PBA’s Diversity Through the Decades 2026 – Day One – Webcast

Jennifer Ellis is an attorney licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the principal of Jennifer Ellis, JD, LLC, a law practice management and technology consulting firm. Her legal practice focuses on ethics, and her consulting work assists lawyers and legal organizations with technology selection, implementation, and risk management, including cybersecurity and the practical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice.
Jennifer has extensive experience in legal education and professional development and has worked closely with bar associations and continuing legal education providers on the development and presentation of programs for lawyers at all stages of practice. She regularly speaks and writes on legal ethics, law practice management, and emerging technology issues, with an emphasis on helping lawyers evaluate new tools realistically and responsibly. Her work emphasizes clarity, accuracy, and ethical judgment, particularly where law and technology intersect. Find Jennifer online at jlellis.net.

Kristine L. Calalang has dedicated her law practice to family law matters since 2004. She provides her clients with strong advocacy, compassion, and empathy. Ms. Calalang is passionate about serving in leadership positions to help elevate the legal profession, promote fellowship in the legal community, and support philanthropic endeavors. She has strong leadership roles in the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA), serving as a Zone 1 member of the House of Delegates, Co-Chair of the Legal Academics Committee, and the Diversity Liaison and Co-Chair of the Diversity Task Force of the Family Law Section. Additionally, Ms. Calalang is the Diversity Liaison for the PBA Minority Bar Committee and the Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee of the Women in the Profession Commission. She is also in leadership in the Philadelphia Bar Association, currently serving as the Vice Chancellor and having served as a Member of the Board of Governors and 2022 Board Chair, Co-Chair of the Women in the Profession Committee, and Co-Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Management Committee. Ms. Calalang also served as the 2019 Chair of the Family Law Section and continues to serve as a member of the Section’s Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Custody Committee, Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee, and founding member of the Diversity Inclusion Scholarship Committee. Ms. Calalang further serves as a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Judicial Selection and Retention Commission and is an active member of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law’s alumni boards. She often plans and presents programs for the PBA, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia Bar Association, and other legal groups.

Jada S. Greenhowe joined the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (“PHFA”) as Assistant Counsel in 2014. In her role as Assistant Counsel, Jada provides legal advice regarding an array of topics such as bankruptcy, credit reporting and third-party vendor management and oversight. She counsels PHFA’s secondary mortgage program, the Homeowner’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, and represents the Agency in civil litigation matters including Actions to Quiet Title and Commonwealth Court appeals. She oversees federal and state regulatory compliance pertaining to the mortgage servicing industry, such as Act 91 (Homeowner’s Emergency Assistance Act), Act 6 (the Loan Interest and Protection Law) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act for PHFA’s Single Family mortgage program. In addition, she handles multi-party transactional real estate closings involving investor partnerships and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in connection with PHFA’s Multifamily program. In 2013, Ms. Greenhowe obtained her Juris Doctor from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law. She earned a B.A. in Communication Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. Ms. Greenhowe is admitted to practice in the Western, Middle and Eastern District Courts of Pennsylvania. In addition, she is a member of the American Bar Association, the Dauphin County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association where she is a member of the PBA House of Delegates and where she also serves as co- Chair of the Civil and Equal Rights Committee (CERC), and is the co-Chair of CERC’s CLE Subcommittee, as well as its Young Lawyer’s Division (“YLD”) Liaison. In addition, she serves as the At-Large Chair to Diversity for the YLD, is co-Vice Chair of the In-House Counsel Committee and is the YLD Liaison to the Environmental and Energy Law Section. In 2019, Jada was selected as a member of the 2019-2020 class of the PBA’s Bar Leadership Institute.  She is also the 2021 recipient of the Minority Bar Committee’s (“MBC”) Rising Star award and is the current Chair of the MBC Houston’s Rising Star Award Committee.

