Pennsylvania

Multiple lawyers admit guilt in mortgage-related criminal cases

Multiple attorneys have recently been making headlines as defendants in mortgage-related criminal cases. Last Friday, Pennsylvania attorney Lisa Gerideau-Williams, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court to 16 counts including wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, concerning what prosecutors described as a multi-faceted $1.7 million fraud, reports the Pittsburgh…

Jan 30, 2013 5:51 PM CST

Subway suit says ‘footlong’ sandwiches don’t measure up

A viral Facebook post that purportedly shows a Subway “footlong” sandwich doesn’t measure up to its 12-inch billing has created new problems for the national chain. Two men in New Jersey have filed suit over the issue, seeking damages and a change in practices in the Tuesday filing. And the…

Jan 23, 2013 7:35 PM CST

Sandusky shower incident victim sues Penn State

Corrected: Despite efforts by Pennsylvania State University to settle with boys targeted by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, now serving a hefty sentence after being convicted in a child sex-abuse case last year, the victim of a 1998 campus shower incident has filed a federal lawsuit against the university…

Jan 23, 2013 6:06 PM CST

Attorneys who quit law firm jobs during 2009 downturn find success as small corporate boutique

During the fall of 2009, as the legal economy was headed into a tailspin, two attorneys at the Wilmington, Del., office of Pennsylvania-based Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco did something counterintuitive. Jack Harris and Buddy Berger left the security of their Riley Riper jobs and formed their own small law…

Jan 15, 2013 3:40 PM CST

Top Pa. Court Nixes Colleague Justice’s Request for Halt of Campaign-Finance Case Trial

A high-profile criminal trial of a suspended member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on campaign-corruption charges appears likely to proceed later this month, following a Thursday ruling by Justice Joan Orie Melvin’s colleagues on the state’s top court bench rejecting her petition to stop the trial, reports the Associated Press.…

Jan 10, 2013 11:25 PM CST

Investors Sue Cozen and Blank Rome, Say Ex-Partner Conspired to ‘Dupe’ Them in $27M Real Estate Deal

A group of investors is suing Cozen O’Connor and Blank Rome, contending that a former partner of both law firms conspired with a landlord and his business partner to “dupe” them concerning the value of a real estate development project. The former partner, Charles Naselsky, is currently serving federal time…

Dec 20, 2012 5:01 PM CST

Pa. Traffic Court Judge Loses Job Over ‘One-Time Accidental Mistake’ re Too-Revealing Cell Photos

A Philadelphia traffic court judge has been removed from the bench for showing a female court clerk photos of his privates. In a one-sentence ruling on Thursday, the Court of Judicial Discipline took action for what it called judicial misconduct. However, a lawyer for former judge Willie Singletary called the…

Dec 14, 2012 7:23 PM CST

Judge Axes Most of Defamation Suit Filed By Former Phila. News Anchor Alycia Lane Against TV Station

A state court judge in Philadelphia has dismissed all claims made by former KYW-TV news anchor Alycia Lane against the station and CBS in a defamation suit. However, some claims against her former co-anchor, Larry Mendte, remain, CBS reports. The Associated Press and the Daily Mail also have stories. Lane,…

Dec 13, 2012 6:44 PM CST

Law Firm Hosts Free Movie for Local Children and Their Families

For the fourth year in what has become a holiday tradition, a Pennsylvania law firm is hosting a free movie, along with snacks and entertainment, for children and their families. This year, Hourigan Kluger & Quinn will screen Dolphin Tale on Saturday at The Kirby Center for the Performing Arts…

Dec 5, 2012 6:00 PM CST

Law Firm, Insurer to Pay $4M to Furnish New Family Courthouse in Philadelphia

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has settled its suit with a law firm and one of its former partners over Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel’s role in helping plan a new family court at 15th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille announced Tuesday at the annual meeting…

Dec 5, 2012 4:50 PM CST

Law Firms Anticipate Turkey Day, Hand Out Free Birds

Turkeys aren’t just flying off the supermarket shelves as Thanksgiving Day nears. A number of law firms are giving the holiday birds away, hoping to help others and in appreciation of their own good fortune. In Florida, the Pendas Law Firm gave away 1,000 turkeys in Fort Myers over the…

Nov 21, 2012 10:01 PM CST

Ex-Cozen Lawyer Accused of Diverting Law Firm Fees Is Sentenced for Tax Evasion

A former real estate lawyer at Cozen O’Connor has been sentenced to 70 months in prison on tax charges after he was accused of diverting client fees to himself and failing to pay taxes on the income. Charles Naselsky was sentenced on Tuesday, report the Legal Intelligencer and the Philadelphia…

Nov 21, 2012 1:40 PM CST

Six Pennsylvania Judges Challenge Constitutionality of Mandated Retirement at Age 70

Six Pennsylvania judges challenging a mandatory retirement age of 70 are seeking to overcome a big impediment to their lawsuit: a 1991 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld mandatory retirement for Missouri judges. The suit filed Wednesday in Harrisburg claims violations of equal protection and due process under the U.S.…

Nov 15, 2012 1:27 PM CST

Phila. Judge Accused of Misrepresenting His Qualifications Is Suspended with Pay

A Philadelphia family court judge was suspended from his $165,000-a-year job on Friday, with pay, by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court following accusations that he had misrepresented his qualifications for the bench in 2009 and 2011 by withholding information about lawsuits and potential litigation he faces. Related legal ethics charges against…

Nov 13, 2012 4:45 PM CST

Gasoline in NYC Area Hits $8 a Gallon on Craigslist; Officials Investigate

In the wake of fuel shortages related to Hurricane Sandy, some enterprising individuals are reportedly offering gasoline at $8 per gallon on Craigslist. But is that legal? The jury apparently is still out on that question in New York, where a spokeswoman for the office of Attorney General Eric T.…

Nov 6, 2012 6:36 PM CST