HARRISBURG (May 19, 2014) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association has presented awards to members for outstanding leadership in the legal profession and extraordinary service and longstanding membership in the association.

PBA Special Achievement Awards recognize those lawyers who have provided time and resources to improve the association and the legal profession. The President�s Awards, bestowed at the discretion of 2013-14 PBA President Forest N. Myers, 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 during the association�s Annual Meeting, May 14 � 16, at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey.

Allegheny County

Richard A. Ferris, Upper Saint Clair: Fifty-Year Member Award

William W. Guthrie, William W. Guthrie & Associates, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Penina K. Lieber, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Pittsburgh: PBA President�s Award � for outstanding commitment to the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Pennsylvania Bar Association

Steven A. Stepanian II, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Beaver County

Senior Judge Robert E. Kunselman, Beaver County Court of Common Pleas, Beaver

Berks County

Paul T. Essig, Essig Valeriano & Fudeman PC, Wyomissing: Fifty-Year Member Award

Alan S. Readinger, Law Offices of Alan S. Readinger, Reading: Fifty-Year Member Award

Bucks County

Rodney D. Henry, Henry & Henry LLP, Quakertown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edwin W. Scott, Yardley: Fifty-Year Member Award

Peter J. Verderame, Levittown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Butler County

Joseph W. Conway, Sarver: Fifty-Year Member

Cambria County

George Raptosh, Raptosh Lehmier & Carbonara, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Chester County

Joseph R. Polito Jr., Polito Law Office, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas E. Quay, Chester Springs: Fifty-Year Member Award

Columbia County

Charles B. Pursel, Derr Pursel Luschas & Napersteck LLP, Bloomsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Cumberland County

Magisterial District Judge Kathryn H. Silcox, Mechanicsburg: PBA President�s Award � for outstanding commitment and leadership to the PBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee

Dauphin County

Bridget E. Montgomery, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award � for her dedicated service as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct

Jane E. Meyer, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award � for writing and editing the annual PBA High School Mock Trial Competition case

Samuel W. Milkes, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Harrisburg: Special Achievement Award � for dedicated service as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Access to Justice Coalition to ensure improved access to civil legal representation

James H. Rowland Jr., Law Offices of James J. Rowland Jr., Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Delaware County

David E. Auerbach, Eckell Sparks PC, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award

Reese A. Davis, Davis Bennett Spiess & Prendergast LLP, Wayne: Fifty-Year Member Award

David A. Franklin, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award

Stanley R. Kotzen, Wallingford: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph L. Monte Jr., Eckell Sparks PC, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph P. O�Brien, KAO Law Associates, Media: PBA President�s Award � for outstanding commitment and leadership to the PBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee

Robert F. Pappano, Pappano & Breslin, Brookhaven: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert L. Pinto, Levis & Pinto, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award

Franklin County

William R. Davis Jr., Glen & Glen, Chambersburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lawrence County

Robert D. George, New Castle: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lebanon County

R. Hart Beaver, Richland: Fifty-Year Member Award

Philip H. Feather, Feather & Feather PC, Annville: Fifty-Year Member Award

C. Walter Whitmoyer Jr., C. Walter Whitmoyer Jr. Law Offices, Lebanon: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lehigh County

Senior Judge Alan M. Black, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas J. Maloney, Maloney Danyi O'Donnell & Tranter, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award

John R. Mondschein, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba PC, Center Valley: Fifty-Year Member Award

Luzerne County

Hon. A. Richard Caputo, U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award

Benjamin R. Jones III, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award

Charles A. Shaffer, Pugliese Finnegan Shaffer & Ferentino LLC, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mifflin County

Robert H. Raymond Jr., Lewistown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Monroe County

Harry F. Lee, Stroudsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Montgomery County

Earl T. Britt, Britt, Hankins & Moughan, Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Henry T. Crocker, Crocker & Crocker PC, Pottstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Arthur L. Jenkins Jr., Law Offices of Arthur L. Jenkins Jr., Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Richard K. Masterson, Masterson Braunfeld LLP, Conshohocken: Fifty-Year Member Award

Richard J. Ruth, Maple Glen: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert C. Steiger, Ambler: Fifty-Year Member Award

Stephen G. Yusem, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award

Northumberland County

Earl E. Brosius, Northumberland: Fifty-Year Member Award

Philadelphia County

David C. Auten, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Herbert Bass, Fox Rothschild LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jennifer R. Clarke, Public Interest Law Center, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award � for dedicated service as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Access to Justice Coalition to ensure improved access to civil legal representation

Thomas F. Cunnane, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Retired Senior Judge Victor J. DiNubile Jr., Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Phyllis Horn Epstein, Epstein, Shapiro & Epstein P.C., Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award � for three years of dedicated service as treasurer of the PBA

Jonathan A. Grode, Green & Spiegel U.S. LLC, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award � for writing and editing the annual PBA High School Mock Trial Competition case

Warren J. Kauffman, White and Williams LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Paul W. Kaufman, U.S. Attorneys� Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: Special Achievement Award � for writing and editing the annual PBA High School Mock Trial Competition case

Mark K. Kessler, Duane Morris, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Arnold Levin, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

David H. Marion, Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

George Reath Jr., Triage Mediation Services Inc, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Abraham C. Reich, Fox Rothschild LLP, Philadephia: Special Achievement Award � for dedicated service as co-chair of the PBA Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct

E. Gerald Riesenbach, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas B. Rutter, ADR Options, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edward D. Slevin, Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Clayton H. Thomas Jr., Clayton H. Thomas Jr. & Associates, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Schuylkill County

Joseph Holochuck, Minersville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas J. Nickels, Orwigsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Warren County

H. Robert Hampson, Warren: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge William F. Morgan, Warren-Forest Court of Common Pleas, Warren: Fifty-Year Member Award

Washington County

Herman J. Bigi, Bigi & Walsh, Charleroi: Fifty-Year Member Award

Westmoreland County

James W. Creenan, Creenan & Baczkowski PC, Murrysville: Special Achievement Award � for dedicated service as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Access to Justice Coalition to ensure improved access to civil legal representation

Rabe F. Marsh III, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

John M. O'Connell Jr., O'Connell & Silvis, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dennis J. Slyman, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

William C. Stillwagon, William C. Stillwagon PC, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

York County

William F. Hoffmeyer, Hoffmeyer & Semmelman LLP, York: PBA President�s Award � for outstanding commitment and leadership to the PBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee

Out of State

Michael E. Catanzaro Jr., Vero Beach, Florida: Fifty-Year Member Award

Harold Greenberg, Law Firm of Harold Greenberg, Los Angeles, California: 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.