HARRISBURG (May 16, 2016) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association has presented awards that recognize outstanding leadership in the legal profession and extraordinary service and longstanding membership in the association.
PBA Special Achievement Awards recognize those lawyers and individuals who have provided time and resources to improve the association and the legal profession. The President's Awards, bestowed at the discretion of 2015-16 PBA President William H. Pugh V, recognize extraordinary commitment to the association. PBA Fifty-Year Member Awards recognize lawyers who have been association members for five decades.
The awards were presented on May 13 during the association's Annual Meeting at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey.
Allegheny County
G. Daniel Carney, of counsel, Clark Hill PLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Saul Davis, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Frederick J. Francis, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge D. Michael Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for his eight years of service as chair of the PBA Federal Practice Committee
Louis J. Grippo, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard P. Jacob, Jacob Law Associates, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Michael B. Kaleugher, Carnegie: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard G. Kotarba, senior counsel, Meyer Unkovic & Scott LLP, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
William H. Logsdon, director and vice president, The Webb Law Firm, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
W. Reid Lowe, Venetia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Alfred C. Maiello, senior managing partner, Maiello Brungo & Maiello LLP, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
John J. Myers, Myers Dansak LLC, White Oak: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert Raphael, Raphael Ramsden & Behers PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald E. Rogers, Rogers and Associates, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Workers' Compensation Judge David B. Torrey, Pittsburgh: Special Achievement Award - for his PBA Workers' Compensation Law Section Centennial Celebration Steering Committee membership and authoring the commemorative book, "The Centennial of the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act: A Narrative and Pictorial Celebration"
Charles B. Watkins, principal and vice president, Barnes Dulac Watkins, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Thomas C. Wettach, Cohen & Grace LLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Senior Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr., Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Armstrong County
Joseph J. Liberati, Monaca: Fifty-Year Member Award
Senior Judge Joseph A. Nickleach, Armstrong County Court of Common Pleas, Kittanning: Fifty-Year Member Award
Beaver County
Judge James J. Ross, Beaver County Court of Common Pleas, Beaver: Special Achievement Award - for serving as the Unit County Governor of the PBA and his efforts promoting PBA membership
Alfred L. Steff Jr., Law Offices of Alfred L. Steff Jr., Beaver: Fifty-Year Member Award
Blair County
Clyde O. Black II, Evey Black Attorneys LLC, Hollidaysburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
M. David Halpern, Halpern Mediation/Arbitration, Altoona: Fifty-Year Member Award
Bucks County
Joseph Flum, Newtown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Gurney P. Sloan Jr., Doylestown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard F. Stern, of counsel, Stern & Eisenberg PC, Warrington: Fifty-Year Member Award
Butler County
David Lee Meister, Cranberry Township: Fifty-Year Member Award
Cambria County
Ralph F. Kraft, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Chester County
Justice William H. Lamb, chairman, Lamb McErlane PC, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Lawrence E. Wood, Parke, Barnes, Spangler, Oeste & Wood, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award
Clinton County
Senior Judge Richard N. Saxton Jr., Clinton County Court of Common Pleas, Lock Haven: Fifty-Year Member Award
Dauphin County
Richard C. Angino, Angino Law Firm, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Karen M. Balaban, Karen M. Balaban LLC, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for providing legal counsel to the PBA Pro Bono Office and the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation for the creation of the "Million Miles for Justice" car raffle
Peter K. Bauer, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for providing legal counsel to the PBA Pro Bono Office and the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation for the creation of the "Million Miles for Justice" car raffle
James P. DeAngelo, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for providing legal counsel to the PBA Pro Bono Office and the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation for the creation of the "Million Miles for Justice" car raffle
Bruce D. Desfor, Meyers, Desfor, Saltzgiver & Boyle, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jonathan D. Koltash, Senior Counsel, Pennsylvania Department of Health: Special Achievement Award - for serving as chair of the PBA Administrative Law Section, chair of the PBA Government Lawyers Committee, PBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) delegate to the House of Delegates and YLD representative on the PBA Nominating Committee
R. Burke McLemore Jr., Thomas, Thomas & Hafer LLP, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award - for serving as chair of the PBA Workers' Compensation Law Section Centennial Celebration Steering Committee to promote awareness of the 100th anniversary of the Workers' Compensation Act in Pennsylvania
Steve C. Nicholas, Nicholas Law Offices PC, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Mandell K. Shanken, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Barry M. Simpson, PBA executive director, Harrisburg: President's Award - for outstanding commitment and service to the association
