EDUCATION
 
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LAW SCHOOL           J.D. May 1993
          Executive Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 1992-1993
          Associate Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 1991-1992
         
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA                                      B.A. May 1978
         
EMPLOYMENT
 
THE FEDERATED HUMANE SOCIETIES OF PENNSYLVANIA        July 2018 to present
  • promote membership
  • update and improve website
  • work with Board of Directors to present Annual Conference in May 2019, also continuing education courses for Humane Society Police Officers, training program for new Humane Society Police Officers

BRANDYWINE VALLEY SPCA                                                           March 2015 to present
General Counsel
  •   provide legal advice related to employment law, animal welfare law, other areas to Executive Director and Board of the shelter

PHILA. COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE                             2006 to present
          Associate Professor of Law & Forensic Medicine
  • teaching on-line courses in Evidence and Bioethics to candidates for Masters degree in Forensic Medicine.
 
DELAWARE COUNTY OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR                        Dec. 2008 to present
          Assistant County Solicitor
  • focus on issues related to proposed Philadelphia Airport Redesign Plan and Capacity Enhancement Program; also Right-to-Know Law issues, open space acquisition, various real estate, planning matters, contract review

ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY                                                            June 2014 to present
          Adjunct Professor of Law, Haub School of Business
  • teaching business law to undergraduates.
 
 ATTORNEY IN PRIVATE PRACTICE                                              October 2008 to present
          Attorney
  • focus on complex commercial and employment litigation
  
FREELANCE WORK                                                                        occasional, 2003 to present
          Legal, Writing, Research, Editing
  • Example:  for United Cerebral Palsy Association, compiled extensive database of research into potential donors
  • Example:  proofreading, editing, BlueBooking of law review articles for law school faculty
  • Example:  editing, proofreading of copy of software company’s website and promotional literature
 
RUBIN FORTUNATO & HARBISON                                                November 2005 to November 2007
          Senior Attorney, Employment, Commercial Litigation
  • litigation principally for major investment firm, including coordination of $15 million recovery effort.
 
COZEN O’CONNOR                                                                        January 1999 to September 2005
Labor & Employment, Commercial Litigation Department (made partner March 2001)
  • seasoned, accomplished and successful commercial litigator, including, in October 2004, successful defense of a renowned Philadelphia trial lawyer in a legal malpractice case - after four years of litigation and four days of trial, jury returned with a complete defense verdict in twelve minutes;
  • significant practice in employment litigation defense; built a reputation for cost-effective, successful disposition of discrimination, ERISA, Equal Pay, and other cases; never lost a case at verdict or otherwise, and have settled very few, with a maximum pay-out of $35,000, average of $5,000;
  • significant role in contract negotiations for large health insurer with state government entity; also representation of that insurer before the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
 
PEPPER HAMILTON, LLP                                                              June 1997 to December 1998
Associate, Labor & Employment and Commercial Litigation Departments.
 
WOLF, BLOCK, SCHORR & SOLIS-COHEN                                 September 1994 - June 1997
Associate, Commercial Litigation and Labor & Employment Departments.
 
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PA,                                         September 1993 - August 1994
Law Clerk to the Honorable Donald W. VanArtsdalen.
 
WHARTON FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CENTER                           Jan 1993 - Oct 1994
Editor, Richard Herring and Friedrich Kubler, The Allocation of Risk in Cross-Border Transactions, 89 Northwestern L. Rev. 942 (1995).
 
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PA                                                    May 1991 - August 1991         
Law Intern to the Honorable Thomas N. O’Neill, Jr.
 
 
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING
 
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION                                                 ongoing since Fall 1993
numerous courses in various issues in Contracts, Employment Law, Securities Law, Evidence, Real Estate, Corporations, Ethics
 
ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY                                                            June 2015
Teaching Naked Workshop:  Practical Applications of the Teaching Naked Cycle; Designing Assignments and Activities for Massively Better Classes
Full-day faculty workshop
 
ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY                                                            May 2015
          How Teachers And Other Educators Can Protect Our Children
          On-line module required of all faculty
 
DREXEL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE ON INNOVATION                     September 2008
IN TRAINING AND TEACHING         
          two-day program featuring four three-hour courses
 
 
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES      

  • Board of Directors, Autism Resource Council (ARC) of Pennsylvania (January 2019 to present)
  • President, Board of Directors, Chester County SPCA (November 2013 to March 2015)
  • frequent volunteer in Romanian orphanage for special needs infants and toddlers
  • active in dog rescue and anti-puppy mill efforts
  • many community affairs
 
PUBLICATIONS
 
Biswanger, Patricia, A Good Law, Poorly Enforced, Legal Intelligencer, Oct. 2013.