DeJonna Bates, a Staff Attorney at CJP in Harrisburg, is a dedicated advocate for language access rights throughout Pennsylvania. Her work focuses on systemic change within federally funded institutions such as police departments, school districts, and subsidized housing authorities. She has successfully facilitated the development and implementation of language access plans and the provision of essential translation and interpretation services nationwide. Her impactful work in this area has earned her recognition from the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Chi-Ser Tran (she/her) is a Senior Staff Attorney in the SSI Unit and Language Access Project at Community Legal Services. Her practice focuses on representing adults and children with disabilities who face issues attaining and maintaining Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. She also leads CLS’s language access advocacy and focuses on improving access to legal services, courts, and government agencies for individuals with limited English proficiency. Ms. Tran is a past president and a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (APABA-PA). She is also a board member of SEAMAAC, an organization that supports and serves immigrants, refugees, and other marginalized communities in Philadelphia. Ms. Tran has received several awards and recognitions, including a Philadelphia City Council resolution recognizing her as an “Emerging Leader,” City & State PA’s Law Power 100 and AAPI 100 lists, and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Bar Star award. She has published numerous articles and reports on topics including improving access to SSI for individuals with disabilities and strengthening language access. Ms. Tran earned her JD from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2016. She earned her BA from New York University in 2009, where she majored in Asian/Pacific/American Studies.

William J. Phelan, IV is the Litigation Partner for the Philadelphia office of the national domestic relations law firm of Cordell & Cordell, P.C. He advocates in various areas of family law, including, but not limited to, divorce, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, child custody and support, equitable distribution, spousal support, alimony, adoptions and termination of parental rights, and domestic violence protection. In addition to being a seasoned trial attorney, he is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Division, handling his own appeals in Pennsylvania and managing/assisting other attorneys with their appeals to various intermediate and high-level courts. Mr. Phelan is an Adjunct Professor at Villanova University, where he teaches family law. Mr. Phelan is active with the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section, Appellate Advocacy Committee, and served for several years as the Chair of the Disability Services Committee (2020-2026). He was President of the Doris Jonas Freed Matrimonial American Inn of Court (2021-22). He is a Council Member of the Brehon Law Society (a legal organization comprised of attorneys and judges of Irish ancestry). He has been selected to: the 2026 & 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America for Family Law; Super Lawyers for 2025 to 2026, and as a Rising Star for a total of five years prior; the Irish Legal 100 in 2019 and 2023 to 2024; the 2022 Appellate Lawyers; The National Advocates Top 100 List; National Academy of Family Law Attorneys’ Top 10 Under 40 Attorneys; and the 10 Best Family Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Pennsylvania by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. Within his firm, Mr. Phelan volunteers as a mentor for other attorneys and associates regarding development of their litigation and appellate skills. He presents and is published frequently on the topics of family law, appellate practice, and disability rights. Mr. Phelan is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. District Courts for Eastern Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. He graduated magna cum laude from The Catholic University of America earning a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations and then a Master of Arts in Congressional and Presidential Studies (Politics). He earned his Juris Doctor, with a certificate in Law and Public Policy, from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. During law school, Mr. Phelan served as a Senior Editor for The Journal of Contemporary Health Law & Policy. Mr. Phelan attended the American Bar Association’s Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute. He is a proud graduate of La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, PA and currently serves on its Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Mr. Phelan volunteers on the leadership committee for Project Magis, a group of legal and financial services professionals who fundraise for local community support and charitable programs. Previously, he was President of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities Appeal of Greater Philadelphia (serving on its board from 2016 to 2022).

Ms. White is currently Ethics Counsel to the Pennsylvania Bar Association. As Ethics Counsel, Ms. White responds to Ethics Hotline inquiries from PBA members who have questions concerning the impact of the provisions of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct upon their own prospective conduct. Ms. White also assists the PBA’s Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, which issues written ethics opinions and reviews and recommends proposals for changes to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. In addition to staffing the Ethics Committee, Ms. White is the staff liaison to the PBA Civility in the Profession Committee. She also serves as the Associate Editor of the Pennsylvania Ethics Handbook, a useful guide to the professional responsibility obligations of practicing Pennsylvania lawyers. Prior to joining the PBA, Ms. White served as Assistant Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, practiced for several years in the private sector, and was a staff attorney in the solicitor’s office for a local municipality. Ms. White received her B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.

