Copyright 1999

R. DEAN H ARTLEY is one of the founding partners of the Wheeling, West Virginia law firm of Hartley & O'Brien.  He is a trial attorney with eighteen years experience successfully representing injured individuals.

understanding the toxicity of benzene and educating members on developing cases for individuals injured as a result of benzene exposure.

Mr. Hartley is interested in evidentiary issues surrounding expert witnesses in toxic exposure cases.  Recognized for his understanding of the issues, he has been an invited speaker on several national programs discussing the implications of the United States Supreme Court's Daubert decision in the toxic tort arena. 

Mr. Hartley is also a member of the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Amicus Curiae Committee. He and Mr. O'Brien authored the "friend of the court" brief in Bower v. Westinghouse Electric wherein the West Virginia Supreme Court, following the reasoning of the WVTLA amicus brief, held that individuals exposed to toxic substances have a cause of action under West Virginia law for the recovery of medical monitoring costs, where it can be proven that such expenses are necessary and reasonably certain to be incurred as a proximate result of a defendant's tortious conduct.

He is married to the former Charlene Kobasko of Moundsville, West Virginia. The Hartley household consists of seven children between the ages of eleven and twenty-five.

EDUCATION:

• West Virginia University College of Law (J.D. 1981)
• East Carolina University (B.S. 1978)

• R. Dean Hartley, "Products Liability:  Evidentiary Issues," West Virginia Continuing Legal Education Seminar Products Liability, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia, October 6-7, 1989, Course Materials, pp. 140-199.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Asbestos:  Theories of Liability and Punitive Damages," West Virginia Continuing Legal Education Seminar Legal & Medical Aspects of Disease of the Lung , West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia, November 16-17, 1990, Course Materials, pp. 318-347.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses," West Virginia Continuing Legal Education Seminar Examination of Witnesses & Jury Argument, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia, November 20-21, 1992, Course Materials, pp. 105-118.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Current Mandolidis Litigation", West Virginia Continuing Legal Education Seminar Litigation, Canaan Valley State Park, Davis, West Virginia, February 26-27, 1993, Course Materials, pp. 121-156.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Chromosome Changes in Benzene-exposed Workers", 1996 Annual Convention, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Benzene Litigation Group, Boston, Massachusetts, July 27-31, 1996.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Solvent Exposure on the Railroad", 1997 Annual Convention, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Railroad Section, San Diego, California, July 19-23, 1997, ATLA, National College of Advocacy, Reference Materials, Vol. II, pp. 1902-1917.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Multiple Myeloma in the Railroad Industry", 1998 Annual Convention, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Railroad Section, Washington, D. C., July 10-14, 1998, ATLA, National College of Advocacy, Reference Materials, Vol. II, pp. 2297-2311.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Sampling Methodology:Testing and Measurement", Mealey's Daubert & Expert Admissibility Conference, Amelia Island, Florida, February 25-26, 1999, pp. 471-486.
• R. Dean Hartley, "Daubert on the Railroad" , 1999 Annual Convention, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Railroad Section, San Francisco, California, July 17-21, 1999, ATLA, National College of Advocacy, Reference Materials, Vol. II, pp. 1517-1525.