Pietragallo partner and Chair of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County’s Federal Practice Program, Eric Soller, will be speaking at the 34th Annual Academy of Trial Lawyers Federal Practice Program on December 15, 2023 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Soller and his co-presenters will be speaking on “A.I. – Applications and Ethical Issues”.
Mr. Soller will be a speaker on one of the four panels that are a part of the program, which includes a Judges’ Roundtable featuring Judges from the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Registration is open to both Academy Members and Non-Academy Members. Read More
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
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
Key takeaway: Despite the Supreme Court’s recent pronouncement of patent-eligible subject matter, cybersecurity innovation will remain an active area for intellectual property protection through the patent application and prosecution process.
Because cybersecurity protection is of critical importance to businesses, it has become commonplace, resulting in a fundamental impact on other areas of the law. Where are practitioners observing the most change – patenting cybersecurity software.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) received 1,087 cybersecurity-related patent applications between 2000 and 2022. The U.S. has the world’s largest cybersecurity workforce housing 1.1 million cyber jobs. Companies that invest in cybersecurity protection with the proper internal policy regulations will best be positioned to protect their intellectual property.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, the USPTO began to treat patent applications containing process claims or method claims with a higher level of caution. Process claims or method claims describe an invention as a series of steps to achieve a technical solution and are usually considered to be patent-ineligible subject matter because they are directed to an “abstract” idea.
The Alice decision pushed practitioners to draft software patent claims that define the technological steps with specificity and therefore enable the innovative technical solution. Because most patent applications include a background of the invention, it is critical to include a detailed discussion of the technical context of software-driven innovations.
Despite patent examiners being technically trained, certain examiners may not have the subject knowledge needed to understand the “uniqueness” or need for the innovation. Practitioners are encouraged to provide the background on how the innovation was developed and the technical needs it addresses within the application. Providing a more descriptive background equips the patent examiner with a better understanding of the innovation’s practical value within the industry.
A patent application can include an explanation of how technical challenges were overcome to arrive at the solution, the technical advantages of the solution, and practical results and improvements that can be obtained with the solution. Read More
On Friday, December 16, 2022, Pietragallo partner Eric Soller will moderate the 33rd Annual Academy of Trial Lawyers Federal Court Program. Eric will also present “Advocacy in the Post-Covid World” with Christine T. Elzer of Elzer Law Firm, LLC, as part of the Program.
This event will feature panels of experienced lawyers who will share both the plaintiff and defense viewpoints, as well as a panel of Federal Court Judges. As the Federal Practice Committee Chair, Eric will moderate alongside Vice Chair, Sandra A. Kozlowski from the Office of the Attorney General.
This Program will be held from 8:30 am-12:00 pm in the Ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. PA CLE credit will be available to attendees.
Please find further updates on the event here: https://www.atlac.org/yearly-calendar-of-events Read More
U.S. News & World Report recognizes Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP as a 2023 Tier 1 Metro “Best Law Firm” in twelve practice areas in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. These twelve practice areas are:
Commercial Litigation (PGH & PHL)
Employment Law – Individuals (PHL)
Health Care Law (PHL)
Insurance Law (PGH)
Litigation – Labor & Employment (PGH & PHL)
Litigation – Health Care (PGH)
Litigation – Insurance (PGH)
Litigation – Trusts & Estates (PGH)
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs (PGH)
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants (PGH)
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (PGH) and
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (PGH)
In addition to the Tier 1 Metro ratings, Pietragallo was named:
Tier 2 Metro in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the practice areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants.
Tier 3 Metro in Pittsburgh and West Palm Beach in the practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Criminal Defense: General Practice, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Pietragallo has also been named as Tier 2 across the nation in Litigation – Labor & Employment and Tier 3 nationally for our work in Commercial Litigation and Health Care Law.
The U.S. News & World Report’s “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. Clients were asked to provide feedback on firm practice groups, addressing: expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm. Lawyers also voted on expertise, responsiveness, integrity, cost-effectiveness, whether they would refer a matter to a firm, and if they consider a firm a worthy competitor. Read More
Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce that 22 lawyers have been named as 2023 The Best Lawyers in America and 2023 Ones to Watch.
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review.
The following were chosen as The Best Lawyers in America:
Gaetan Alfano
Pamela Coyle Brecht
Phillip R. Earnest
Mark Gordon
James W. Kraus
James F. Marrion
Shelly R. Pagac
Richard J. Parks
William Pietragallo, II
Francis E. Pipak, Jr.
Kevin E. Raphael
Marc Stephen Raspanti
Douglas K. Rosenblum
Eric G. Soller
Clem C. Trischler
Peter St. Tienne Wolff
The following were chosen as The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch:
Lee K. Goldfarb
John Kettering
Alexander M. Owens
Stephen F. Raiola
Mark T. Sottile
Frank H. Stoy
About Pietragallo
Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and litigation law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with six offices throughout Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More
Pietragallo is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been named as 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, including partner Marc Raspanti who was recognized in the Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia.
Super Lawyers is a service of Thomson Reuters legal division which compiles a list of outstanding lawyers from more than 74 practice areas. Each year, a research team at Super Lawyers conducts a multi-phase selection process reviewing independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. With the objective being to provide a reliable, wide-ranging list of attorneys that can be used as a source for finding exceptional legal counsel.
The following were chosen as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers:
Gaetan J. Alfano
Joseph J. Bosick
Mark Gordon
P. Brennan Hart
Christopher A. Iacono
James W. Kraus
Michael A. Morse
Shelly R. Pagac
William Pietragallo, II
Francis E. Pipak, Jr.
Kevin E. Raphael
Marc S. Raspanti (Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Top 100 in Philadelphia)
Lourdes Sánchez Ridge
Douglas K. Rosenblum
Eric G. Soller
Clem C. Trischler
Paul K. Vey
The following were chosen as Pennsylvania Rising Stars:
Jeremy E. Abay
Rebecca Johnson Barksdale
Ashley J. Kenny
John W. Kettering
Alexander Owens
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 six offices throughout Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More
Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce that 20 lawyers have been named as 2022 The Best Lawyers in America and 2022 Ones to Watch, including two lawyers who were recognized for Bet-the-Company Litigation.
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review.
The following were chosen as The Best Lawyers in America:
Gaetan Alfano (Bet-the-Company Litigation)
Pamela Coyle Brecht
Phillip R. Earnest
Mark Gordon
James W. Kraus
James F. Marrion
Shelly R. Pagac
Richard J. Parks
William Pietragallo, II (Bet-the-Company Litigation)
Francis E. Pipak, Jr.
Kevin E. Raphael
Marc Stephen Raspanti
Douglas K. Rosenblum
Eric G. Soller
Clem C. Trischler
Peter St. Tienne Wolff
The following were chosen as The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch:
John Kettering
Leslie A. Mariotti
Peter W. Nigra
Frank H. Stoy
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
March 6, 2024
Gaetan J. Alfano, partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP, has been appointed a member of the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Read More
November 28, 2023
Marc Raspanti and Pamela Coyle Brecht‘s presentation “A Practitioner’s Guide to American Whistleblower Programs” is now available through World Online Lawyers With Excellent Practice (WOLEP). Read More
