Pietragallo Welcomes Joshua D. Hill

2024/06/25

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Hill to the firm’s Philadelphia office. Mr. Hill has joined Pietragallo as a partner in the Government Enforcement, Compliance, & White Collar Litigation and the Qui Tam & False Claims Act Practice Groups. Mr. Hill focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, and government investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. He handles cases involving health care fraud, securities fraud, tax fraud, export violations, pharmaceutical marketing fraud, municipal corruption, defense procurement fraud, and public finance fraud. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hill was a member at a national law firm where he focused his practice on complex civil litigation, and government investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. He also spent four years as a public defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mark Bernstein (ret.) of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Learn more about Josh here. About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and commercial litigation firm headquartered in Pittsburgh with six offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Chambers USA Recognizes Pietragallo as a 2024 Leading Law Firm in Pennsylvania

2024/06/06

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP has been recognized by Chambers and Partners USA in its 2024 Guide in the areas of False Claims Act (Band 2) in USA-Nationwide, White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2) in Pennsylvania, and General Commercial (Band 3) in Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds. Chambers ranks leading law firms and attorneys across the U.S. based on the opinion of their clients and peers, and by the quality of their work. While partners William Pietragallo II, Marc Stephen Raspanti, and Douglas Rosenblum were ranked once again, attorneys Pamela Coyle Brecht, and Peter St. Tienne Wolff joined the list of firm lawyers who have been ranked by Chambers. Our attorneys were ranked in the following practice areas and regions: William Pietragallo— Litigation: General Commercial— Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds (Band 1) Marc S. Raspanti— Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations— Pennsylvania (Band 1) & False Claims Act: Plaintiff-USA: Nationwide (Band 1) Douglas Rosenblum—Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations— Pennsylvania Pamela Coyle Brecht– False Claims Act: Plaintiff—USA: Nationwide (Band 1) Peter St. Tienne Wolff– Litigation: General Commercial— Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds   About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and litigation law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with five offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

22 Pietragallo Lawyers named in 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

2024/05/17

Pietragallo is pleased to announce that 22 lawyers have been named to the 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list. 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, Super Lawyers select attorneys based on peer nominations and evaluations combined with their own independent research. Selections are made on an annual, state by state basis to develop an extensive list of remarkable attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and individuals seeking legal assistance. Only five percent of lawyers are selected to Super Lawyers and two and a half percent to Rising Stars. The following were recognized in the 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list: Gaetan J. Alfano (Top 100 in Philadelphia) Charles Avalli Joseph J. Bosick Kerri Lee Cappella (Top 100 in Pennsylvania, Top 50 Women in Pennsylvania and Top 50 in Pittsburgh) Mark Gordon Brennan Hart Kenneth J. Horoho, Jr. Christopher A. Iacono Michael A. Morse William Pietragallo, II Francis E. Pipak, Jr. Marc S. Raspanti (Top 100 in Philadelphia) Douglas K. Rosenblum Clem C. Trischler Paul Kenneth Vey Robert D. Weinberg The following were recognized in the 2024 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list: Ashley Kenny Alexander Owens Peter St. Tienne Wolff To read more, click here.   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 are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Transformative Pro Bono Experiences in The Philadelphia Lawyer

May 16, 2024

An excerpt written by partner Douglas Rosenblum about his personal experience with pro bono work. Pro bono representations have been critical to my development, both personally and professionally. I left my role as a prosecutor 15 years ago to pursue a career in private practice. From the day I left the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, I decided to volunteer my time as a child advocate. At all times since transitioning to private practice, I have represented at least one pro bono client under 18. I have represented children who have been victims of abuse and neglect, and I have represented children who were witnesses to horrific crimes. My clients have ranged from newborn babies to high school graduates. Donating my time free of charge has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. Pro bono representations, including child advocacy, require perspective and empathy. Many of my young clients have no concept of what a lawyer does, let alone how the justice system works. We, as attorneys, especially those in private practice, often take for granted that our clients have a fundamental understanding of our role and the legal process. We cannot and should not make such assumptions. I have learned that we should take the time necessary to ensure that our clients – including those who pay for our services and those who do not – understand what we are doing and why we do it. Clients come to us because they have a problem they would like to fix or a difficult issue they need to deal with. No matter the age of the client or size of the client’s bank account, we should educate them  in a compassionate and empathetic manner. Nothing quite compares to the relief I see on the faces of my young pro bono clients when I explain that I represent them – not their parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or coaches – just them for as long as it takes, day or night.   Read More

