Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Terence earned his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University in 1998. Terry began his legal career soon after garduating from Penn State. His professional experiences prior to and during law school include positions as a trial technology technician at a national litigation support firm in Washington D.C, as a paralegal for a Philadelphia defense firm, as a paralegal for staff counsel for one the largest insurers in North America, and as a law clerk at a Plaintiff’s firm in Chester County.

While working full time as a paralegal, he attended the Widener University, School of Law, where he earned a Certificate of Achievement in Constitutional Law and several Deans List honors. After graduating from law school in 2006, he gained experience at a Plaintiff’s firm in Chester County handling a variety of cases, including criminal, personal injury, consumer advocacy and home owner assistance.

Before starting his own practice, Terry primarily represented defendants at large insurance defense firm from 2007 through 2009. His practice then focused on premises, motor vehicle, product and construction defect liability matters.

Terry is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the United States District Court of New Jersey. He is a member of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Chester County Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Young Lawyers Division and the Civil Litigation Section of the Chester County Bar Association.

My Promise

While a lawyer can never guarantee the outcome of any case, I promise that my clients will have the full extent of the required knowledge in order to make an informed decision about their case. Even minor convictions can result in consequences that affect an individual's rights to vote, work, or maintain other qualities of life. Likewise, minor accidents affect an individual’s ability to perform even the smallest mundane tasks. That's why I make sure to educate clients on all of the factors involved in each case. I am committed to a thorough and aggressive approach that is best for my clients and their families.

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION (Clients in U.S. and Worldwide)
Consultation and legal services to parents and agencies re preparation of Orphan Petitions and Hague Convention Petitions; Home Study and related pre and post adoption problems; Responses/Appeals re NOIDS, Petition denials, visa denials and related; Legalization of immigration status for adopted child; Applications for U.S. Citizenship; Citizenship problems. Adoption of overseas relative and identified child adoption.

DOMESTIC ADOPTION(Limited to Pennsylvania):
Independent and Agency adoptions; Stepparent, second parent and relative adoptions; Adoption finalizations and readoptions.
(Adoptions handled in Montgomery, Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester,Bucks and Berks Counties)
http://www.theadoptionguide.com/tools/attorney-search.php

IMMIGRATION
Family and General Immigration(Clients in U.S. and Worldwide)

Adoptive mother of teenager from China.

lyfordesq@aol.com
610-260-4055

I am a sole practitioner providing individualized and experienced representation to those across the Delaware County. My main office is in Norristown, Pennsylvania, with secondary offices in Lansdowne, PA and West Chester, PA. My focus is on defending clients in criminal matters, defeating tickets, charges, and administrative actions designed to suspend my clients driver's licenses, representing the interests of young people in juvenile court, and to maximize my clients awards when they have been injured due to the negligence of others. I handle all of my cases personally. Be advised that my approach is not for everyone. While I always support my clients, I will not sugarcoat issues and outcomes in order to secure individuals as clients. I educate my clients regarding the specific area of law that pertains to their case and I keep them informed. An informed client is an integral asset to a successful outcome. It is in this way that I will pursue my clients' interests and work towards the best outcome.

Has the thought of putting together an estate plan, trust , will, living will or power of attorney drain you?



Do you need a guardianship for a loved one and don't know where to turn?


Is the estate you need to administer or are about to probate

making your life hectic?



Has your family put you in charge of sorting a difficult family situation

and you don't know where to turn or even the questions to ask?



Do you need a plan for the future for yourself or a loved one that

you have been putting off until now?



Have you lost money due to stockbroker negligence?



Today is the perfect day to deal with these issues that have been on your to do list and we are the right law firm to do the job. We have taken care of these type legal matters for thousands of clients throughout the years. With our many years of experience and our rolodex of contacts, our goal is to get you through this experience smoothly.



With her boutique elder law, estate planning, probate, guardianship, trust and estate administration and and investment fraud law firm, Debra, a former chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Bar Association, TV legal expert, quoted in more than 250 periodical nationally, and voted by other lawyers as a top elder law and investment fraud lawyer, has help thousands of families with their legal needs. Every client is treated as if that client will determine the success of this firm.



Debra get results - effectively and compassionately. Her book "Money, Health and Home: Seven Steps to Helping Your Parents Navigate Retirement and Aging" is being published shortly.



Public service is an integral part of this law firm. We serve the community by educating the public and other lawyers about investment fraud, elder fraud, and elder law. We also provide extensive and worthy pro-bono service to the indigent elder community.



