Dara A. DeCourcy

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Ms. DeCourcy was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law in 1979. From 1979 to 1989, she was employed by the Office of the District Attorney of Allegheny County, principally in the appellate division of that office. From 1983 through 1990, she was an adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University School of Law, teaching Constitutional Criminal Procedure. At the same time, she served as board member, then board vice president, of the Center for Victims of Violent Crime, and she continues her support of that nonprofit organization.

In 1989, Ms. DeCourcy began her career as a civil litigator with Zimmer Kunz and now leads the firm’s Insurance Coverage/Appellate Practice group. Her practice also includes commercial, professional liability, and insurance bad faith litigation. She is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and is admitted to practice in all federal courts in both states, and in the United States Supreme Court. She appears frequently in Pennsylvania’s appellate courts; representative reported decisions include Moody v. Allegheny Valley Land Trust, __ Pa. __, 976 A.2d 484 (2009) (representing rails to trails nonprofit organization; court held that where requirements of Section National Trails System Act are met, railroad right-of-way is "railbanked" regardless of whether the rail operator agrees to resuscitate service, and easement was not abandoned to property owners); Mishoe v. Erie Insurance Company, 573 Pa. 267, 824 A.2d 1153 (2003) (no right to jury trial under Pa insurance bad faith statute); Carlson v. Bubash, 432 Pa.Super.514, 639 A.2d 458 (1994) (statute barring recovery of benefits paid or payable in action arising out of use of motor vehicle barred plaintiff from introducing medical bills and expenses for purpose of showing extent of pain and suffering). She has argued cases before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Circuits. She has organized and presented appellate practice seminars for attorneys and insurance bad faith seminars for attorneys and insurance industry personnel. In 2009 and 2010, Ms. DeCourcy was selected as a Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer”, a designation limited to 5% of the practicing bar. She was recognized for her expertise in the insurance coverage practice area.

Ms. DeCourcy lives in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and practices principally from the firm’s Greensburg office. She is a member of the Westmoreland County Bar Association, the Ned J. Nakles Inns of Court (Master), and the Westmoreland Academy of Trial Lawyers. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute, and served as a regional editor and author for DRI’s compendium, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Coverage. She is also a member of Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, and the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations.

Ms. DeCourcy can be contacted via e-mail at decourcy@zklaw.com or through her legal assistant Lori Katko.

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