MELISSA B. CATELLO is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. She is a member of the Product Liability Group. Ms. Catello has spent the majority of her life as a lawyer in courtrooms across Pennsylvania. In her more than 15 years of legal experience, Ms. Catello tried 11 civil cases to jury verdict. In addition to jury trials, she routinely appears in court to advocate her clients’ positions. Over her career, Ms. Catello represented international, national, and local corporations and companies. Her practice focuses on the defense of manufacturers of recreational vehicles and other automobiles in strict liability cases filed across the country. She has specialized knowledge of the claims, theories, and nuance arguments and cases in the area of strict liability law.

Ms. Catello earned her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law in Florida. She attended law school during the historic Bush v. Gore presidential election and litigation, and the hour-by-hour and day-by-day events became real-time subject matter for her courses. Also, while in law school, Ms. Catello helped pioneer a new collaborative project between the University of Miami School of Law and School of Medicine, part of which provided healthcare education and medical assistance to children in South Florida. The clinics are still thriving at the law school.

Ms. Catello is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County.

Some of Ms. Catello’s representative matters include:

• Defense of Finnish glass tempering machine manufacturer in a strict liability and negligence action in Allegheny County.  This matter, assigned to the Complex Litigation Section of the Court of Common Pleas, involved years of litigation through the appellate courts related to personal jurisdiction over the foreign corporation in Pennsylvania.
• Defense of Finnish crane manufacturer against claims of strict liability and negligence in a wrongful death action.
• Representation of Pittsburgh-based steel manufacturer in wrongful death action in Allegheny County.
• Successfully obtain defense verdict on behalf of local tanning salon against claims of strict liability and negligence.
• Participated in the defense at trial of an international infrastructure group in a personal injury action arising out of the re-construction project of the Homestead High Level Bridge in Pittsburgh.  The case resulted in a defense verdict, which was affirmed by the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts.
• Successfully represented at a jury trial in Franklin County, Pennsylvania a nationally recognized healthcare facility design company against personal injury claims.