Debra is also an astute, experienced, and aggressive litigator with a national and international securities law practice. Before going into private practice in 1990, Debra was an attorney with the Enforcement Division of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) prosecuting brokerage firms and stockbrokers for investment fraud and regulatory violations. Prior to that, she was an attorney and vice president with Thomson McKinnon Securities, Inc., an international brokerage firm which later merged with Prudential Securities. While at Thomson McKinnon, she passed every stockbroker and brokerage firm examination that the securities industry offered, including all options and commodities examinations.



Debra holds a law degree, a master's degree in finance with a thesis on program trading and stock markets, and a bachelor's degree in accounting. Prior to entering law school, she was an accountant.



She has been quoted in over 250 periodicals throughout the world, including Newsweek, Kiplinger's Magazine, USA Today, Crain's New York Business, American Banker, The Street.com, Securities Week and Investment News.



She had been voted by other lawyers as being one of Philadelphia's top lawyers appearing in Best Lawyers of Philadelphia. She is also listed in Who's Who in American Law and Who's Who in America. She was honored by the National Organization of Women Business Owners with their annual "Women Making History" award. Debra has been acknowledged by Arrive Magazine as being one of the five "Women to Watch" on the East Coast for her work defending the rights of defrauded Senior Citizens.



Debra is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for her securities arbitration work. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is limited to attorneys who have won million- and multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements.



Debra is a frequently invited guest speaker for business, professional and non-profit organizations, and is a legal commentator for radio talk shows and television. She has appeared on Wall Street Journal Radio, NBC TV, CNN Financial News TV, CNBC TV's "Wake Up Call" and "Power Lunch Financial News," CN8 TV, Fox News, and WB17, as well as Comcast TV's "Legal View" with the Securities and Exchange Commission Director speaking on topics related to securities fraud. Debra has written extensively about investment fraud and elder fraud, and those articles have appeared in various newspapers and magazines.



Debra is on the Lawyers Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Securities Commission. Pro bono work is an integral part of her law practice. She has been on numerous non-profit boards, including SeniorLaw, which assists indigent senior citizens with their legal problems. She is also on the board of directors for AMIT Children, and received an award from the organization for her fundraising efforts on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children.



Debra is a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and other continuing legal education programs on the subject of securities fraud and the elderly, and has been a co-lecturer with the Pennsylvania Securities Commissioner on the subject of investment fraud. She is co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's annual elder law course "Legal Issues in an Age of Aging," and was chair of the elder fraud conference in conjunction with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, the purpose of which was to educate senior citizens on how not to become victims of fraud.



In addition to being a former chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Bar Association, she has been active in other committees and sections including the Probate and Estate Committee and the Securities Regulations Committee. She belongs to, and serves on, various committees and subcommittees of the American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Public Investors American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, American Trial Lawyers Association, British Law Society, Connecticut Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, New York State Bar Association and DC Bar Association. She is also an arbitrator for FINRA and the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.



Debra welcomes new clients and referrals from law firms and looks forward to working with you.

Sarah Jane's legal experience began in 1983 in various law firms while undertaking her undergraduate and legal educations. While at Widener University School of Law, she served in the Bankruptcy Division of the Civil Law Clinic for a year, which included interviewing clients, preparing Bankruptcy Petitions, and appearing at creditors hearings. Sarah Jane developed a sense of deep gratification in helping people obtain relief from their distressing financial situations and seeing them gain hope for their futures.

Sarah Jane lives on a small farm in Elverson with her husband, daughter, 2 cows, 3 ducks, 5 cats, 6 chickens and standard poodle. She enjoys organic gardening, watching old movies, tennis, golf, and any craft having to do with yarn (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery, felting ...).


Community Service -

Girl Scout Leader (Brownies)
Religious Education teacher at St. Peter's Church in West Brandywine

Ms. Lippy focuses her practice on Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation. She has successfully tried numerous cases before a Judge and Jury. She has a love and passion for the law that she puts to use in the courtroom and prides herself in her ability to relate to clients and jurors alike. She was born and raised locally and attended the Norristown Area High School. She was a member of the Schreyer Honors Program at the Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated in 2000 with a major in Speech Communication and a minor in German. Her major, Speech Communication, has helped her immensely in trial work, as a main focus of her undergraduate studies was linguistics and the art of speech. After graduating from Penn State, Ms. Lippy was awarded an academic scholarship and attended Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. At Temple Law School, she was a member of the nationally acclaimed trial team, where she was recognized for her skills in advocacy through awards from the Center for Forensic Economic Sciences, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and was also awarded Best Advocate in the Region during the Final Round of a competition. Ms. Lippy continues her involvement with Temple Law School as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy on a part-time basis.

