Legal Services & Lawyers

The Law Offices Of Samuel G. Forte, Esquire, located in N.E. Philadelphia, is a full service Law Firm providing a comprehensive range of Legal Services, with honesty and integrity, throughout Pennsylvania. Our Firm is dedicated to prompt Client communication and complete Client satisfaction. There is ample free parking and our office building is easily accessible by Public Transportation and all Roadways.

Attorney Gabriel Levin is known as a tenacious fighter who protects his client's interests as though they were his own; he has tried hundreds of cases and handled all types of criminal matters, from misdemeanors to major felony trials. Mr. Levin prides himself on preparing every case for trial. In criminal matters, he prepares with the assumption that his clients will plead not guilty and in civil cases he works under the belief that the defendant will not settle and the case will be decided by the jury. Clients know that Gabriel Levin is a very responsive attorney, keeps client fully informed, and always gets back to them in a timely manner.

I am partner in the firm of Shainberg & Viola. For the past 19 years, my practice has been limited to domestic relations/family law matters. I have also been active as a presenter and course planner for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. I completed divorce and custody mediation training. I am also pre-certified as an American Sign Language/English interperter.

Pamela H. Woldow, Principal and General Counsel of Altman Weil, Inc., 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.

Daniel E. Cummins, Esquire is a partner in the Scranton, Pennsylvania law firm of Foley, Cognetti, Comerford, Cimini & Cummins with 15 years of insurance defense experience in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including insurance defense work in the Poconos area and the surrounding counties.

He is currently accepting new clients along with other referrals including service as local counsel, defense arbitrator, or mediator in matters arising in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Attorney Cummins practices in the state and federal courts that cover the Northeastern Pennsylvania counties that include, but are not limited to, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Sullivan, Bradford, Monroe, Northampton, Carbon, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Columbia, Northumberland, Montour, and Lycoming.

Mr. Cummins has focused his practice on defending motor vehicle accident liability cases and UIM/UM arbitration matters along with premises liability and products liability cases. Mr. Cummins is also routinely summoned by his clients to handle matters involving insurance coverage questions and insurance subrogation claims.

Attorney Cummins is a cum laude graduate of Villanova University ('90, B.A., English) after which he attended the Dickinson School of Law ('93, J.D.) and completed his law school studies at the University of London in London, England (Spring, '93).

After graduating from law school, Mr. Cummins served as the Senior Law Clerk for the Honorable Harold A. Thomson, Jr. in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas for two years before going into private practice, where he has focused on insurance defense litigation ever since.

Along the way, in addition to practicing law, Mr. Cummins has also worked as an adjunct instructor for the paralegal program at the Worthington-Scranton campus of Penn State University.


AWARD-WINNING CIVIL LITIGATION COLUMNIST

Mr. Cummins has published many articles that have appeared in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, the Pennsylvania Bar Quarterly, the Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine, and the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Attorney Cummins' numerous articles have analyzed and predicted trends in a wide variety of areas of civil litigation law and have also provided practice tips for fellow members of the bar.

More recently, at the request of the editors of the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, a statewide legal news publication, Attorney Cummins has become a regularly contributing columnist on civil litigation issues. As noted below, several of his articles have been recognized for their excellence in legal journalism.

As a complement to his Pennsylvania civil litigation column in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, Attorney Cummins also recently started a blog on the same topic, the first of its kind by a Northeastern Pennsylvania attorney. The blog, which provides updates on cases and trends in Pennsylvania civil litigation law, can be found at www.torttalk.com. Readers of the blog may subscribe to have updated posts e-mailed to their attention.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Lawyers on the Fast Track

In September, 2005, Attorney Cummins was honored as one of only 35 lawyers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the age of 40 to be recognized by American Law Media as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track." This recognition was issued by a committee comprised of bar association leaders and a law school dean and was given to attorneys who have exhibited excellence in advocacy, advancement of the law, community service, and service to the bar. To date, Mr. Cummins remains one of only three attorneys from Northeastern, Pennsylvania to ever have been so recognized.

Schnader Print Media Awards

In both 2006 and 2007, Attorney Cummins was awarded First Place in the Weekly Newspapers category of the noted Schnader Print Media Awards, honoring excellence in legal writing and analysis in Pennsylvania publications, for articles of his that appeared in the Pennsylvania Law Weekly.

Who's Who

In 2005, Mr. Cummins was selected for inclusion in the 2005-2006 Honors Edition of The United Who's Who Registry which lists accomplished men and women based on their current position who have demonstrated outstanding leadership or achievement in their occupation, industry or profession.

More recently, in 2008, Attorney Cummins was selected for inclusion in Cambridge's Who's Who, an international Registry whose membership is limited to professionals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their industry and occupation.

Super Lawyer-Rising Star

In 2007, Attorney Cummins was also recognized in the Super Lawyers-Rising Stars edition of the Philadelphia Magazine as one of the top young attorneys in Pennsylvania.

Martindale-Hubbell Rating

Mr. Cummins has earned a BV Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory which denotes a high to very high level of legal expertise and the highest ethical standards as determined by the bar and the judiciary.

Mr. Rowan concentrates his practice in the areas of litigation and labor/employment law, primarily representing commercial and business clients. His litigation practice focuses the representation of business clients in both state and federal courts, including bankruptcy courts, in Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. His practice includes handling complex commercial and class action matters through all stages of litigation, including appeals.

With regard to labor and employment law, Mr. Rowan focuses his practice on the representation of both public and private sector employers in union and nonunion environments. His experience includes litigation of employment discrimination actions (including Title VII and ADA cases), FMLA and FLSA matters. Mr. Rowan also litigates and advises clients concerning common law employment issues such as wrongful discharge, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements and trade secret issues.

Prior to joining Shumaker Williams, Mr. Rowan was an attorney in a civil litigation practice in the Baltimore area. His prior experience includes commercial litigation and class-action matters, personal injury, product liability, premises liability, and toxic-tort matters.

Before entering private practice, Mr. Rowan was the law clerk to the Honorable Judge Ronald A. Silkworth in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County.

Mr. Rowan is licensed to practice in Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, New Jersey, and the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania and Western District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Maryland Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Baltimore County Bar Association.

Mr. Rowan earned his law degree from the University of Maryland in 1998 and his B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University in 1993. While at the University of Maryland, Mr. Rowan was an associate editor of The Business Lawyer and interned with the Enforcement Division of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.