Ann B. Rembrandt is a Member in the Firm's Health Care and Regulatory industry groups, focusing primarily on litigation and appellate work. She practices out of the Firm’s office in Charleston, West Virginia.
Ann has been involved in the litigation of workplace injuries and illnesses for three decades. For more than 20 years, she has centered her practice on the defense of occupational pneumoconiosis claims filed under the Federal Black Lung Act and the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act for alleged injuries arising out of exposure to coal, glass, asbestos, and chemicals. Her work under the Federal Black Lung Act is multi-state in scope due to the extent of the Firm’s Federal Black Lung practice. She has appeared in thousands of hearings before the United States Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges. Her prior service as an attorney adviser for the Office of Administrative Law Judges enhances her skills as she is able to view cases from the adjudicator’s perspective. Ann additionally has extensive appellate experience, appearing regularly before the Benefits Review Board. She has argued cases before several United States Circuit Courts of Appeals as well as successfully defended against a petition for certiorari before the United States Supreme Court.
Ann also has extensive experience defending claims filed under the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act. She regularly appears before the West Virginia Office of Judges in both injury and occupational disease cases. She has presented hundreds of cases before the West Virginia Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board, a three physician panel. She has appellate experience under the state act as well, representing employers in cases before the Board of Review and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Because of her experience, Ann has addressed an Annual Training Conference of the Office of Administrative Law Judges providing the defense perspective of litigating federal black lung cases. She has also presented to the West Virginia Self-Insured Association regarding workers’ compensation issues affecting employers who are self-insured for their workers’ compensation liability.
Ann believes that collaborative work produces the best ideas. She enjoys consulting with her colleagues on difficult or unique issues or to develop the best response to frequent changes in the law or regulations. She also consults with colleagues involved in labor or acquisition matters to advise on the implications from a workers’ compensation or federal black lung perspective.