Ms. Lippy has been recognized for her legal skills by being named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track,” by the Legal Intelligencer, an award that is only given to 30 lawyers in Pennsylvania on an annual basis. Further, for the last two years, she has been named a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.

As an attorney, Ms. Lippy has recognized the importance of giving back to her community. Accordingly, she has volunteered for several different organizations. Most recently, she was the chair-woman of Norristown’s Municipal Waste Authority. She is extremely active in the local bar association and is currently a Co-Chair of the Member Services Committee. She has acted as President of the Montgomery American Inn of Courts, the local branch of a National Organization that consists of prominent trial attorneys, is the immediate past-chair of the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Montgomery Bar Association, a past chair of the Women in the Law and a member of the Criminal Defense Committee. Not only does Ms. Lippy have excellent oral advocacy skills, but she is extremely apt in writing and is the Immediate Past-Editor of the Montgomery Law Reporter. She also volunteers her time to act as the Assistant Solicitor of the Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Committee.

I represent individuals and small businesses in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy and debt negotiations. My additional practice areas includes intellectual property(trademark and copyright law) and business law.

Pamela H. Woldow, Partner and General Counsel of Edge International has personally experienced the practice of law from all angles. Following both large-firm and environmental boutique litigation practice, Pam served variously as the Director of Litigation Management for a multi-billion dollar publicly-held financial services company, General Counsel of an Entrepreneurial Enterprise -- and Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance, where she supervised a large legal staff, controlled an annual litigation budget of over $100 million, and recruited and supervised outside counsel in all 50 states.

As in-house counsel herself, Pam created sophisticated law department management systems, instituted convergence and RFP programs, implemented e-discovery protocols, implemented new technology and -- particularly relevant for this group today -- was responsible for managing large budgets. These days she speaks often, writes widely and advises clients of all types and sizes how to make the most of the client-counsel relationship and how to achieve cost efficiencies.

As a former Assistant District Attorney, Michael J. Skinner has gained an additional perspective into the criminal justice field. He has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases, including hundreds of DUI (Driving under the Influence) cases in Chester County. Michael now uses this knowledge to defend men, women, and youth who have been charged with criminal offenses in Chester County, Lancaster County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County.

With a law office in West Chester, PA, Michael uses the Skinner Law Firm to represent local residents, out-of-state visitors, international guests, and students. He focuses exclusively on criminal citations, misdemeanors, and felony offenses. This includes DUI charges, marijuana charges, domestic violence charges, shoplifting charges, and assault charges. He also provides legal representation for individuals facing extradition to or from Pennsylvania, bench warrants, or who wish to pursue criminal records sealing.

Michael Skinner is a native Pennsylvanian. He spent his childhood in Delaware County before moving to attend college at West Chester College of Pennsylvania. After developing a passion for law and society, Michael went on to attend Widener University College of Law. While in law school Michael interned for a prestigious criminal defense firm in West Chester, the Delaware Civil Clinic, and the Chester County District Attorney's Office. Michael graduated cum laude with a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2007.

Today, Michael continues his work as a West Chester criminal defense attorney. He makes every effort to help clients understand the charges they face as well as potential paths to take. By truly listening to his clients' situations, he is able to catch little details that other lawyers may miss and form close connections with individuals in need.

If you are facing criminal charges in West Chester or anywhere in Southern Pennsylvania, speak with Michael Skinner. To begin discussing your legal options, contact Skinner Law Firm today.

David has been an Attorney at Law since 1994. His emphasis is on Personal Injury Cases. These include: insurance claims, motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall injuries due to defective premises, full tort, limited tort, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, drunk driving accidents, dog bites, insurance claims and defective products. He has successfully handled hundreds of cases, including complex litigation in Federal and Pennsylvania Courts.

He began his career as a Stateâs Attorney with the "Governor's Law Firm", called the Office of General Counsel. He represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in civil actions, including winning cases on appeal before the Commonwealth Court.

He has been in the private practice of law since 1998. He is one of the few civil litigation lawyers specializing in injury cases who has worked exclusively both as a lawyer for injured people and in-house for a large law group defending claims when he was with the "Governor's Law Firm".