Mr. Yoon is Chief Staff Attorney-Legal of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as Administrative Assistant to President Judge Correale F. Stevens, a law clerk to the Honorable John T.J. Kelly, Jr., and chief law clerk to the Honorable James J. Fitzgerald, III, in the Superior Court, as well as law clerk to Justice Fitzgerald in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He is a 2004 graduate of the Washington and Lee University School of Law and a 2000 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He is based in Philadelphia, and is an active member of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, having served on the PBA Board of Governors as Minority At-Large Governor and as Chair of the PBA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team, as a current Philadelphia Bar Association delegate to the PBA House of Delegates, and as an active member of the Law-Related Education, Appellate Advocacy, and Minority Bar Committees. He currently serves as co-chair of the Minority Bar Committee and as vice-chair of the Law-Related Education Committee.

Brenda (she/her/ella) is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS). As CLS’s first COO, Brenda works closely with the Executive Director, Deputy Director and CFO in furthering important strategic initiatives and operations systems. Brenda also directly manages the IT and human resources (HR) departments which includes handling all personnel and union matters. Part of Brenda’s role around HR systems and operations is to ensure the organization continues to strengthen its long-standing commitment to DEIB by working collaboratively with management and staff on hiring, retention and workplace policies. Prior to being COO Brenda was the Executive Director of the Public Interest Law Center. As Executive Director, Brenda led a team of highly skilled litigators and support staff and handled all organizational matters, including fundraising, strategic initiatives, operations and finance, development and communications and Board relations. Brenda was the second woman and the first woman of color to lead the organization. Previous to her Executive Director role, Brenda was at CLS. Joining the organization initially in 2008 as a lateral attorney hire, she was a supervising attorney for many years practicing in the then Aging and Disabilities Unit. Brenda’s law practice included representing low-income seniors in access to long-term care, Medicare appeals and nursing home eviction and quality of care cases. Brenda also represented adults and children in SSI disability cases. In 2015 Brenda was promoted to Deputy Director of Operations; and later added the role of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer where she helped the organization build its DEIB framework around hiring and workplace culture. Brenda has been a frequent trainer and speaker at both national and local conferences, webinars and bar association programs. Brenda is actively involved in the Philadelphia legal community. She is a current member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, where she was the 2019 Chair of the Public Interest Section, 2022 Diversity Chair, and member of the Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Panel. Brenda was the 2021 recipient of the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award, given annually by the Philadelphia Bar Association for promoting diversity in the legal profession. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Minority Bar Committee of the PA Bar Association, and Board Member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania. As for other Board service, Brenda is immediate past-Chair of the Board of Directors of Pan American Academy Charter School, a K-8 dual language program school located in North Philadelphia that serves predominantly low-income Latino youth. Brenda currently serves on the Board of Directors of Justice at Work. In Spring 2022 Brenda was an adjunct professor at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Brenda’s other awards include the 2021 La Justicia Award from The Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania, recipient of the City & State 100 Nonprofit Leader recognition in 2022, the Emerging Latino Lawyers Leader Award for Non-Profit Sector given by Al Día in 2018, and the “Unsung Hero” Award given by The Legal Intelligencer in 2010. Brenda is originally from Nicaragua and is a native Spanish speaker. Her family came to the U.S. under political asylum and she grew up in Los Angeles where she completed her undergraduate studies at Mt. St. Mary’s College, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, cum laude. Brenda graduated from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Brenda is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Farney was a founding partner of TRIQUETRA LAW ®, an award-winning plaintiff’s law firm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, focusing exclusively on employment law, civil rights, and appeals. Retired in August 2025, her employment practice concentrated on discrimination, retaliation and harassment cases, ADA, wrongful termination, separation and severance agreements, unemployment compensation, and family and medical leave. She represented both public and private employees in all phases of litigation, administrative processes, alternative dispute resolution and appeal. Ms. Farney is a former chair of the Lancaster Bar Association’s (“LBA”) labor and employment law section and the LBA Diversity Committee, where she remains active. She is the current chair of the LBA Nominating Committee. At the state level she served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the PBA Disability Services Committee and as a Women in the Profession (WIP) Executive Council Member. She is a former PBA House of Delegates Member and she also served on the PBA Diversity Team. In practice, she was selected as a Super Lawyer for Plaintiff Employment Litigation from 2016 until her retirement in 2025. Ms. Farney graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1990. She started her legal career as a legal aid lawyer in Minnesota, before moving to Pennsylvania in 1998 and working in multiple roles for the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She identifies as an individual with a chronic mental health condition, depression, and shares this diagnosis in the hopes of destigmatizing mental health conditions in the profession. She and her husband, Ed, are die-hard Pittsburgh Pirates fans. She proudly supports her former law partner, Sharon López, the 123d President of the PBA.

