BOSTON —  Gov. Maura Healey has nominated Maureen Counihan to serve as an administrative judge at the Department of Industrial Accidents and renominated Omar Hernández, Douglas A. Bean, Thomas P. Daniels, Matthew F. King and Michael Williams to serve an additional terms as administrative judges. 

 

These nominees will now be considered by the Governor's Council for confirmation.   

 

"All six of these nominees bring deep experience and expertise to the Department of Industrial Accidents," said Healey. "Their leadership helps ensure that injured workers and employers can navigate our workers' compensation system fairly and efficiently." 

 

The Department of Industrial Accidents oversees the Massachusetts workers compensation system, working to ensure that those involved have the resources needed to participate by assisting injured workers, employers, insurers, attorneys, and health care providers in following the Massachusetts workers' compensation laws and regulations.

 

About the nominees:

 

Hernández is currently the senior judge and has served on the bench since 2003, when he became the first Hispanic-American to be appointed as an administrative judge. Over the past two decades, he has been responsible for overseeing the operations of the court. He previously served as deputy general counsel of the Massachusetts Human Resources Division, where he advised state government on labor and employment matters, including civil service, employee benefits, civil rights, collective bargaining, and statewide human resources policies. Additionally, Hernández served as a staff attorney for the Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Litigation Unit, representing state agencies in workers' compensation matters. He received his bachelor of arts from Cornell University in 1985 and his juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1989. 

  

Bean has served on the bench since 1992. Over the course of his tenure, he has written more than 1,600 decisions and has resolved more than 15,000 cases. Earlier in his career, Bean practiced law in the private sector, where he handled more than 1,200 cases in District Court. He received his bachelor of arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his juris doctor from Boston University School of Law in 1987. 

  

Daniels has served as an administrative judge for nearly a decade. Prior to his appointment, he practiced law for more than 25 years as an insurance defense attorney at the Law Office of Steven B. Stein. Daniels received his bachelor of arts from Dickinson College and his juris doctor from Western New England Law School. 

  

King has been an administrative judge since 2019, presiding over hearings, conferences, and mediations. Prior to his appointment, King practiced as a workers' compensation attorney for 25 years, serving as an in-house staff attorney at Kemper National Insurance Company and later working at two private law firms, where he represented both insurers and injured workers. Earlier in his career, King worked as a prosecutor in both District and Superior Court. He received his bachelor of arts from Boston College in 1979 and his juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School. 

  

Williams has served as judge with DIA since 2012. Prior to his judicial service, he was director of labor relations at the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, where he oversaw labor relations matters, including collective bargaining agreements. He previously served as a staff attorney for the National Association of Government Employees and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. Williams received his bachelor of arts from Boston College and his juris doctor from Boston College Law School. 

 

Counihan is currently an attorney operating a solo practice. For more than 35 years, she has handled complex multi-party litigation in both state and federal court. Counihan also has represented injured workers at the Department of Industrial Accidents. She is an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School, where she teaches interviewing and counseling. She has spent several years as a member of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, including serving on its Board of Governors from 2017 to 2021. Prior to opening her own practice, she was a litigation associate at the firms of Greene & Hoffman, P.C., and the Law Offices of Martin Kantrovitz. Attorney Counihan received her bachelor of arts from the State University of New York at Albany and her juris doctor from Boston University School of Law.