Villanova Lawyers Lead

Villanova lawyers can be found everywhere–from international law firms to government agencies, from nonprofit organizations to major corporations. A Villanova Law education prepares you to be not only a great lawyer, but also a great leader. And we have the alumni to prove it with Villanovans in leadership positions in many sectors of the legal field.

As chair of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, one of the nation’s largest law firms, Jami Wintz McKeon ’81 leads more than 1,600 legal professionals—including lawyers, patent agents, benefits advisers, regulatory scientists and other specialists—in 28 global offices. When it came time to appoint the leader of the firm’s 450-lawyer litigation department, Morgan Lewis tapped Gordon Cooney ’84 and turned to Timothy Levin ’95 to fill Cooney’s role as managing partner of the Philadelphia office. The promotions resulted in a Villanova alumni leadership trifecta at one of Philadelphia’s most prestigious law firms.

Stephanie Resnick ’84 is the managing partner at the Philadelphia office and chair of the Directors’ & Officers’ Liability & Corporate Governance Practice Group at Fox Rothschild LLP, where she has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile litigation matters. She has been noted by peers in top publications such as The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and Benchmark Litigation, and in 2021 she received the Judge Learned Hand Award by the American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey.

Thomas Gallagher ’89 is partner and vice chair at Troutman Pepper LLP. In 2019, Gallagher worked with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project to exonerate John Miller, who had spent more than 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.

April M. Barton ’96 is dean and professor of law at Duquesne University School of Law. Under her leadership, the Law School continues to excel in bar passage, outpacing state averages, and has brought in one of the strongest classes in recent memory, with a two-point across the board increase in LSAT metrics. She joined the law school as its 13^th dean in July 2019 after serving as a valued member of the Villanova Law community for over 20 years.

Christian Matthews ’03 CLAS, ’06 CWSL is the vice president of strategy and sponsorship for the Washington Football Team (formerly the Washington Redskins). In his current role, he oversees strategy and growth of corporate partnerships with businesses both large and small that use the Washington Football Team as a marketing and advertising vehicle to reach fans and their customers.

At Villanova, you can follow in the footsteps of these individuals and our notable alumni who continue to achieve remarkable success as leaders at top law firms, including:

• Wendy J. Bracaglia ’81 – Managing Attorney of the King of Prussia office, Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman and Goggin, PC
• James M. Brogan ’81 – Co-chair of the U.S. Litigation Group and a member of the Executive Committee, DLA Piper
• Julia D. Corelli ’84 JD, ’91 LLM – Partner and Pepper Center Fellow, Troutman Pepper LLP
• Michael J. Heller ’89 – Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cozen O'Connor
• David J. Glass ’96 – Managing Partner and Chair of of the Family Law Department, Enenstein Pham & Glass LLP
• Richard L. Goldstein ’80 – Shareholder and Managing Attorney of the Cherry Hill office, Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman and Goggin, PC
• Nina M. Gussack ’79 – Partner and Chair of the Health Effects Litigation Practice Group, Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
• Alan J. Hoffman ’73 – Chairman and Immediate Past Managing Partner, Blank Rome LLP
• Jeffrey A. Lutsky ’82 – Co-Chairman and Managing Partner, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
• Vincent R. McGuinness Jr. ’81 – President and Managing Partner, Cozen O’Connor
• Patrick J. O’Connor ’67 – Vice Chairman, Cozen O'Connor
• Albert J. Solecki Jr. ’90 – Partner, Employment Practice and Leader, Trade Secrets, Employee Mobility + Non-Competes Group, Goodwin Procter LLP
• Elissa Taub ’00 – Partner, Healthcare Immigration Lawyer at Siskind Susser PC
• Kelly Weber ’06 – Managing Partner of the Denver office, Foley Lardner LLP

At Villanova Law, our broad-based legal education is grounded in academic rigor, practical hands-on training and a foundation in business that primes graduates for diverse and rewarding legal careers. Villanova students learn by doing so they graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for success in today’s competitive job market.