Samuel G. Encarnacion is a personal injury attorney based out of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania office of Haggerty & Silverman. Sam is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. He is available to help Spanish-speaking clients with their legal matters. Sam was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in Puerto Rico, and moved to Texas in 1980. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 and received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law at Austin in 1991. Sam is dedicated to helping people. He serves on the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Board of Governors, representing minority lawyers. Sam also serves on the Lancaster Bar Association (LBA) Diversity Committee. In May 2016, Sam began a three-year term as an at-large minority governor on the PBA Board of Governors. Sam served on the Board of Directors of the Lancaster Bar Association for 3 years. Sam is also a board member of the PBA Insurance Fund and Trust and served as its Chair for two years. Sam helped review the PBA’s Professional Liability Program and the insurance offerings made available to the association’s members. In 2013, because of his extensive work as Chair of the Trust, Sam received the PBA Special Achievement Award. Sam also has experience with criminal law. Since 1993, Sam has been with the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office where he represents clients in criminal cases. He is also an instructor at the Pennsylvania Public Defender Trial Skills Training Program held annually at Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Sam has an AVVO lawyer rating of 10 out of 10. In 2008, Sam was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. From 2009 until 2015, Sam was a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Committee on Rules of Evidence. He served as chair of the committee from 2014 to 2015.

Andrew Lacy, Jr. is the founder and Managing Attorney of The Lacy Employment Law Firm LLC, a plaintiff-side employment litigation boutique with offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. His practice is devoted exclusively to representing employees in discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, and wage matters across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A 2015 graduate of Cornell Law School, Andrew began his career clerking for the Honorable Cathy Bissoon of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania before practicing at Reed Smith in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He founded his firm in 2021 to build a practice centered on holding employers accountable and expanding access to justice for workers. Andrew serves as President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and is a guest speaker at Cornell Law School, where he shares his perspective on employment litigation and law firm building.

Brendan Bertig serves as the interim Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Fairness & Justice, where he directs the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee’s 2003 study on racial and gender bias in the justice system. Prior to stepping into his role as interim E.D. on October 1, 2026, Brendan served as the Commission’s staff attorney for five years, researching legal questions for, tracking legislation related to, and drafting reports on various Commission initiatives. A member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Brendan is dedicated to furthering the Commission’s goal of eliminating bias in the Pennsylvania justice system. Before joining the Commission, Brendan interned for a number of governmental and non-profit organizations in law school. Brendan lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a graduate of Duquesne University (summa cum laude, 2017) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (cum laude 2020).

Dr. Tevis Bryant is currently the Director of Human Resources & Institutional Diversity at the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Previously he worked for the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, supporting the member organizations with services such as diversity training, education, and consulting. Prior to his time in legal field, Dr. Bryant spent the previous decade in higher education in a variety of roles including Vice President of Student Affairs, Chief Diversity Officer, and Assistant Dean of Institutional Diversity. In addition to these administrative roles, he also taught a variety of courses as a part-time faculty member. Courses he enjoyed teaching the most were: History of National Pandemics, Digital Presentations, Family Counseling, and Introduction into Psychology. Being a faculty member encouraged him to continually write so that he can contribute to the academic community, while using literature to advocate for the most vulnerable and often targeted communities. Dr. Bryant published his doctoral dissertation that focuses on the racism that Black gay college students experience while attempting to date at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). This highlights the gaps in support that are absent from college campuses, and the need to support this community. He also recently wrote a book chapter from a text on professionals with multiracial identities in education. His chapter is titled, “As a kid, feeling too black for the white folk”, and it discusses the dichotomy of being multiracial and being considered “too white” by one community and then “too black” by another. In addition to his research and diversity work, Dr. Bryant works at Milton Hershey School as the head Middle Division Track & Field Coach. He trains sprinters, hurdlers, and relay teams. He also serves as an M.O.L.D. (Mentoring Our Leaders Development) mentor to four Milton Hershey High School Students. He is a big advocate of access and pipeline programs, being a beneficiary of similar programs he can attest to the impact these experiences have on young people from all walks of life.

