September Newsletter

Recent Awards

We’re thrilled to announce that Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller was named one of Law360 ’s Regional Powerhouses for Pennsylvania for the second year in a row. This accolade is a testament to the hard work, dedication and innovation of our team.

The firm was recognized for its established presence in the region and involvement in many high-profile cases throughout the last 12 months.

Read more about the Regional Powerhouse award here.

Shareholder John Summers successfully defended a long-running lawsuit seeking $5 billion in damages from large oil and gas companies in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

U.S. District Judge Karoline Mehalchick recently dismissed the nine-year-old lawsuit, which accused the defendants of underpaying royalties to nearly 90 property owners with interests in thousands of acres of leased land. The Aug. 30 decision found that the leaseholders either lacked standing to bring their antitrust claims under the Sherman Act or failed to show that the defendants had somehow conspired to defraud them.

Read more about the case, which was covered by Law360 and Reuters , here .

Shareholder Steven Miano spoke with Bloomberg Law about the ongoing impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, which curtailed federal protections for wetlands under the Clean Water Act.

Steve, who chairs the firm’s environmental practice group, said the Biden Administration “is walking a thin line” in claiming broad authority over wetlands on Alaska’s North Slope following the landmark ruling in 2023.

Read the full article here.

Hangley Aronchick chair and co-founder Mark Aronchick recently served on a panel about "Title VI of Civil Rights Act, Identity Based Discrimination." The one-hour CLE program was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey and Our Family of Agencies ' Legal Professional Networking Group and the Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR-NJ) . Key topics included antisemitism on college campuses and current identity-based discrimination cases.

Helen Casale and Kelley Fazzini spoke at the 57th Annual Domestic Relations Association of Pennsylvania (DRAP) Training Conference. Their presentation, titled “Redefining Families,” focused on identifying, addressing and assisting diverse families in Pennsylvania. Helen and Kelley discussed demographic trends at the state and federal level, reviewed meaningful cases involving parentage and child support, and outlined ways legal practitioners can foster inclusivity.

Shareholder Pete Keays spoke at the Philadelphia Bar Association CLE event earlier this month. The virtual panel, titled “PFAS Developments: PFOA and PFOS Hazardous Substance Designation, Litigation, Transactions, and Environmental Insurance,” focused on developments with hazardous substance designations concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their implications for litigation strategies, regulatory compliance, environmental insurance and real estate transactions.

Insights from the Family Law Blog

Glover v. Junior has the potential to redefine parental rights for non-traditional families in Pennsylvania. The Superior Court's recognition of intent-based parentage may soon be affirmed by the Supreme Court, with significant implications for any family in Pennsylvania using ART. In this blog post, shareholder Helen Casale explains the case's complexities and shares what is at stake. Read Helen's full blog here.

The school year is in full swing and extracurricular activities are picking up. These schedules can be overwhelming for any parent, but the challenges are compounded for families that share custody. In this blog post, shareholder Colleen Norcross highlights steps that separated families can take for successful schedule management. Read Colleen's full blog here .

We're proud to recognize and celebrate the September work anniversaries of several of our Hangley Aronchick team members. Thank you for your years of hard work and dedication to the firm!

Shareholder Sharon F. McKee celebrates 27 years at HASPS this month. Sharon is a skilled litigator with a special focus on insurance and bad faith issues. She helps clients, including insurers and reinsurers, navigate complex legal issues, and led a Title IX litigation that helped restore a women’s gymnastics program at a local college. Sharon’s background in welfare rights advocacy and Russian language translation adds a unique perspective to her impactful legal work.

Shareholder Matthew Hamermesh (25th year) heads our Bankruptcy Group and co-leads our Appellate practice. Matt has argued significant appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and led complex Chapter 11 cases. His dedication to pro bono service is evident through his role as president of the Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project , which helps Philadelphians get a financial fresh start.

Shareholder Michele Fenkel (15th year) is an experienced business lawyer. She often functions as her clients’ outside general counsel, and advises on a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and employment. Michele is also a leader within the firm. She chairs Hangley Aronchick's Hiring Committee, is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and Women’s Committee, and serves as a mentor to the firm’s associates.

Associate Dori F. Green (13th year) works in our Family Law practice, representing clients in divorce, custody and support matters. She is committed to family well-being and often shares her insights on family law through published articles and the Hangley Aronchick Family Law Blog.

Associate Tom Brown , celebrating his 8th year at the firm, represents insurers, tech companies, and transportation companies in commercial litigation. His work spans the full spectrum of a dispute, from early stage case assessment through post-trial and appellate briefing, and he draws upon his experience in business consulting and government to help clients solve complex legal issues.

Within our insurance coverage group, associate Anthony Palmer celebrates his 5th year at HASPS this month and Kyle Heisner celebrates his 4th year as of counsel. Anthony focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation addressing a range of insurance coverage issues. His experience clerking for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a welcome contribution to our team. Kyle handles complex litigation, contract disputes, and insurance coverage matters involving directors and officers, hospitals and pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, colleges and universities, and others.

Associate Caitlin McHugh (5th year) focuses on pharmaceutical antitrust litigation in our Antitrust group. With her chemistry background, Caitlin excels in analyzing complex patent and pharmaceutical issues. She is co-chair of the firm's Women’s Committee.

Associate Eitan Kagedan (3rd year) advocates for individual, corporate, and governmental clients on legal issues involving civil rights, corporate liability, intellectual property rights and contractual obligations, and serves as a trusted advisor and independent investigator to protect his client’s interests. He also plays a key role on our Associate Development and Hiring Committees, contributing to the firm’s continued growth and long-term success.

As we continue to celebrate 30 years since the founding of Hangley Aronchick, we also celebrate 30 years of giving back to the community with our 30 Acts of Service campaign. As a firm, we are committed to supporting causes that are important to us, through pro bono work, volunteerism, and board service.

This month we recognize the Philadelphia Bar Association and Philadelphia Bar Foundation 's Board Observer program, which provides young lawyers with the opportunity to volunteer and serve as an observer on a nonprofit board of Directors.

Currently, associate Mathew Gomez serves as a board observer for CORA Services , a nonprofit that provides comprehensive professional services focused on prevention, intervention, remediation and referral assistance. Over the last 30 years, dozens of Hangley Aronchick attorneys have served on nonprofit boards, supporting numerous nonprofit organizations.

In Our Community

Several members of our firm attended the Public Interest Law Center 's annual celebration. The Public Interest Law Center devises legal strategies and utilizes litigation to advance the civil, social and economic rights of communities in the Philadelphia region, particularly those facing discrimination, inequality and poverty. Shareholder Robert Wiygul , who serves as the Secretary of the Law Center's board of directors, was joined at the event by Nicholas Bellos , Gianni Mascioli and Eitan Kagedan . Hangley Aronchick is proud to be a long-term partner of the center and to be a sponsor of this year's event.

Michele Fenkel , Michael Masciandaro , and Tom Brown attended the Education Law Center-PA 's 49th Anniversary Dinner. Hangley Aronchick is proud to support the center, a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure all children in Pennsylvania have access to quality public education. Shareholder John Summers has served as a board member since 2023.

Hangley Aronchick also sponsored the Hispanic Bar Association of PA (HBAPA) Legal Education Fund's Annual Scholarship Banquet. Associate Isabel Naveira López is HBAPA's secretary and serves on the board of the organization's Legal Education Fund. Marianne Bradley and Gianni Mascioli joined her at the event.