Firm History
OGK, the law firm of Oxman Goodstadt Kuritz, PC, began over 30 years ago in 1984 when partners Harry Oxman and Sheldon Goodstadt formed Oxman, Levitan & Goodstadt with then partner Ralph Levitan. That same year partner David Kuritz left a clerkship with the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas to become an associate at another center city Philadelphia personal injury law firm. Their paths came together in 2001 when Mr. Levitan retired and Mr. Kuritz joined the firm.
During this time, the attorney's at OGK have helped countless clients receive compensation for various types of injuries they have suffered, including those caused by medical mistakes; defective products; car, bus and truck accidents; civil rights violations; as well as other types of personal injury claims.
Attorneys
Partner
Harry J. Oxman
Mr. Oxman focuses his 50 years of experience as a trial lawyer on catastrophic injury cases, including medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents and civil rights litigation. Following law school he worked for the public defender of Philadelphia followed by a federal court judicial clerkship with the Honorable Thomas Clarey who was then chief Judge of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After completing his judicial clerkship Mr. Oxman served two years in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office before entering private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Oxman is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association; Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Oxman has served as a mentor for Philadelphia Futures and has been a child advocate for the Philadelphia Child Advocate Association. He presently serves as a Board Member of the non-profit organization “POWER” and is actively involved in the organization’s public school equitable funding initiative.
Education
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor, 1961
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
B.B.A. 1958
Affiliations
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Bar Admissions
• Pennsylvania
Partner
Sheldon A. Goodstadt
After practicing as a commercial, corporate, wills & estates lawyer for nearly a decade, Mr. Goodstadt founded the Oxman, Levitan, & Goodstadt law firm with Mr. Oxman, and has spent the 30 years since litigating serious personal injury matters for injured claimants. Mr. Goodstadt is proud to serve the South Jersey area working from OGK's Haddonfield and Linwood, NJ offices, but his work takes him across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In recent years, Mr. Goodstadt has been involved in numerous declaratory judgement actions that litigate disputes between insurance companies and their insureds as to coverage provided by insurance companies. Mr. Goodstadt's vast experience over this time has taken him to state and federal courts across both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mr. Goodstadt has been a member of the American Association of Justice for over 25 years, and proudly supports the organization's mission to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice.
Education
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor, 1974
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
B.A. 1971
Affiliations
• Member, American Association of Justice
• Member, New Jersey Association for Justice
• Member, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association
Bar Admissions
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
Rated AV Preeminent The highest possible rating
Partner
David Kuritz
Mr. Kuritz is proud to be a trial lawyer fighting for the rights of individuals who suffer serious injury as the result of a medical mistake, defective product, car crash or other negligent conduct. After completing a clerkship in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Mr. Kuritz spent the next 17 years as a trial lawyer with the Wapner Newman law firm in center city Philadelphia. Mr. Kuritz joined his current partners at OGK in June of 2000. Mr. Kuritz works throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area on a daily basis, while his practice takes him to state and federal courts all over both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mr. Kuritz is a proud member of the American Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.
Education
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor, 1982
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
B.A., 1979
Affiliations
• Member, American Association for Justice
• Member, Pennsylvania Association for Justice
• Member, New Jersey Association for Justice
• Member, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Bar Admissions
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• Florida
Associate
Joseph S. Oxman
Mr. Oxman focuses his practice in the Personal Injury field including Motor Vehicle and Premises Liability with a concentration in §1983 Federal Civil Rights cases. He has brought numerous civil rights actions regarding police misconduct on behalf of injured citizens. Mr. Oxman works out of both OGK's Center City Philadelphia office and OGK's Chester office, but his work often takes him to courts across the state Pennsylvania. Mr. Oxman is proud to have recently been the recipient of the 2013 Chester N.A.A.C.P. President’s Award for Community Service.
Education
GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY
Juris Doctor, 2006
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
B.A., 1989
Affiliations
• The Pennsylvania Supreme Court
• The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• The United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals
• The United States Supreme Court
• Member, the National Police Accountability Project
• Member, the Philadelphia Police Accountability Project
• Member, the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers
• Recipient of the 2013 Chester N.A.A.C.P. President’s Award for Community Service
Bar Admissions
• Pennsylvania
OF COUNSEL
Frances M. Minnis
Ms. Minnis has been associated with OGK in various capacities her entire career. As an associate attorney, she has represented injured claimants in both arbitrations and jury trials. Ms. Minnis has also worked closely as co-counsel with senior partner Harry J. Oxman on numerous catastrophic injury claims, including medical malpractice, motor vehicle accident and premises liability litigation. Ms. Minnis’ practice has also included representing claimants in Appellate matters, Workers Compensation claims, Social Security Disability claims and Domestic Law. Ms. Minnis has also been a child and parent advocate, representing parents and children in child abuse matters. Ms. Minnis is actively involved in her community including donating her time pro-bono to work with small community based organizations to provide guidance in matters pertaining to non- profit- governance, organizational structure, leadership development, and 501 (C)(3) status. In 1996, Ms. Minnis earned a certificate in community economic development from JFK School of Government of Harvard University. Ms. Minnis is proud to currently serve as the chairperson of West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution, a community lending institution, which in 2007 partnered with The Goldenberg Group to develop Park West Town Center, a multi-million dollar urban shopping center located in West Philadelphia. This development has brought much needed employment and economic stability to the area. Ms. Minnis also serves as treasurer to Margo Davidson, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 164th Legislative District since 2011.
Education
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, 1991
ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY
B.S., 1986
Affiliations
• The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Bar Admissions
• Pennsylvania
OF COUNSEL
Daniel I. Ward
Mr. Ward, of counsel to OGK, is also the name partner of his own law practice, with his primary office in Voorhees, New Jersey and a satellite office in North Palm Beach, Florida. He has been in practice for over 25 years. Mr. Ward concentrates his legal practice in tax, business and personal planning, with an emphasis on estate planning and estate administration. He has been a member of the American Bar Association, Philadelphia Estate Planning Council, South Jersey Estate Planning Council, Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Camden County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Florida Bar Association and New Jersey Bar Association. He received his baccalaureate degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctorate, with tax honors, from Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, NJ, and a Master's degree in Taxation from NYU School of Law. Mr. Ward's Curriculum Vitae
Education
NYU SCHOOL OF LAW
L.L.M., 1987
RUTGERS SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor with Tax Honors, 1986
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
B.A., 1983
Bar Admissions
•Pennsylvania
•New Jersey
•Florida