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The Attorneys and Staff of Greensburg Law |
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The Greensburg Law Building |
Mr. Stewart is a lifelong resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He is a 1968 graduate of Hempfield Area High School, a 1972 graduate of Penn State University, and a 1977 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He has practiced law in Westmoreland County since 1977 with offices in Greensburg and Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Mr. Stewart appears in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Editions of the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers which recognizes the top attorneys in Pennsylvania. Only the top 5% of lawyers in Pennsylvania are named in Super Lawyers which is based upon a survey of lawyers throughout the state. Mr. Stewart served as law clerk for Judge Charles E. Marker, Family Court Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County, for 20 years. Mr. Stewart co-chairs the Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution committees of the Westmoreland County Bar Association. Mr. Stewart is certified in Collaborative Law, an innovative approach to dispute resolution that discourages litigation. Mr. Stewart practices law in the areas of Family Law, Business Law, Estate Planning, and Real Estate. He has participated as a panelist in Pennsylvania Bar Institute Seminars relative to family law.
Mr. Stewart is the vice-president of the Board of Directors of the Westmoreland County Bar Association. Mr. Stewart is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Greensburg YMCA and a past member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA where he served three (3) years as president. He has served as Chairman of the Annual Greensburg YMCA Partners in Youth Campaign to raise funds for needy families and individuals seeking services of the YMCA. Mr. Stewart is a member of the Greensburg Foundation Fund Distribution Committee. Mr. Stewart is currently serving a four (4) year term on the Archonate of the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, the Board of Chapter Advisors for Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity at Penn State University, and previously served on the Advisory Board of the First National Bank of Pennsylvania. Mr. Stewart is a past president and former member of the Hempfield Area School Board. He has previously served the parishioners of Our Lady of Grace Church as a Eucharistic minister and Chairman of the Project Management Committee for the construction of the new church at Our Lady of Grace.
Mr. Stewart has coached basketball, softball and baseball in the West Point, Hempfield Recreation, American Legion and CYO Leagues over the last thirty (30) years. Mr. Stewart is an avid racquetball player. He is married to Karen Dvorsky Stewart, also a lifelong resident of Westmoreland County. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have raised seven (7) children.
Mark L. Sorice is a partner at the firm and concentrates his practice in the areas of family law, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, small business, criminal defense, real estate and zoning. He has also been appointed as Court Master for the Court of Common Pleas in domestic cases and to assist the Court in the resolution of outstanding domestic issues of equitable distribution, alimony, alimony pendente lite, counsel fees, costs and expenses. He has also been appointed a Master in Partition by the Court of Common Pleas in real estate cases to resolve disputes between common owners. Mr. Sorice has also received a recent certification in collaborative law for resolution of domestic cases.
With over 26 years of experience, Mr. Sorice is a member of the Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and has been admitted to practice before the Federal District Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Sorice has served on the Board of Directors of Laurel Legal Services as well as Chair of the Young Lawyers and Law Day and other related committees of the Westmoreland Bar Association. He is also a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
Mr. Sorice has served as an instructor both at St. Vincent College and Westmoreland County Community College in the small business and estate planning programs, as well as the St. Vincent Challenge Program. He has also served as an officer and director for the following charitable organizations: East Hempfield Lion’s Club, St. Bartholomew Church, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Westmoreland County, Southern Allegheny Museum of Art, Fort Ligonier Days, Westmoreland County Community Sharing, Greensburg Turkey Trot, Western Allegheny Ruffed Grouse Society, Mt. Carmel 5K and the Crabtree Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Sorice has also been Solicitor for the Greensburg, Hannastown and Crabtree Fire Departments.
Mr. Sorice also has extensive first-hand experience in real estate and zoning matters, serving as Solicitor for the Ligonier Township and Southwest Greensburg Zoning Hearing Boards, as well as serving as substitute Solicitor for the City of Greensburg and Borough of Ligonier.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts Degree from Washington and Jefferson College and Juris Doctorate from Capital University.
AREAS OF PRACTICE: Civil Litigation, Family Law, Criminal Defense, Estate Planning and Administration, Real Estate and Zoning.
BAR ADMISSIONS: Pennsylvania, U. S. District Court of the Western District of PA, and the U.S. Supreme Court 1988.
Linda L. Whalen is a partner at the firm and concentrates her practice in the area of Family Law, including custody, divorce and support matters.
With 28 years of experience as an attorney, Ms. Whalen is a member of the Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. She, for nine years, was the Chair of the Family Law Committee of Westmoreland County.
Ms. Whalen has authored seminar materials and has spoken at various seminars and Continuing Legal Education Programs relating to Family Law for both the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Westmoreland County Bar Association. For approximately ten years, she lectured in the Continuing Education Division of the Westmoreland County Community College.
