Frances M. Bova - Newburgh, NY

Frances was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. She began her professional life as a Registered Nurse. While working as a staff nurse on a surgical unit, Frances obtained a Masters Degree in Medical/Surgical Nursing. She then began working as a Clinical Nursing Instuctor, providing in-service education and guidance for the nursing staff. To encourage accurate documentation in patient’s charts, and advise the staff regarding the legal ramifications of poor charting, she developed a course on the Legal Aspects of Nursing, at which point she decided to attend law school.

Frances graduated cum laude from Pace University School of Law, where she was a member of the International Law Review from 1991-1993, and was a Casenote and Comment Editor for the International Law Review from 1992-1993.

Frances began practicing law in the area of medical malpractice defense in New York and then in New Jersey. She joined Jacoby & Meyers in 2001 as a New Jersey associate motions attorney, In that capacity, she works collaboratively with all members of the NY and NJ staff by advising as to NJ procedure and law on all types of personal injury cases, including motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death cases, construction accidents and fee disputes. She performs substantial research on NJ substantive, evidentiary and liability theory issues, which assists in the development of case strategies.

Frances drafts all of the New Jersey motions, oppositions and appeals. On a motor vehicle accident in which her summary judgment motion on liability was granted, the plaintiff’s case then settled for $210,000. In a slip and fall case, which was tried twice and in which the defendant/landlord appealed the verdict, Frances prevailed and the $800,000 verdict was upheld. In a construction accident case, Frances defeated the defendant/general contractor’s and the defendant/property owner’s summary judgment motions and the matter settled for $75,000 in this difficult liability case.

Frances became a partner with Jacoby & Meyers after seven years and continues to manage all of the New Jersey motions and appeals and research. She also holds a membership in the New Jersey Bar Association and is volunteer member with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which runs a food pantry in her community