ARCHIVED CLASS NOTES
Joseph Tate '63 CLAS, '66 CWSL received the 2024 Citizens Bank Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Michael Corso ’74 was recertified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) as a Board Certified Specialist in Civil Trial.
Marc P. Weingarten ’76 presented at the International Injuries Conference 2024 in London, sponsored by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He also was invited to lecture at the Touro Law Center on Long Island, New York.
Mark Gibney ’77 was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Trento, Italy for the spring 2025 term.
Robyn Gigl ’77 received The NJWLA’s Women’s Initiative and Leaders in Law (WILL) Platinum Award from New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.
John Kopesky '76 VSB, '79 CWSL was reappointed as member of the Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security Board of Trustees for a 3-year term.
John M. Toth ’81 was reappointed chair of the Standing Committee on Character & Fitness by the Michigan State Bar president.
Rhonda Fulginiti ’91 was elected to the Philadelphia Bar Association Board of Governors.
Robert Seiger ’97 joined Robinson+Cole as partner in the firm’s immigration group.
Matthew P. Donelson ’99 joined Rawle & Henderson LLP in its Wilmington, DE office.
Kristine Calalang ’04 was elected vice chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Kathryn Maza Courtney ’12 was promoted to senior counsel at Saxton & Stump.
Bradley Crowell ’13 was promoted to shareholder of Littler.
Amanda Fernandez ’13 was elected president of the Cuban American Bar Association.
Chris Lucca ’13 was promoted to member at Clark Hill’s Philadelphia office.
Melissa Scacchitti ’13 joined Blank Rome LLP in the Energy, Environment, and Mass Torts group.
Tyler Tassone ’13 has been named director at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox.
Allison Fleet ’14 was promoted to partner at Partridge Snow & Hahn.
Daniel LePera ’14 was promoted to partner at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees.
Michael J. Montalbano '15 was promoted to partner at Blank Rome LLP.
Andrew Logan '16 LLM was elected to of counsel at Blank Rome LLP.
Adison Richards ’18 was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in the 26th district.
Gabrielle Outlaw ’19 was elected to the Philadelphia Bar Association Board of Governors.
Kendeil A. Dorvilier ’21 was named to Top 40 Under 40 Black Lawyers in Delaware list by The National Black Lawyers.
Brandon Millinghausen ’22 was elected to the Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee.
Vanessa Ruggiero ’22 joined Ogletree Deakins as an associate attorney.
Anna Wills '22 received the 18th annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Award from Duane Morris LLP.
Maggie MacDonald ’23 was elected to the Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee.
In Memoriam
John P. Crampton ’66 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Marc P. Weingarten ’76 was a visiting professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University School of Law and presented at the Third International Juridical Days Conference in Torun, Poland.
Joseph F. Kessler ’82 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Samuel Arena ’83 served as co-editor of the American Bar Association’s new insurance law resource book, The Insurer's Duty to Defend: Issues and Analysis.
Gregory R. Gifford ’84 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation and land use and zoning law.
Matthew I. Whitehorn ’84 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Shelly Smith ’89 was named to City & State PA’s Fifty Over 50 list.
Eric Borjeson ’90 joined Willig, Williams & Davidson in the workers’ compensation practice group.
Michael O. Fenerty ’94 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Kelly Ayotte ’93 was named governor-elect of the state of New Hampshire.
Steve Odabashian ’95 was named “Best SAT Coach” by Philadelphia Magazine, and his test prep company, Main Line Test Prep and Tutoring, was named “Best College Prep Service” by Main Line Today Magazine.
Jennifer Platzkere Snyder ’95 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
James S. Beall ’99 LLM was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Megan Starace Ben’Ary ’97 CLAS, ’01 CWSL was elected to the Policy Committee at McGlinchey Stafford PLLC.
Douglas Rosenblum '00 VSB, '03 CWSL was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America as “Lawyer of the Year in Corporate Compliance Law in Philadelphia.” He was also honored by the Montgomery Bar Association with The Keystone Pro Bono Attorney Award and The President’s Bronze Volunteer Service Award.
Stephen Chuk ’10 was promoted to partner at Proskauer Rose LLP.
Mark T. Sottile ’11 was promoted to partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP.
William J. Gallagher ’12 was recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Leah George ’21 was named a 2024 Bar Star by the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Emily Knight ’23 joined Goldberg Segalla in the workers’ compensation practice group.
Eddie Reilingh ’23 joined the New York City Law Department as assistant corporation counsel in the Special Federal Litigation Division.
New York City Law Department
Ryan C. Thomas ’23 joined Maiello Brungo & Maiello, LLP (MBM Law) as an associate on the education law and municipal law teams.
Gabriela Amado ’24 joined Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin as an associate in the litigation department.