William D. Goren, Esq., of William D. Goren, J.D., LL.M. LLC in Decatur, GA, has been dealing with the ADA as an Attorney since 1990. His law and consulting practice, https://www.understandingtheada.com, as well as his blog, Understanding the ADA, all focus on understanding the ADA so that the client understands what it means to comply with that law and related laws. In particular, he provides consulting, counseling, representation, and training services involving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and related laws (such as the Air Carrier Access Act and the Fair Housing Act), among others. Mr. Goren also brings a deep, personal understanding of what it means to have a disability, equipping him with exceptional insight on how the ADA actually works. He is deaf with a congenital bilateral hearing loss of 70–120+ decibels, but functions entirely in the hearing world thanks to hearing aids, Bluetooth technology, automatic speech recognition, and lip-reading. For reasons independent of his deafness, he also uses voice dictation technology to access his computer.He is a frequent presenter, a trained mediator, a FINRA arbitrator (Chairperson eligible), and an arbitrator on the CPR employment panel. Finally, he is the author of Understanding the ADA, now in its 4th edition (ABA 2013), and numerous other articles on the rights of persons with disabilities. He is and has been a member of various committees of the American Bar Association, including: Legal Technology Resource Center Board (2017-2023); ABA Law Practice Section Business Development and Marketing Committee; ABA Law Practice Section Ethics and Professionalism Committee and the ABA’s Law Practice Section DEI committee. He is also a member of various committees of the Federal Bar Association, including: the Federal Bar Association (FBA) Committee for the Advancement in the Legal Profession (Diversity and Inclusion), Committee; the FBA’s Civil Rights section and its Governing Board; FBA’s Civil Rights Amicus committee; and since 2022, the Chair of the FBA’s Disability Best Practices Working Group. In the first year of the Disability Best Practices Working Group, it formulated an accessibility manual for the FBA and its chapters, and is currently working on a resource guide for attorneys when they are faced with situations involving persons with disabilities. In recognition of his disability inclusion efforts over the decades, he is also the recipient of the Federal Bar Association’s 2026 Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award. He is also a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association and the Sports Lawyers Association. He has an A.B. from Vassar College, a J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law, and was one of the first in the entire country to receive the LL.M. in Health Law, in his case from DePaul University College of Law. Interesting fact: He trained his miniature poodle to be a hearing dog while he practices virtually.

Bridget Hylak, CT, CI, MTC, is a globally recognized leader in the language industry with more than 30 years of experience spanning translation, interpreting, language technology, and AI. An industry spokesperson, international speaker, author, consultant, and trainer, she is known for bridging historically siloed sectors across language services, technology, and public policy. Her expertise has been featured by TIME Magazine, NPR, The Huffington Post, and other major outlets. She co-authored federal guidance on Machine Interpreting for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, serves on multiple committees focused on language access, AI, and IDEA, and advises AI Labs and startups as a Localization Advisor.

Autumn L. Johnson is an Assistant Public Defender in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. She was previously employed by the Mercer County Public Defender Office where she served as Chief. Ms. Johnson began her legal career in 2007 as a staff attorney with Northwestern Legal Services. She is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is a former President of the Mercer County Bar Association. She is a board member of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania and was appointed to the Pennsylvania Indigent Defense Advisory Committee where she is currently the Co-Chair of the Professional and Services Standards Subcommittee. She is also a Hearing Committee Member of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and a member of the IOLTA Board. Ms. Johnson received her B.S. from Slippery Rock University in 2002 and her J.D. from the Widener Commonwealth School of Law in 2006.

