A national leader in Catholic church sex abuse litigation
The sexual abuse of a child is perhaps the ultimate betrayal of trust and destruction of innocence. Nye, Stirling, Hale & Miller is a nationally recognized leader in childhood sexual abuse litigation. Our attorneys have committed themselves to assisting childhood sexual abuse survivors in obtaining restorative justice.
NSH&M was among the first firms in the Country to file suit on behalf of survivors against the Roman Catholic Church. It also holds the distinction of obtaining the first pre-trial million dollar settlement in the history of the clergy abuse scandal. NSH&M went on to be named to the steering committee to assist in holding the Los Angeles Archdiocese and San Diego Diocese accountable for decades of concealed abuse by its priests. This resulted in global settlements of $660 million (Los Angeles Archdiocese), $198.1 million (San Diego Diocese), and $28.4 million (Franciscan Friars). The Los Angeles and San Diego settlements remain the largest amounts obtained for survivors against the Catholic Church in the history of the United States.
NSH&M is on the front lines of the battle to make today’s children safer by publicly identifying perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse and the religious and business entities that conceal and protect them. The firm investigates and prosecutes childhood sexual abuse cases against entities such as the Roman Catholic Church, the LDS Church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Presbyterian Church, and the Boy Scouts of America. The firm also supports and represents adult victims of sex crimes, such as victims of rape and spousal abuse. With both childhood and adult abuse survivors, the firm strives to empower its clients through the aggressive prosecution of their claims.
If you would like more information on our sexual abuse law practice, please contact us. Your privacy will be respected and your identity will remain confidential.
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Toll Free: (866) 614-8865
Email: info@nshmlaw.com
IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE YOU MAY CONTACT US USING THE FORM BELOW. YOUR PRIVACY WILL BE RESPECTED AND YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
Past Settlements
$660 Million
(Global Settlement)
Los Angeles Archdiocese
$198.1 Million
(Global Settlement)
San Diego Diocese
$28.4 Million
(Global Settlement)
Franciscan Friars
Pennsylvania Catholic Abuse Lawsuit
NSH&M has affiliated with the Pennsylvania law firms of Berger Montague in Philadelphia and The Sweet Law Firm in Pittsburgh to represent Pennsylvania survivors of childhood sexual abuse by priests. Together, the firms have filed a class action lawsuit against the eight Roman Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania and its leaders. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of survivors and children currently in Catholic school, seeks to compel the Pennsylvania Dioceses to honor their mandatory reporting obligations under the law and report all suspected perpetrators within their ranks to law enforcement. The lawsuit also seeks to compel the Pennsylvania Dioceses to abate the public nuisance created by their concealment of predator priests by disclosing the names of these suspected priests to the public. If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and would like to learn more about this lawsuit, please contact NSH&M, or one of the Pennsylvania firms below.
Pittsburgh Office: 186 Mohawk Drive, Pittsburgh, PA; Ph. (412) 742-0631 Em: ben@sweetlawpc.com
Philadelphia Office: 1818 Market Street, Suite 3600, Philadelphia, PA; Ph. (800) 424-6690 Em. info@bm.net
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
Firm attorney Timothy Hale recently joined Benjamin Sweet of The Sweet Law Firm on NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to comment on the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Click on the videos below to learn more:
Recent Press
Timothy Hale
timothy@nshmlaw.com / 805-963-2345
Timothy Hale is a partner at Nye, Stirling, Hale & Miller, where he dedicates his practice to representing survivors of childhood and adult sexual abuse. A tireless advocate, Tim was a member of the steering committee in the Los Angeles Archdiocese and San Diego Diocese lawsuits. These lawsuits resulted in the largest global settlements for survivors against the Catholic Church in the history of the United States. Tim was also trial and lead appellate counsel in In re Clergy Cases I, John Doe 1 et al. v. Franciscan Friars of California, Inc., et al.. The case resulted in a $28.4 million settlement with the Friars and a landmark appellate decision compelling the production of confidential priests personnel files that concealed decades of abuse.
Jonathan Miller
jonathan@nshmlaw.com / 805-963-2345
Jonathan Miller is a partner at Nye, Stirling, Hale & Miller, where he handles complex litigation. Jonathan attended Catholic School, was a Boy Scout, and received his undergraduate and law degrees from Pennsylvania State University. Having seen these institutions affected by perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse, Jonathan makes it a priority to represent survivors in pursuing their claims. Jonathan was trial counsel in Doe v. Boy Scouts of America, which uncovered 25 years of hidden abuse files maintained by the Scouts and resulted in a significant confidential settlement. Jonathan enjoys an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given practicing attorneys by their peers in terms of both professional competence and ethics.
“In any case, the greatest value of civil lawsuits is forcing dioceses to improve how they protect children and uncovering more abusers.”
– Tim Hale (August 16, 2018, ABC News in Response to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report)