Peterson Bernard law firm ‘will never be the same’ after plane crash kills 4 attorneys

March 15-- Mar. 15--The day after four of their colleagues died, attorneys at Peterson Bernard's West Palm Beach office got to work, handling schedules and getting in touch with clients. It was a Saturday.

"No one asked them to go in," said Bill Martin, managing shareholder of the firm's Fort Lauderdale office.

Eric Peterson, the 73-year-old founder of the firm, was "not only a partner but a friend," Martin said. Edwin "Ted" Mortel III, 54, was a "spitting image of Eric" in how he operated. Heather Bridwell, 43, was "dedicated" and "down to earth." Matthew Fiorello, 36, was funny and had a "very dynamic personality."

One-fifth of the firm's attorneys, gone in an instant after the twin-engine plane they chartered to woo prospective clients in Tampa crashed into Lake Okeechobee on the return flight on March 8. Pilot Eduardo Mulet, 45, also was killed in the crash.

"Everybody's numb," Martin said.

The Peterson Bernard law firm was born out of Peterson and Leonard Bernard working together at an insurance firm in Miami. They later opened their own firms in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, respectively, Martin said. The pair joined forces as Peterson Bernard in 1981.

Peterson had practiced in New York as well as Florida, and was a member of the American, Palm Beach County and Broward County Bar Associations. He received his J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is survived by his wife Moria and son Shane.

Not all the cases the firm tries or settles are particularly thrilling, Martin admitted. The firm's practice areas include auto negligence, dental malpractice, commercial litigation, insurance coverage and wrongful death. They cater to "insurers, third party administrators, businesses, governments and individuals," according to the website.

But Peterson's claim to fame, which scored him a number of interviews including with 20/20's Stone Phillips, was involving a Lake Worth woman named Patricia Latham (known as Jacqueline Johnson in California) in the late 1980s who said she suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a syndrome though to be related to nerve damage. Latham said it caused extreme sensitivity and pain that made it impossible to use her hand.

Latham had successfully won nearly $500,000 after a slip-and-fall suit against a West Palm Beach McDonald's where she said hurt her right hand, according to Palm Beach Post archives. Latham next sued a Boca Raton bowling alley, after claiming she tripped on carpet which rendered her left hand useless.

Peterson was hired to represent the bowling alley. He got photo and video evidence which showed Latham had full use of her left hand, and saved the bowling from settling for $1 million.

"We caught her doing everything from picking her nose to counting her coins and drinking a Coke," Peterson was quoted saying in a June 1991 issue of ABA Journal.

Peterson's work also saved a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in San Diego from paying Latham $1.6 million after she said a fall hurt both hands, the journal said. Attorney Melvin Belli, known as the "king of torts," had represented her, telling the journal: "We checked her out as best we could, but she fooled everybody. She's the best I've ever seen."

This week was set aside for attending funerals, Martin said.

Mortell, of Stuart, earned his J.D. from Nova Southeastern in 1989 and had only ever worked at Peterson Bernard, getting his start as a clerk in the late '90s, Martin said. He was the managing shareholder for the firm's Stuart office and was a past president of the Martin County Bar Association. Mortell III was a congregant of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Melissa Ann "Missy" Mortell; sons Grant, Reid and Clark; his father Edwin Everett Mortell Jr.; and brothers Michael and Patrick. He is predeceased by his mother Carolyn Olson Mortell.

Bridwell, of Jupiter, was a shareholder at the Stuart office, having practiced insurance defense since 2000 after receiving her J.D. from Florida State University. She was a previous president of the Martin County chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. A lover of boating and exercise, Bridwell is survived by her husband Jason; 8-year-old daughter Megan; parents John and Shelby Wallace; siblings Eric and Melanie; and dogs Timber and Bouy.

Fiorello, of Palm Beach Gardens, earned his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University in 2008 and was a shareholder at the firm's West Palm Beach office. He was lead singer of an all-lawyer tribute band, a Clemson fan and loved watching and playing golf. He is survived by his wife Rachel; his daughters London and Arden; his dog Hurley; parents Anthony and Kathi; and brothers Michael and Danny.

"We're all heartbroken on a personal level and a professional level," he said. "Unfortunately nobody has a choice in these things and life goes on."

Their clients, many long-term, had either reached out or were notified of the tragedy. Martin said they were reassured that their cases would still be taken care of.

"The people that died want us to go on," he said, but "the firm will never be the same."

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