Frank L. Wright, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Delaware County
Carmen P. Belefonte, Law Firm of Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph E. Lastowka, partner, Abbott Lastowka & Overholt LLP, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Fred E. Newberg, Bryn Mawr: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard W. Palmer, Haverford: Fifty-Year Member Award
Erie County
David M. Zurn, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award
Franklin County
LeRoy S. Maxwell Jr., partner, Maxwell Sipe Law Offices LLC, Waynesboro: Fifty-Year Member Award
Indiana County
William T. Shulick, Attorney at Law, Blairsville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lackawanna County
Andrew Hailstone, Kreder Brooks Hailstone LLP, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Frank J. McDonnell, Dunmore: Fifty-Year Member Award
Raymond C. Rinaldi, Rinaldi & Poveromo PC, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lancaster County
Judge Wayne G. Hummer Jr., Lititz: Fifty-Year Member Award
John S. May, senior partner, May, Metzger & Zimmerman LLP, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award
Christopher S. Underhill, May, Metzger & Zimmerman LLP, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award
Harry B. Yost, senior partner, Appel & Yost LLP, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lawrence County
Judge Francis X. Caiazza, New Castle: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lehigh County
Senior Judge Lawrence J. Brenner, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert E. Donatelli, Norris McLaughlin & Marcus PA, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Malcolm J. Gross, partner, Gross McGinley LLP, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald H. Lipson, Norris McLaughlin & Marcus PA, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
James J. McConnell, James J. McConnell Law Offices, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
James C. Simmons, senior counsel, Design IP PC, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Anthony R. Thompson, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Luzerne County
Donald D. McFadden, Dallas: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph A. Quinn Jr., Hourigan Kluger & Quinn PC, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award
James V. Senape Jr., Senape & Associates, Freeland: Fifty-Year Member Award
Mercer County
Michael Ristvey Jr., Lewis & Ristvey PC, Hermitage: Fifty-Year Member Award
Monroe County
Robert G. Williamson, East Stroudsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Montgomery County
Gordon Gelfond, Villanova: Fifty-Year Member Award
Gilbert P. High Jr., High Swartz LLP, Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Philip P. Kalodner, Gladwyne: Fifty-Year Member Award
John W. Lauffer, Jenkintown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Norman M. Loev, of counsel, Salvo Rogers & Elinski, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph P. Lynch, Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Albert B. Michell, Attorney at Law, Glenside: Fifty-Year Member Award
Albert C. Oehrle. Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lawrence Sager, Sager & Sager Associates, Pottstown: Fifty-Year Member Award
H. David Spirt, Weiss & Spirt, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award
Wendy Castor Hess, Goldblum & Hess, Jenkintown: Special Achievement Award - for her five years of service as co-chair of the PBA Immigration Law Committee
Ronald M. Wiener, of counsel, Drucker Beckman Sobel LLP, Gladwyne: Fifty-Year Member Award
Northampton County
Michael E. Riskin, Riskin & Riskin, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award
Northumberland County
Roger V. Wiest, Wiest Muolo Noon Swinehart & Bathgate, Sunbury: Fifty-Year Member Award
Philadelphia County
Frederick W. Dreher III, partner, Duane Morris LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
H. Robert Fiebach, past PBA president and senior counsel, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Allan H. Gordon, partner, Kolsby Gordon Robin Shore & Bezar PC, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul C. Heintz, partner, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lawrence T. Hoyle Jr., partner, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
David Milne IV, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Alan H. Molod, of counsel, Astor Weiss Kaplan & Mandel LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Daniel Promislo, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Harmon S. Spolan, of counsel, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Schuylkill County
Alvin B. Marshall, Lipkin Marshall Bohorad & Thornburg PC, Pottsville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Washington County
Benjamin L. Costello, Yablonski, Costello & Leckie PC, Washington: Special Achievement Award - for his membership on the PBA Workers' Compensation Law Section Centennial Celebration Steering Committee, which promoted awareness of the 100th anniversary of the Workers' Compensation Act in Pennsylvania, and for designing the commemorative centennial medal
Harold V. Fergus Jr., Fergus Martin & Fergus, Washington: Fifty-Year Member Award
Wayne County
Senior Judge Robert J. Conway, Wayne County Court of Common Pleas, Honesdale: Fifty-Year Member Award
Westmoreland County
Alan K. Berk, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert P. Lightcap, McDonald Snyder PC, Latrobe: Fifty-Year Member Award
Wyoming County
James E. Davis, Tunkhannock: Fifty-Year Member Award
Out of State
Howard M. Girsh, New York, New York: Fifty-Year Member Award
Steven J. Serling, Lake Worth, Florida: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard D. Siegel, Richard D Siegel Law Offices, Washington, D.C.: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph Michael Smith, The Villages, Florida: Fifty-Year Member Award
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 27,000 lawyers who are members of the association.