Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP and Gentile, Horoho & Avalli, P.C. to Merge

2023/08/01

Business and Commercial Litigation Firm Adds Family Law and Estate Administration/Orphans’ Court Practice AUGUST 1, 2023 – Two established Pittsburgh law firms have agreed to merge, bringing a highly-experienced family law and estate planning, administration, and litigation practice to a nationally-recognized business and litigation firm. Effective August 1, 2023, Gentile, Horoho & Avalli, P.C (GHA) will merge with Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP (Pietragallo). All seven GHA attorneys, well-known for their experience in complex and high net-worth divorce and custody disputes as well as intricate estate/trust cases will now join Pietragallo, a multi-disciplined business and commercial litigation firm, with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Sharon, PA, Steubenville, OH, Weirton, WV, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The merger comes on the heels of Pietragallo’s expansion into Palm Beach Gardens in 2022. Pietragallo’s clients range from Fortune 200 and large privately-held companies to municipal entities and entrepreneurial businesses in a broad diversity of industries and business sectors. Gentile, Horoho & Avalli brings to Pietragallo more than 30 years of experience in providing exceptional legal counsel in the areas of family law and estates and trusts as well as complex orphans’ court litigation. “We are excited to engage with these outstanding practitioners in a new sphere of domestic-business litigation,” said Pietragallo chairman William Pietragallo II. “Our practices share a common commitment to achieving results.” “The lawyers at Pietragallo have distinguished themselves as leaders in our profession and in the communities they serve,” said Kenneth J. Horoho, Jr. “The blending of our two firms will provide our current clients with experienced business litigation attorneys who are known for problem-solving and results.” The family law/estate litigation attorneys joining Pietragallo include: Kenneth Horoho, Jr., Partner Charles Avalli, Partner Kerri Lee Cappella, Partner Carla Schiff Donnelly, Partner Lorraine W. Mervan, Special Counsel Robert D. Weinberg, Associate Adam J. Read More

Kerri Lee Cappella elected as President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

2023/07/13

Kerri Lee Cappella was recently elected as President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Congratulations Kerri! Read More

Kerri Lee Cappella Recognized as “Pennsylvania Top 50: Women Super Lawyer and Top 50: Attorneys in Pittsburgh”

2023/06/15

Kerri Lee Cappella has been selected as a Pennsylvania Top 50: Women Super Lawyer and a Top 50: Attorney in Pittsburgh for 2023 Ms. Cappella’s practice focuses exclusively in the area of matrimonial law, where she has spent over 30 years concentrating on complex, high net worth marital estates. Ms. Cappella became a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in 2009 and will serve as the President of AAML Pennsylvania Chapter beginning July 2023. She has been active in the American, Pennsylvania, and Allegheny County Bar Association Family Law Sections. Additionally, Ms. Cappella was listed among the Best Lawyers in America Women of Influence in Family Law in 2017. She also co-authored Slicing up the Pie: Equitable Distribution in Pennsylvania, in its 2009, 2012, and 2016 editions. She was a charter member of the Allegheny County Chapter of the Matrimonial Inns of Court.  Ms. Cappella earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Penn State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a research-driven, peer influenced rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The mission of Super Lawyers is to bring visibility to those attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice. Read More

Carla Schiff Donnelly appointed Co-Chair of Commission on Women in the Profession of the Pennsylvania Bar Association

2023/05/30

Congratulations to Carla Schiff Donnelly, who was appointed Co-Chair of the Commission on Women in the Profession of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The Commission was established in 1993 to involve more women in PBA leadership roles and to explore issues affecting women in the law. Since that time, the Commission has grown from 60 members to well over 700, making it the largest committee within the PBA today. Ms. Donnelly’s appointment began Friday May 5, 2023 at the Commission’s Annual Conference held during the Pennsylvania Bar Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Read More

“What does it mean to be a good parent (in custody cases)?”

