Frier Levitt co-founder urges CPR training after tragic loss

The basics:

• Daniel Frier advocates CPR and AED training after law partner’s sudden death
• Frier Levitt co-founder now supports American Heart Association efforts
• Workplace cardiac arrest preparedness remains inconsistent nationwide
• Frier will chair the New Jersey Heart Ball fundraiser in May

When Frier Levitt co-founder and co-managing partner Daniel Frier saw longtime friend and law partner John Morrone collapse and die from a sudden heart attack almost six years ago, the loss shook him to his core.

After that, the longtime health care attorney became certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is urging others to learn the lifesaving skill so they’re prepared to act in an emergency.

In November 2020, Frier and Morrone, along with co-founding partner Jonathan Levitt, were practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the Little Falls-based firm’s basement gym. According to Frier, the trio had been training in the sport for the past decade.

“John Morrone had been complaining of back pain for a few weeks. We were just training light and warming up, when all the sudden, he sat up and was obviously in pain. Then, he just collapsed. We administered CPR, but he passed away,” Frier said.

“It was a sudden cardiac death and there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t save him,” he said. “I wasn’t certified in CPR. So even though I had administered it, I frankly wasn’t sure if I did it properly at that time. And I realized if I had been better equipped, I would’ve certainly felt more comfortable.

“It’s been tough because in addition to being a partner, he was an extremely close friend,” he said.

Taking action

Soon after Morrone’s death, Frier began organizing training on CPR and AED [automated external defibrillator] use at the firm. Frier personally has been certified twice in both skills.

“I want to really promote CPR training because that’s something that frankly can probably save as many lives as some new discovery that costs a billion dollars. If more people know how to administer CPR, that’s the easiest, lowest cost way to save people’s lives,” he said.

His advocacy prompted him to get involved with the American Heart Association’s local chapter in New Jersey.

Frier said, “Working with the American Heart Association allows me to honor his memory while advancing education, research and awareness that can help save lives in our community and prevent others from experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one.”

In the workplace

Each year, about 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest. Globally, it claims more lives that colorectal cancer, breast cancer, influenza, auto accidents, HIV, firearms and house fires combined, according to AHA.

Of the 350,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside of the hospital annually in the U.S., about 10,000 of those happen in the workplace, the organization said.

Beyond the immediate emergency, cardiac arrest at work can have financial consequences for employers, such as workers’ compensation claims, higher insurance premiums, potential legal exposure, lost productivity and operational disruption. Safety experts note that investing in CPR training and readily accessible AEDs can not only save lives but reduce long-term disability costs and liability risks.

Be prepared

After surveying 3,000 workers, AHA found that a large share of the U.S. workforce lacks access to regular training in lifesaving skills on the job. As a result, preparedness for cardiac emergencies remains inconsistent, the nonprofit said.

According to AHA, 55% reported that their employer does not offer CPR, AED or first aid training – and even when training is available, it’s often limited to just one element rather than a full suite. Meanwhile, 50% said they could not locate an AED in their workplace

Despite these gaps, over 90% of employees say they’d take CPR/AED training if their company offered it, AHA said.

In addition to being widely available through organizations like AHA and the American Red Cross, CPR and AED certification programs are also offered to groups and businesses through private safety training companies. Frier is a firm believer in such training programs, saying, “Adults and even kids can learn CPR, almost any able-bodied person can learn how to save someone’s life.”

Having heart

This year, Frier will serve as chair of the organization’s New Jersey Heart Ball campaign. Scheduled for May 14 at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, the New Jersey Heart Ball aims to celebrate the association’s work every day to help every heart.

The evening will honor volunteers and patrons; feature stories of survivors; and entertain guests with dinner, dancing and an auction.

Commenting on Frier’s role as chairman, American Heart Association New Jersey executive director Daniel Stermer said, “Daniel demonstrates outstanding leadership and dedication at Frier Levitt. His passion and commitment to the American Heart Association’s mission, deep understanding of community needs, and unwavering drive to make a difference position him as the perfect choice to chair this event.”

Frier said, “The Heart Ball holds a special place for me because it’s more than just a fundraising event.

“It’s an opportunity to share powerful stories, celebrate the progress that has been made, and shine a light on the ongoing fight against heart disease and stroke. The evening is filled with hope and serves as a powerful reminder of why this work is so vital,” he went on.

Raising awareness, funds

As chairman, Frier said he is focusing on raising awareness and funds to support AHA initiatives.

“The reality is American Heart Association exists entirely on donations. It doesn’t have any other income stream at all,” Frier said. “So, as challenging as it has been for me to ask people for money – which is not something I normally do – the more I realize these organizations only exist if people donate.”

“And my role is to incite people to take action; not only donations. The underlying motivation for me is to educate people on CPR and life support,” he said.

CPR can often be the difference between life and death, according to the AHA. In fact, providing immediate CPR for a person experiencing cardiac arrest can double – or even triple – their chances of survival, the association said.

CPR know-how

Cardiac arrest can strike anywhere, at the gym, in the grocery store or during a child’s soccer game. However, only about 40% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital receive bystander CPR before emergency crews arrive, AHA said.

A 2023 survey from the organization found:

• Around 35% of adults say they feel confident and ready to perform CPR
• Roughly 60% report knowing how to administer CPR, though far fewer have actually done it in a real emergency or can do it correctly

As part of a goal to double the cardiac arrest survival rate, AHA is working to increase the number of people who respond to cardiac arrest by calling 911, delivering high-quality CPR and using an AED.

“Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. And many of those deaths are not only preventable by long-term preventive care, like weight loss, going on appropriate medications, going to a cardiologist and monitoring your blood pressure and getting an EKG regularly, but many of these deaths are preventable if more people knew how to administer CPR,” Frier said.

“In many instances, folks that undergo CPR that survive their initial heart attack at that point get treatment and live 20, 30 years,” he added.

Remembering a colleague

When Morrone passed away, he was only 62.

Frier said, “He was in apparently good shape. He worked out regularly, but he had some underlying conditions that he didn’t get checked out. And this wasn’t a case of him not being educated in terms of prevention. He was a paramedic himself and had also been a hospital administrator and helped develop the cardiac cath lab at Maimonides Medical Center. He was extremely well-versed, a vegetarian for years and I think he thought that he was invulnerable.”

In addition to serving as managing partner of the firm’s New York office, Morrone was co-chair of the health care department. Beyond Frier Levitt, Morrone spent his free time on the front lines as a critical care nurse and paramedic with a major New York City hospital system.

He joined the firm in 2008 after more than two decades as a senior health care executive, holding positions with academic medical centers, physician practice management companies and consulting groups. He was promoted in 2019 to equity partner status at Frier Levitt.

At the time, Levitt praised Morrone as “one of the finest life sciences and health care regulatory attorneys in the industry.” Levitt also said he and Frier were “honored and absolutely thrilled” to elevate Morrone.

Hitting home

Launched in 2000 by Frier and Levitt, the firm seeks to help clients thrive in the rapidly evolving health care, life sciences and pharmacy landscapes.

With over 50 attorneys, many of whom are also licensed health care professionals, the national boutique law firm provides regulatory, transactional and litigation counsel to entities across the spectrum — from providers, pharmacies and manufacturers to investors, innovators and life sciences companies.

Frier said, “I’ve been a health care attorney for over 30 years and every once in a while, it hits home in terms of what I do and the work that we support.”

“I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of my professional goals. Not all – but many of them. And I’ve spent the first three decades using a tremendous amount of energy to build my practice up to grow it. And a lot of my motivations have been financial,” he said.

I’ve been a health care attorney for over 30 years and every once in a while, it hits home in terms of what I do and the work that we support.
– Daniel Frier, Frier Levitt co-founder and co-managing partner

“But as I enter my fourth decade, I am really interested in making more of a long-term change. And, I have the time and the resources to do it now. So, this is one of several things that I’m involved in now that don’t necessarily directly benefit the firm or me individually but might move the needle in terms of public health,” he said.

He went on to say, “What’s interesting is that there’s no money in CPR. There’s plenty of money in drugs, like statins or blood pressure medications. But there are no organizations that have a huge financial incentive to teach people CPR. It doesn’t make any money. So that kind of education is really left up to not-for-profit organizations, private companies or the government.”

“Large health insurance companies and drug manufacturers don’t have an incentive to promote that. It’s easier and more profitable for them to sell medications to prevent heart disease than it is to teach CPR or push it or advertise it,” he said. “So, I thought if I could do my part to spread the word, then maybe we could save a few lives and it would be worthwhile.”

Making connections

Frier is also organizing an invite-only event to connect self-insured employers directly with providers. The one-day conference is scheduled for May 19 at the firm’s headquarters in Little Falls.

“So, if you’re a self-insured company and you want to establish a primary care network for your employees, or let’s say you have very high cancer care costs for a couple dozen employees who have cancer and are unexpensive medications, the traditional model is to go through a traditional health insurance company and use them as a TPA [third-party administrator],” he explained. “But there’s a lot of inefficiency with that, to say the least. And very often, self-insured employers can do better by contracting directly with the provider or directly with the pharmacy. And until very recently, there’s just been no incentive to do it. There’s been no effort by the employers’ part. Many of them don’t realize it’s an option.

“We’re getting together large employers, providers and intermediaries to teach them how they can contract directly … and both save money. But also, more importantly, provide better long-term care for their employees,” Frier explained.

“Employers care very much about the longevity of their employees. They care about missed work; they care about productivity. Whereas the health insurance companies typically will have an insured covered on average about 18 months. So, there’s no financial incentive for insurance companies to care about the long-term health of an insured the way that there is for employers.”

Nation’s ‘biggest problem’

“We’re hoping to help reduce the cost of health care in this nation. We’re hoping to create a little bit of healthy competition for the health insurance industry and get better care to employees and make care less expensive … As a self-insured employer myself, I can tell you that our health insurance costs go up dramatically every year. It’s completely unsustainable. It’s the biggest problem we have in this country. So, if I could do something small to help change the way that system works, I’m happy to do it.

“We want real industry insiders and we want people who can contribute to the conversation, not really just purely audience members. Certainly, if there are people out there that are interested in this topic and who can contribute something or who are either on the employer side or the provider side or an intermediary, I would love them to reach out to us,” Frier said.

He added, “This is not a profitable event for us. It’s going to cost us money, and there’s no direct benefit to the firm other than obviously the fact that we’re involved in something that’s hopefully beneficial. My real purpose is – honestly – I want to change the way things are done.”

Frier can be reached at dbfrier@frierlevitt.com.