It’s difficult to think of a more intimidating situation for an attorney than arguing in front of the United States Supreme Court, but this past April, SmolenPlevy principal Daniel Ruttenberg did just that. Ruttenberg argued the case of Hillman v. Maretta before the nine Supreme Court justices – a challenging undertaking for an attorney who rarely litigates.
The case began when Warren Hillman, a 66-year-old retired urban planner and longtime government employee, unexpectedly passed away in 2008. His then 61-year-old wife Jackie Hillman attempted to collect money from Warren’s Federal Employees’ Government Life Insurance (FEGLI) plan, only to have her request denied. The reason? The life insurance check (which was for over $120,000) had been sent to Warren Hillman’s ex-wife, Judy Maretta, who was still listed as the beneficiary on his life insurance plan. Struggling to make ends meet, Hillman sued Maretta.
What followed was several years of trials and appeals culminating in Ruttenberg’s argument before the Supreme Court in April 2013. Read the full article, “The Case of the Preemptive Strike and the Wronged Widow” in the December 2013 issue of Northern Virginia Magazine, on newsstands now.
About the Author
Daniel H. Ruttenberg
Daniel H. Ruttenberg, JD, CPA, LLM is a principal with the firm. Mr. Ruttenberg received his Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the University of Maryland. He earned his Juris Doctor with Honors from George Mason University School of Law and his Master of Laws in Taxation with Distinction from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Ruttenberg also served as the Director of the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA) for seven years. During this period, he was also elected president – the youngest in FBA history and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Fairfax Law Foundation.
