Ms. Vaporean practices in the firm's St. Louis office and focuses her practice on defending both health care providers in malpractice matters and employers in discrimination/wrongful discharge matters. She has extensive litigation and trial experience and frequently lectures at professional seminars, and has authored several publications on matters affecting both health care providers and employers faced with litigation.
Ms. Vaporean serves as chair of the firm's Hiring Committee, and also serves on the Diversity and Personnel Committees. She is one of the founders of the Brown & James’ Fifth Friday Women’s Initiative to increase retention and promotion of women in the firm.
Favorable Jury Verdicts:
Mitchell v. Kardesch, (February, 2008)
Ni v. Washington University and Garcia, (October/November, 2007)
Klos v. Koenig, (August, 2006)
Blank v. PRORehab, (April, 2006)
Leslie v. Chehval, (retrial, February, 2006)
Buscher v. Mattaline, (May, 2005)
Leslie v. Chehval, (March/April, 2004)
Written Publications:
"Missouri Supreme Court Issues Opinion on Constitutionality of MedMal Caps," The Firm Inquiry, Spring 2010
"Medicare and Medicaid Liens - An Overview and Update for Defense Counsel, Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers Newsletter," Spring 2009
"Medicare Liens - An Overview and Update for Defense Counsel, Current Issues in Medical Liability and Health Care Law," Defense Research Institute, Fall 2009
"Theories of Hospital Liability After Tort Reform: Negligent Credentialing," The Firm Inquiry, Summer 2008
Speaking Engagements:
2010 - St. Louis Association of Healthcare Risk Managers - Legal Bases for the Use and Arrangement of Set Aside Trusts in Resolving Claims Involving Medicare Beneficiaries. The
presentation covered both the application of and legal bases for the
use of Set Aside Trusts in non-work comp liability cases involving
Medicare claimants as well as an update to Section 111 reporting
requirements.
2009 - The Simon Law Firm Seminar to Benefit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. - Current Issues in Medicare and Medicaid.
2008 – The Missouri Bar, Hospital Liability, Thinking Outside the Box.
2008 – National Business Institutes, Avoiding Medical Malpractice: Preventing and Defending Accusations, Section Author for Documentation and Communication Among Members of the Care Team and the Process of Informed Consent.
2005 – National Business Institutes, Getting the Results You Want: Successful Missouri Medical Malpractice, Section Author for Trial Tips and Techniques for Trying the Medical Malpractice Case (Prosecution and Defense Perspectives).
2003 – St. Louis Chapter of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Nurses, Nursing Malpractice Law.
Bar Admissions:
Missouri
Illinois
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Professional Associations:
Illinois State Bar Association
Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
Women Lawyer's Association of Greater St. Louis