Unmasking the Power of the Anti-Fraud Injunction Statute

2024/03/05

I. Introduction Pandemics have been a catalyst for quackery.1 During the Russian Flu, considered the first modern influenza pandemic, newspaper ads plugged balsams, troches, and elixirs to fortify against the “Russian invader.”2 Doctors even promoted drinking brandy and eating oysters as the key to staving off infection.3 One dubious remedy — the carbolic smoke ball — had a notorious legal outcome.4 In November 1891, the Pall Mall Gazette advertised a “carbolic smoke ball” that, when squeezed, sent a puff of acidic smoke up a tube inserted into the user’s nostrils. The ad promised £100 to anyone who contracted influenza after using the product. To show its “sincerity in the matter,” the Carbonic Smoke Ball Company deposited £1,000 with Alliance Bank in London. Enticed, Louisa Carlill bought one of the balls and used it three times daily. After contracting the flu, she demanded to be paid £100. When the Carbonic Smoke Ball Company refused to pay, Carlill sued. At trial, the company argued that its promise to pay £100 was only puffery, not an enforceable contract. The trial and appellate courts rejected the argument. Pointing to the company’s £1,000 deposit, they held the ad was more than “mere puff.” Undeterred, the inventor, Frederick Roe, sought to capitalize on the product’s sudden notoriety. New ads touted, “Many thousand Carbonic Smoke Balls were sold … but only three persons claimed the reward of £100, thus proving conclusively that this invaluable remedy will prevent and cure” diseases.5 Roe’s company also increased its guarantee from £100 to £200, subject to new restrictions. History’s epidemiological record is filled with profiteers like Frederick Roe, who saw public health crises as an opportunity to monetize. The 1918 Spanish Flu, for example, ushered in another wave of questionable remedies: From the Times of London to the Washington Post, page after page was filled with dozens of advertisements for preventive measures and over-the-counter remedies. Read More

Scott Coffina speaks on AARP’s podcast: The Perfect Scam℠

2023/12/26

Pietragallo partner Scott Coffina recently spoke on AARP’s podcast, The Perfect Scam℠, on the episode “Couple and Homeless Man Conspire on Viral $400K GoFundMe Scam”. On the podcast, Scott shared his unique perspective on the viral story of a New Jersey couple and a homeless veteran, having supervised their prosecution for their $400,000 GoFundMe scam during his time as County Prosecutor for Burlington County, NJ. Mr. Coffina discusses this and other scams he saw during his time as County Prosecutor during the podcast. The podcast is available below, and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and Spotify.   Read More

Pietragallo recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®

2023/11/02

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP has been recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®, receiving fourteen Tier 1 Metro rankings in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. These fourteen rankings include: Commercial Litigation (PGH & PHL) Employment Law – Individuals (PHL) Health Care Law (PHL) Insurance Law (PGH) Litigation – Insurance (PGH) Litigation – Labor & Employment (PGH & PHL) Litigation – Real Estate (PGH) Litigation – Trusts & Estates (PGH) Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs (PGH) Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (PGH) Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (PGH) Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers (PGH) In addition to the Tier 1 Metro rankings, Pietragallo also received ten Tier 2 and Tier 3 Metro rankings: Tier 2 Metro firm in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and West Palm Beach in the respective practice areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Intellectual Property. Tier 3 Metro firm in Pittsburgh and West Palm Beach in the respective practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar Pietragallo has also been named as a Tier 2 National firm in Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Labor & Employment and a Tier 3 National firm for our work in Health Care Law. Prior to merging with Pietragallo, Gentile Horoho & Avalli P.C. (GHA) was slated to be ranked as a Tier 1 Metro firm in Pittsburgh for their work in Family Law and a Tier 3 Metro firm in Pittsburgh for their work in Litigation – Trusts & Estates, and Trusts & Estates Law. 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, have joined Pietragallo. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Read More

Doug Rosenblum raises funds for three charities through cycling events

2023/10/09

Partner Doug Rosenblum and his fellow cyclists helped to raise over $5.8 million dollars for three different causes. Doug has been completing cycling fundraisers each summer for years, this year he rode over 100 miles and raised funds for rides benefiting the American Cancer Society (Bike-a-Thon), Multiple Sclerosis Society (Bike MS: City to Shore Ride), and Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation (The Ben to The Shore) which supports the families of first responders who died in the line of duty. Read More

Corruption 101: Menendez indictment contains so many bombshell allegations, it’s almost textbook

2023/09/26

An opinion piece written by Pietragallo partner Scott Coffina has been published by Fox News. This article titled “Corruption 101: Menendez indictment contains so many bombshell allegations, it’s almost textbook” discusses the details of the federal indictment against Senator Robert Menendez for bribery, and the standards that are used to convict such bribery cases. Read the full article here. Read More

Scott Coffina to speak at Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative 2023 National Law Enforcement Summit

2023/12/04

Pietragallo partner Scott Coffina will present “How to Run an Effective and Ethical Diversion Program” at the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) 2023 National Law Enforcement Summit held in Boston, MA on December 4-5, 2023. Mr. Coffina will be speaking alongside Melissa O’Mara, Assistant Prosecutor in the Burlington County, NJ Prosecutor’s Office. Mr. Coffina was the County Prosecutor in Burlington County, NJ for five years. More information can be found here. Read More