambridge Massachusetts among others, speaking to  bar associations, state TLAs, labor unions, Advisory Councils, House and Senate committees, governmental departments; discussing and testifying on deform

efforts, submitting model legislation proposals and raising awareness of key initiatives in workers' compensation.

"We must engage our state trial lawyer association, workers compensation sections and state workers' compensation associations." We have expanded our email lists of all section chairs, leadership and executive directors and have regularly sent out information and progress reports. If necessary, for mobilization we have hundreds or thousands of colleagues at the ready.

We have been contacted for comment by various press outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, The Center for Public Integrity, Lexis Nexis, Center for Investigative Reporting, Crains, Florida Record, Boston Business Journal, WyoFile,  and WorkcompCentral weekly; often times several inquiries per week for comments regarding Opt Out, constitutional challenges (mostly successful) in Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho and elsewhere, as well as issues surrounding treatment guidelines, sixth edition AMA Guides, immigration and related matters. WILG is recognized as a national voice and source of information for commentators, legislators and regulators. Our Amicus Committee (thank you Kathy Summer) has successfully shaped appellate decisions and continues to do so (over seven in the last year.)

Unlike Paul Revere (and William Dawes) our ride is not over; our mission and our work continues. Forces, powerful and well-funded forces, are hard at work seeking to forever change, and not for the better, how injured workers are treated by their employers. Here and there, the Grand Bargain, struck over a century ago, has been breached and is under continuing threat.

Individually our clients have no voice. As their advocates our task is more than seeking to obtain or sustain their personal benefits; but to protect this unique system of social legislation that has served relatively well its intended purpose for many years.

Having the privilege of building on the impressive work of my predecessors in this position, I now look forward to the term of my successor, Michael Gruber and the officers to follow, to continue to 'slay the dragons' (thank you Chuck Davoli for the image) and to continue the midnight ride (thank you HW Longfellow).

And most of all, to all of you, staunch defenders of worker rights, I applaud all that you do on a daily basis.

My name is Alan Pierce and I'm PROUD to be a comp lawyer.

Alan S. Pierce

WILG President

Pierce, Pierce & Napolitano

27 Congress Street, Suite 301

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-0914

apierce@ppnlaw.com

The Board of Directors of the Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group would like to invite you to participate in a new program recognizing your top legal staff!  The Top Injured Workers’ Advocates program allows you to nominate your staff members to be rewarded and recognized for their excellence.  The program recognizes the best legal staff assisting in representing injured workers in the Nation.  You may nominate members of your staff that you feel are the elite in the field of representing injured workers and whom you would like to honor by inducting them into the program.

The Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group: Top Injured Workers’ Advocates is an invitation, professional recognition program comprised of America’s leading legal staff representing injured workers as determined by you. The program provides you with a wonderful way to recognize and reward your staff.  The invitation of membership to the program should be extended to those top staff members who show a commitment to injured workers, have exemplary skills, are team players and go above and beyond the call of duty.  The Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group will provide you with an engraved plaque to present your chosen staff person, will recognize them on the www.wilg.org website, in Workers’ First Watch and the e-newsletter.  To participate in this program and honor your staff, please click here and fill out the nomination form.  

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