Grace Gelone ’24 joined Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin in the trusts and estates department.
Mark A. Umansky ’24 joined Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin as an associate in the litigation department.
In Memoriam
Leonard Packel, professor emeritus, passed away on September 9, 2024. He joined the Law School in 1973 and retired in 2006 after 33 years as part of the faculty. After his retirement, he continued to teach Trial Practice for another six years and remained engaged in the Villanova Law community.
Walter Taggart, professor emeritus, passed away on October 29, 2024. As a student at Villanova Law, he was an articles and book review editor of the Villanova Law Review, graduating in 1968. He later joined the faculty in 1970, teaching Federal Courts, Real Estate and Bankruptcy, and was an advisor to the Villanova Law Review. His strong legacy and commitment to Villanova Law extend from his time as a student to his nearly 50 years as a professor and well after his retirement.
Richard N. Winfield '55 CLAS, noted U.S. First Amendment lawyer and member of the Villanova Law Board of Consultors, passed away in October.
Ed Mullin ’63 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 in the area of Land Use & Zoning by Super Lawyers.
Michael Corso ’74 was awarded the Chubby Damsel Lifetime Achievement Award by the Florida Defense Lawyers Association and named a top attorney in Florida for 2024 by Super Lawyers.
Deborah Lerner ’77 JD, ’86 LLM was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 in the area of Employee Benefits by Super Lawyers.
Lawrence Moran ’77 achieved 30 years of recertification in civil and criminal trials with the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
John Bednarz ’78 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 by Super Lawyers.
Gregory Gifford ’84 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 by Super Lawyers.
Kathleen Sweet ’90 was appointed as president-elect of the New York State Bar Association.
Rear Adm. Christoper French ’93 was nominated for a third star and a promotion to serve as the Navy’s next Judge Advocate General.
David Storm ’94 was appointed to director of the Economic Development Authority of Albemarle County, Virginia.
Nathan Murawsky ’95 was elected chair of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Montgomery Bar Association.
Robert Iannozzi ’98 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 in the areas of Estate and Probate by Super Lawyers.
Jeffrey Laffey ’98 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 by Super Lawyers.
Matthew McClure ’99 was elected fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
James Beall ’00 LLM was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 in the area of Employee Benefits by Super Lawyers.
Matthew Weinstein ’00 was elected fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
John Iannozzi ’01 was named a top attorney in Pennsylvania for 2024 in the areas of State, Local and Municipal, Land Use and Zoning and Family Law by Super Lawyers.
Douglas Rosenblum ’00 VSB, ’03 CWSL was ranked by Chambers and Partners USA in the area of Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations—Philadelphia.
Kevin McGrath ’15 was named to the “Pennsylvania Rising Stars” list by Super Lawyers in the areas of Business & Corporate Law.
B. Ever Hanna ’17 joined the Baltimore County Circuit Court as their first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion coordinator.
Ruby Khallouf ’17 was named Partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli & Tipton
Gabrielle Weiss ’18 joined the Blank Rome LLP as an associate in the their Philadelphia office’s labor and employment practice group.
Fiona Steele ’21 joined Blank Rome LLP as an associate in their Philadelphia office’s general litigation group.
Daniel Goldfield ’24 received the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association’s 2024 James J. Manderino Award for Trial Advocacy.
IN MEMORIAM
Gaetan J. Alfano ’80 was appointed to the disciplinary board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
James S. Eicher ’86 authored Warrior IV Life Fitness: An Introduction and Warrior IV Life Fitness: 8-Week “The World is Your Gym” Physical Fitness Course.
Bruce Matez ’89 combined his law firm, BorgerMatez, with Weir Greenblatt Pierce, LLP, where he is a partner.
Matthew N. McClure ’99 was elected as a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Jason C. Manfrey ’09 joined Stevens & Lee in the Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Department.
Jacquelyn Gordon ’11 JD/LLM joined Faegre Drinker as counsel in the firm’s Philadelphia office.
John Rafferty ’12 was awarded the Public Interest Distinguished Service Award by the Villanova Law Public Interest Fellowship Program.
Candee Wilde ’14 was elected partner at McCarter & English, LLP.
Celso Leite Jr. ’18 VSB, ’21 CWSL joined Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin as an associate in the Real Estate and Land Use department.
Kyra G. Bradley ’17 CLAS, ’22 CWSL joined Archer & Greiner, PC as an associate.
Matthew J. Boling ’22 joined Goldberg Segalla in their Commercial Litigation and Arbitration group in the Philadelphia office.
Alex P. Fante ’23 joined Archer & Greiner, PC as an associate.
IN MEMORIAM
Kevin Carey ’79, 2023-24 dean’s distinguished fellow
Donald Bersoff, former Villanova Law professor