Pennsylvania Bar Association Presents Awards for Outstanding Leadership, Extraordinary Service and Longstanding Membership

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.