Ms. Whalen graduated Summa Cum Laude from Susquehanna University in 1976 and from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1981.
Areas of Practice:
Family Law – Divorce, Custody, Support
Bar Admissions:
Pennsylvania 1981
U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania 1981
Education:
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, 1976, B.A. Political Science, Summa Cum Laude
University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1981
Classes/Seminars Taught:
Former Instructor, Divorce Code of Pennsylvania, Continuing Education
Department, Westmoreland County Community College
Past lecturer in Family Law topics, Westmoreland Bar Association
Periodic author of materials and speaker in programs relating to Family Law for
Pennsylvania Bar Institute
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Westmoreland County Bar Association Member
Pennsylvania Bar Association Member
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Committee Member.
J. Douglas Farrell obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1980 from Washington and Jefferson College; a Masters in Education from California University of Pennsylvania in 1991 and his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1991 from Duquesne University School of Law.
Since Mr. Farrell’s admission to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, he has concentrated his practice in the areas of family law, estate planning and administration, real estate and personal injury.
As an attorney for over 17 years, Mr. Farrell has effectuated six and seven figure recoveries for several clients in personal injury matters.
On a regular basis, the Bench of the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania appoints Mr. Farrell as a Divorce Master to hear complex equitable distribution hearings. Mr. Farrell has extensive first hand experience in family law matters, including divorce, custody and child support.
In February 2009, Mr. Farrell completed a 40 hour mediation training course sponsored by the Federal Bar Association that was held at the U.S. District Courthouse for the Western District of Pennsylvania located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was recently trained in collaborative law in the Summer of 2009. Mr. Farrell is also a member of the Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania (“CLASP”). CLASP is an association of attorneys dedicated to resolving some family law matters using the methods of collaborative law without resorting to litigation in court.
Mr. Farrell is a member of the Westmoreland County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is a former instructor in the paralegal program at the Westmoreland County Community College located in Youngwood, Pennsylvania and a former Child Support Advocate at the Domestic Relations Office of Westmoreland County, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
In his spare time, Mr. Farrell enjoys traveling with this family and attending sporting events.
Vincent J. Finoli was born October 26, 1957 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Finoli is a 1975 graduate of Greensburg Central Catholic High School. He received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemistry from Allegheny College in 1979, an MBA in Business Administration and Accounting/Finance from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Business in 1980 and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, in 1991.
Mr. Finoli practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for many years prior to attending law school, having worked in public accounting for Touche Ross & Co., now Deloitte & Touche, and for Marriott International Corporation in Washington, D.C. Following graduation from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Mr. Finoli has been licensed to practice as an attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1991. During law school, Mr. Finoli also served as a Law Clerk for Judge Daniel J. Ackerman, of the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County.
Mr. Finoli maintains a private practice in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Fayette, Indiana, Butler and Armstrong counties, with emphasis on estate planning and administration, business succession, business transactions and real estate law.
Mr. Finoli has previously served as an Executive and Board of Member of the Greensburg Country Club. He also is a frequent volunteer at Aquinas Academy and Greensburg Central Catholic High School. Mr. Finoli is married to Michelle L. Finoli, currently the Librarian at Aquinas Academy in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Together Mr. and Mrs. Finoli have two daughters. Mr. Finoli’s interests include golf, racquetball and skiing.
Brian concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, creditor’s and debtor’s rights and family law – divorce, custody and support.
Brian was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Brian graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in June 1991. Thereafter, Brian graduated from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, earning his Juris Doctor in June 1994.
Upon earning his Juris Doctor degree, Brian became an associate of the Law Offices of Carl P. Izzo, Jr. Later, Mr. Izzo and Brian formed the firm of Izzo & Cavanaugh. With Izzo & Cavanaugh, Brian’s practice focused on the areas of bankruptcy and debtor’s and creditor’s rights. Over the years, Brian filed numerous Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Brian also assisted Mr. Izzo, an Interim Chapter 7 Trustee, with the administration of hundreds of Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. Subsequent to Mr. Izzo’s passing in 2000, Brian joined the firm of Stewart, McCormick, McArdle & Sorice. In 2003, Brian was asked to become a partner in the law firm of Stewart, McArdle, Sorice, Whalen, Farrell, Finoli & Cavanaugh, LLC. Brian continued to practice in not only the areas of bankruptcy and creditor’s and debtor’s rights, but also expanded his practice in to family law.
Brian is admitted to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Brian is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Westmoreland County Bar Association and the Allegheny County Bar Association. Brian is also a member of the Allegheny County Bankruptcy Law Section and a member of the Westmoreland County Bankruptcy Committee currently serving as its Chairman. Brian has become one of the most well respected lawyers in his field, as evidenced by being named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Philadelphia Magazine in 2007. Brian currently resides in Delmont with his wife, Sherri, and their son, Patrick.