Barbara R. Axelrod, Esq. Reporter The Beasley Firm, Philadelphia From 1989 until the present Ms. Axelrod has been employed at The Beasley Firm in Philadelphia. She has largely handled post-trial motions and appeals in medical malpractice, products liability and personal injury cases as well as in major libel cases tried by James E. Beasley. Ms. Axelrod handled the appeals in Sprague v. Walter, 441 Pa. Super. 1, 656 A.2d 890 (1995), appeal denied, 543 Pa. 695, 670 A.2d 142 (1996) (denying a new trial and upholding $21.5 million of $31.5 million punitive damages award against the Philadelphia Inquirer) and McDermott v. Biddle, 544 Pa. 21, 674 A.2d 665 (1996) (also a libel action against the Philadelphia Inquirer). She served as co-counsel with James E. Beasley in many libel cases across the state, representing both public and private figures against newspapers, radio and television networks. Ms. Axelrod successfully handled many cases of first impression in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She also serves as a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions and is past Chair of the Appellate Courts Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Prior to joining The Beasley Firm, Ms. Axelrod was employed by the Philadelphia City Solicitor's Office and served as Divisional Deputy in Charge of Appeals. She is a graduate of Middlebury College (B.A. 1973) and Villanova University School of Law (J.D. 1977).