ARCHIVED CLASS NOTES
Michael Corso ’74 was named to the firm’s Executive Committee.
Gaetan Alfano ’80 was named to the 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list for his work in Business Litigation.
William McNichol ’83 published "Pseudoscience and the Detection of Marijuana-Based Impairment: We Can and Must Do Better" in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Elise Fialkowski '91 was honored at the Klasko Immigration Law Partners awards.
Shaun J. Mumford '99 was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.
Doug Rosenblum ’03 was named to the 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list for his work in Criminal Defense: White Collar.
Bret McCabe ’09 received Long Island Business News’ 2025 Real Estate, Architecture & Engineering Awards Rising Star - Construction Award.
Rick Calabrese ’17 received M&A Source’s Platinum Award.
Abby Horowitz ’18 joined McCarter & English, LLP as a trusts and estates attorney.
Nigel James '19 was honored at the Klasko Immigration Law Partners awards.
Christopher J. Merken '20 joined Fisher & Phillips LLP as an employment and trade secrets attorney.
Juan Dawson ’22 was named to the 2025 Top 40 Under 40 List by The National Black Lawyers.
In Memoriam
Diane Ambler ’78 was named to the 2025 Impact List by the National Association of Women Lawyers.
John A. Bednarz, Jr. ’78 was named a 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.
Livia DeFilippis Barndollar '81 received the Edward F. Hennessey Professionalism Award from the Connecticut Bar Association.
Christopher Fallon ’06 received the Atlantic County Bar Association’s Professional Lawyer of the Year Award.
Steven Patton ’15 led the Villanova Law National Trial Team to a historic win at the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition.
Kristen Kelbon ’21 was featured in the Atlantic 10’s Postgraduate Scholarship series.
Juan Dawson '22 joined Stites & Harbison, PLLC’s Atlanta office as an attorney in the firm’s Torts & Insurance Practice Group.
In Memoriam
Mary Cornelius, Reference Librarian and Circulation Coordinator
Alan H. Ross '73
James L. Schwartz ’74
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.