24 Pietragallo Lawyers Named in 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

2021/06/08

Including Recognition in Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Top 100 In Philadelphia Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce that 24 attorneys have been named as 2021 Super Lawyers and 2021 Rising Stars, including two attorneys who were also recognized in the Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Top 100 in Philadelphia. Super Lawyers is a service of Thomson Reuters legal division which compiles a list of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas. Each year, a research team at Super Lawyers conducts a multi-phase selection process reviewing independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. The following were chosen as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers: Gaetan J. Alfano (Top 100 in Philadelphia) Joseph J. Bosick Mark Gordon Christopher A. Iacono P. Brennan Hart James W. Kraus Michael A. Morse William Pietragallo, II Francis E. Pipak, Jr. Kevin E. Raphael Marc S. Raspanti (Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Top 100 in Philadelphia) Douglas K. Rosenblum John A. Schwab Clem C. Trischler Paul K. Vey The following were chosen as Pennsylvania Rising Stars: Jeremy E. Abay John R. Brumberg Sarah R. Goodman Joseph L. Gordon John W. Kettering Peter W. Nigra Peter St. Tienne Wolff About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and commercial litigation firm headquartered in Pittsburgh with five offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Estate Planning in a Virus World

2021/04/08

The pandemic has affected different people in different ways.  One thing that I have seen during the pandemic is that people are much more focused on the provisions of their estate plan.  I guess the pandemic has brought into focus the frailty of life and therefore people want to make certain that they have adequate plans in place.  Some people are creating an estate plan who had not previously done so and other people with comprehensive estate plans are reviewing them to make certain their decisions contained therein are still appropriate.  Below I will set forth some things everyone should think about in reviewing or creating an estate plan. Who are the beneficiaries?  Most people provide for their spouse and/or children in the estate plan.  One of the considerations is whether the beneficiaries receiving gifts are of sufficient age and sophistication to receive assets outright.  If not, we frequently use a Trust to provide someone (a Trustee) to handle the assets and distribute funds to the beneficiaries pursuant to the terms stated in the estate planning documents.  Estate planning becomes especially difficult for individuals who do not have a spouse or even more difficult for those who do not have children.  Frequently people in those circumstances avoid estate planning because the decisions as to who are to be the beneficiaries are very difficult for them to reach.  Sometimes it involves charities and sometimes it involves more distant relatives or friends.  It is frequently the case that we need to have several consultations to work through making those decisions. Who are the Representatives?  Under every Will there needs to be an Executor appointed who stands in the shoes of the Decedent after death and accomplishes the collection of assets, payment of bills and after all debts and taxes are paid, making distribution to the beneficiaries identified in the Will.  Read More

2020 Chambers High Net Worth Guide recognizes William Pietragallo, II and Peter St. Tienne Wolff for their work in Private Wealth Law

2020/07/17

Chambers & Partners recently released their High Net Worth Guide which combines a list of leading High Net Worth Professionals worldwide. Within, Managing Partner William Pietragallo, II and Partner Peter St. Tienne Wolff were recognized for their work in Private Wealth Law in the state of Pennsylvania. Chambers & Partners is a legal ranking service which conducts in-depth interviews with clients in order to assess the reputations and expertise of business lawyers worldwide. From their research regarding Mr. Pietragallo’s practice they concluded Mr. Pietragallo is ” … a well-established private client lawyer. Additionally clients noted,  “He is very seasoned” and “He’s seen a lot and does not rush to judgement. He is calculating and careful while also being an aggressive litigator.” Of Mr. St. Tienne Wolff, one client noted, “Mr. Wolff is an excellent trial attorney who leaves no stone unturned.” Another client submitted to Chamber & Partners, “Peter is very responsive and thorough, and has an indefatigable work ethic.” Chambers & Partners is committed to maintaining the esteem of its ranking service and only acknowledges lawyers in their field who have deep technical legal ability, high professional conduct, deliver exceptional customer service, demonstrate commercial awareness, and demonstrate diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by clients. For more information about Chambers & Partners, we invite you to visit their website. You can find the High Net Worth Guide in which Mr. Pietragallo and Mr. St. Tienne Wolff are featured below. Read More

Charles Avalli Named Vice-Chair of Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules Committee

2018/04/10

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has selected Pittsburgh estate planning and litigation attorney Charles J. Avalli to be the Vice-Chairman of the Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee, which manages the rules that govern matters in Orphans’ Court. The Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee is one of seven such committees established by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to provide advice and make recommendations for rules governing substantive areas of the law. Mr. Avalli has served on this committee since 2014. Rules committees are made up of judges and attorneys appointed by the Supreme Court. They are not paid for their work and typically serve a three-year term with a maximum of two terms. Committees typically meet quarterly to consider issues brought forward by the Supreme Court, judges, attorneys, employees of the Unified Judicial System, members of the legislative and executive branches of government, and citizens. Mr. Avalli has a long and distinguished reputation in Orphan’s Court law in Pennsylvania based on his extensive experience in all aspects of estate litigation, estate planning and estate/trust administration. He has represented and sued all the major banks of Pittsburgh in estate litigation matters and has created estate plans for some of the wealthiest families in Western Pennsylvania. He has successfully litigated surcharge actions that recovered as much as $1.4 million for the estate’s beneficiaries. He was counsel in a landmark case of trustee removal and regularly lectures on estate and tax planning to civic and professional groups. Also, he has had articles published in Financial Advisor on estate and trust litigation matters. Mr. Avalli also has a substantial practice in the area of family law. He has worked on and litigated some of the biggest divorce cases in Western Pennsylvania. Mr. Avalli is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Probate and Trust Law Section and Family Law Section. Read More

Charles Avalli Reappointed to Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules Committee

2016/12/06

Charles J. Avalli, has been reappointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee, with manages the rules that govern matters in Orphans’ Court. He has served on this committee since 2014. The Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee is one of seven such committees established by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to provide advice and make recommendations for rules governing substantive areas of the law. Rules committees are made up of judges and attorneys appointed by the Supreme Court. They are not paid for their work and typically serve a three-year term with a maximum of two terms. Committees typically meet quarterly to consider issues brought forward by the Supreme Court, judges, attorneys, employees of the Unified Judicial System, members of the legislative and executive branches of government, and citizens. Mr. Avalli has a long and distinguished reputation in Orphan’s Court law in Pennsylvania based on his extensive experience in all aspects of estate litigation, estate planning and estate/trust administration. He has represented and sued all the major banks of Pittsburgh in estate litigation matters and has created estate plans for some of the wealthiest families in Western Pennsylvania. He has successfully litigated surcharge actions that recovered as much as $1.4 million for the estate’s beneficiaries. He was counsel in a landmark case of trustee removal and regularly lectures on estate and tax planning to civic and professional groups. Also, he has had articles published in Financial Advisor on estate and trust litigation matters. Mr. Avalli also has a substantial practice in the area of family law. He has worked on and litigated some of the biggest divorce cases in Western Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Probate and Trust Law Section and Family Law Section and is also a member of the Butler County Bar Association. Read More