2023/05/30

Attorney Robert D. Weinberg discusses being a good parent relating to custody cases in the Lawyers Journal. His article “What does it mean to be a good parent (in custody cases)?” was published in Volume 11, July 30th, 2023. You can read the entire article on page 9 here. Read More

Working with Mental Health Professionals

2023/05/26

Attorney Robert Weinberg provides insight as to how experienced family law attorneys can guide clients through difficult aspects of custody cases, especially thinking about and working with the various mental health professionals that are typically involved in these cases, and ultimately how to maintain a focus on the best interests of clients’ children throughout any litigation process. Source Read More

Summer Vacation: Top 7 Tips For Divorcing Parents

2023/05/18

Custody conflict does not have to ruin the fun of summer vacation.  It would be impossible to decide which vacations dates you will want for every year until your children go to college.  At the same time, you do not want to turn each summer into a fight over vacation dates.  The key is to set parameters that allow both parents to enjoy a summer vacation with the kids. Here are my tips: 1)    FIRST, DECIDE HOW LONG THE VACATIONS SHOULD BE How many vacation weeks or days should each parent should receive for vacation?  That depends on the ages of your children and how long you think they should go on vacation away from the other parent.  For example, with really young children, we may give each parent one week each summer.  When they are a little older, that can expand to two nonconsecutive weeks each summer.  With pre-teens and teens, consider allowing uninterrupted weeks for vacation.  Another consideration is whether extended family live further away.  Travel to Europe or Asia, for example, is difficult with only 7 days to travel. 2)    ALTERNATE FIRST CHOICE  I usually alternate on an odd/even year basis which parent gets first pick of summer weeks.  There should be a deadline for the parent with first choice so that the other parent can begin to book their plans. 3)    CONSIDER RULES ABOUT DAYS Choosing your week to begin on the Friday of the other parent’s weekend.  It is the oldest trick in the book that turns a 7-day vacation into a 10-day one.  This is why I like the “no tacking rule.”  The rule is that your week must include your own weekend and not the other party’s. 4)    PRESERVE FAMILY TRADITIONS If the other parent’s family takes a vacation the last week in July each year, consider agreeing to let the tradition continue.  Read More

How Family Lawyers Can Help You Finalize Your Divorce

2023/04/19

Attorney Robert Weinberg discusses how a family law attorney can help you finalize your divorce in this video. Source Read More

Coparent Communication

2023/03/16

Parenting is as rewarding as it is challenging. In this video attorney Kerri Cappella discusses co-parenting after separation, even under the best of circumstances, takes those challenges to another level. Effective, respectful communication between parties reduces tensions between them and helps children adapt to the changes in their lives.   Source Read More

The Application of Ice Ice Baby to Custody Litigation Strategy

2023/03/16

Many readers will recall the sagacious approach to life challenges postulated by Vanilla Ice in his seminal (only?) hit song, Ice Ice Baby: “If there was a problem, yo, I solve it (check out the hook while my DJ revolves it. Ice ice baby too cold, too cold).” (Citation omitted). How on earth could this epistemological font be applicable to a custody case, you ask? Simple. Our legislature, in its own bout of perspicacity, listed the following as the very first factor that our courts must consider in any custody action: Which party is more likely to encourage and permit frequent and continuing contact between the child and another party. Vanilla Ice could not have said it better himself: a client walks into your office with a problem in a custody case and, yo, you solve it—with Factor 1 at the forefront of your mind. Start with this simple truism: children do best when they have healthy (safe) relationships with both of their parents. This may not mean 50/50 in every case, but it means that each parent should take every reasonable (safe) step to promote their child’s (safe) relationship with the other parent. Not only is this mindset beneficial to children; it is also good strategy, because it heeds Vanilla Ice’s wisdom and focuses on the consideration set forth in Custody Factor 1. It also informs attorneys how to prepare for a custody trial. Unlike almost any other area of the law, custody cases will focus not only on evidence that occurred before the case but also on evidence that develops while the case is pending up to the date of trial. Keeping Factor 1 in mind, courts will expect that each parent has done whatever they have within their respective abilities to solve problems regarding custody, and evidence regarding these efforts will be critical in terms of the court’s determination. Read More