David is honored to help people who come to us to solve their problems. His goal is to seek truth and accountability, while working as hard as possible for our clients. David has obtained over $7 million in recoveries for clients over 5 years. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has recommended David to victims of drunk driving accidents who need legal respresentation. He is actively involved in local charities, including President of the Springford Rotary Club 2010-11.

Education:
- West Virginia University, Cum Laude, 1991, B.A., English
- Widener University School of Law, 1994, J.D., Intensive Trial Advocacy Program

Email: donatoni111@aol.com

Robert J. Donatoni received his undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst in 1976with a major in History and a minor Economics. He graduated magna cum laude
and Phi Beta Kappa for academic excellence. Mr. Donatoni received his law degree from Temple
University Schoolof Law in 1979graduating with honors.
From 1979through 1980,he served as an Assistant District Attorney in Chester County and
from 1980to 1983as an Assistant Public Defender in Chester County. Since 1984,Mr. Donatoni has
been engaged in the private practice of law with a primary emphasis in representing individuals
and entities investigated and accused of crimes in state and federal courts. In addition to his state
and federal practice in Pennsylvania, Mr. Donatoni has defended criminal prosecutions in the
federal courts of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, South Carolina, Arizona, Wyoming, Virginia and
Georgia in addition to appearing in state courts on behalf of the accused in New Jersey, Delaware,
Maryland, Tennessee and Florida.
Mr. Donatoni is a past President of, PACDL, the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers having also served as Secretary, Vice President and Present-Elect of that
organization as well as being a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He
served for six years as a Hearing Examiner for the Supreme Court Disciplinary Counsel and has
served as the Chairperson of the Chester County Criminal Rules Committee, a Chester County Task
Force investigating abuses of the 911 system and has twice served on a Blue Ribbon Panel for
judicial selection for state court trial judges in Chester County.
In October of 2003,in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Mr. Donatoni was inducted as a Fellow of,
ACTL, the American College of Trial Lawyers. The ACTL is an organization limited to 1%of the
bar in the United States and Canada and induction as a Fellow is done only after nomination by a
Fellow of the ACTL and extensive investigation regarding professional and ethical standards. He
has served as a Member of the ACTL Committee on Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and was
appointed to the Pennsylvania State Committee whose purpose is to assess the qualifications of
proposed nominees to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Donatoni, for almost two
decades, has been rated AV, the highest rating for legal skills and ethical concerns by Martindale
Hubbell, an independent national rating service.
www.donatonilaw.com

For more than 20 years, I have represented individuals and business of all sizes in a wide spectrum of business, commercial litigation and intellectual property matters. I now concentrate my practice on copyright, trademark and computer/Internet law with a focus on assisting entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses, particularly in the technology sector. I also represent individuals in the entertainment and publishing industry. In addition to my legal practice, I operate a software company, Essentia Software Corporation, which publishes a popular payroll software application for household employers.

Attorney Disna Weerasinghe, an immigrant herself, has gone through the same immigration process as her clients now going through. Thus, she has an empathy and understanding for the difficulties that current immigrants face when they go through the complexity of the present immigration process.

Mrs. Weerasinghe's goal is to guide her clients through this intricate immigration process and to provide efficient and compassionate services to her clients throughout the United States and overseas. Her practice is limited exclusively to Immigration and Nationality Law.

Mrs. Weerasinghe provides consultations and assists individuals who are having issues with the US Immigration and Naturalization process. Her services include:

Family Based Petitions
Employment Based Specialty Workers, Religious Workers,
National Interest Waivers
Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing
Visitor Visas, Student Visas
Applications for US Citizenship
Asylum, Cancellation of Removal
Other Immigration Issues

Mr. Tupitza has been an attorney since 1976. His practice is primarily in the area of real estate and business law. He is experienced in oil and gas leases, title insurance matters, commercial/industrial real estate, residential real estate and farm issues. He handles transactions and litigation. He teaches numerous CLE courses including courses on the following topics: Boundary Law, Litigating Failure to Disclose Issues, Lien Priority, Lien Divestiture, Tax and Sheriff's Sales, Deeds, Trial Tactics, Title Insurance, Tax Issues Impacting Real Estate and more.

My practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate transactions and litigation, including construction defect, seller's disclosure, zoning, land development, title matters, boundary disputes, brokerage law, association matters, builder disputes, landlord-tenant matters, etc.