Josie B. H. Pickens is an attorney and administrator whose experience has spanned law, municipal government, and higher education. Pickens was a Supervising Attorney and Co-Director of the Energy Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia where she represented vulnerable Philadelphia residents to preserve affordable access to utility service and advocated to reform utility practices for low-income residential consumers. She previously served as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Philadelphia and Interim Dean for Equal Opportunity and Engagement at Penn Carey Law School. In her role with the City of Philadelphia, she led efforts to promote fairness and equal opportunity in the city’s operations and business practices. Pickens currently leads city-level government relations as the Director of City and Community Relations for Temple University. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Joe Centeno chairs Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration Section, and he is a nationally recognized leader in labor and employment law. His practice includes high stakes collective and class action litigation, including Fair Credit Reporting Act, employment litigation, #MeToo claims, restrictive covenants, labor relations, policies, leave, termination of employment, joint employment, diversity and inclusion strategy and planning, Title IX investigation and compliance, and C-suite executive employment agreements. Joe is frequently asked to represent public companies with employment issues arising from named executive officers regarding claims, including Sarbanes Oxley and Dodd-Frank, employment agreements and separation. Joe counsels employers on virtually all employment and labor-related laws and regulations. He has extensive jury trial experience and has been lead trial counsel in numerous high-profile trials and arbitrations. He also has broad experience in defending claims before state and federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, many state and city Human and Relations and Civil Rights Commissions and agencies, and the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, where he served as a Commissioner by mayoral appointment. In 2023, Joe served on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s Advisory Committee on Local Civil Rules. Joe has been nationally recognized by Best Lawyers in America, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Philadelphia Business Journal, Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. He co-chairs Buchanan’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration section, which is recognized as a national Tier 1 practice by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.” Joe has been honored as a leader in the field of Labor & Employment Law in Pennsylvania by Chambers USA since 2021.During the research process, one of Joe’s references remarked, “Joseph is a consummate partner in the truest sense – he thinks big picture, and understands what we are looking for in an attorney-client relationship.” In 2022, Joe was named a ‘Best Law Firm Mentor‘ by The Legal Intelligencer as part of the publication’s Professional Excellence Awards. Additionally, Joe was recognized as a ‘Best Mentor: Law Firm’ finalist by The American Lawyer in 2022. In 2023, Joe was recognized by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association as a Rainmaker of the Year honoree. Most recently, in 2024, he was named a BTI Client Service All-Star, was recognized as Attorney of the Year by the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, and received the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Joe also serves on Buchanan’s executive leadership team, the firm’s compensation committee, the firm’s hiring committee, and the firm’s nominations committee. He previously served on Buchanan’s Board of Directors and promotions committee. Joe is passionate about increasing diversity in the legal profession. He has served as the President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and as a member of the Comcast NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Council. Joe currently serves as Outside General Counsel and Assistant Secretary to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Mr. Law practices with the firm of Law & Associates, LLC, in Philadelphia, with a concentration in real estate. He is a past chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Bar Committee, a former governor of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Board of Governors and a founding member of the Asian American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (formerly the Asian American Bar Association of the Delaware Valley) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Mr. Law is past chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Section and the Philadelphia Bar Association Civil Rights Committee. He is also a past co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Civil and Equal Rights Committee and the past vice chair of its Long Range Planning Committee. Mr. Law received his Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Before attending law school, Mr. Law was an automotive welder in California, a truck mechanic in Colorado and a licensed mechanic in Michigan. He was a union steward in the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers local lodge 1305. He was admitted to Penn Law School through its affirmative action program.

Morgan M.J. Randle is an Associate at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP and is located in the Pittsburgh office. She is a member of the Firm’s Labor & Employment practice section and actively participates in the Wage and Hour Interdisciplinary Team. Morgan brings a dynamic and globally informed perspective to her practice, shaped by her diverse heritage, extensive litigation experience, and ties to Japan, England, and China. Morgan represents private employers and public entities in employment litigation, guiding clients from pre-suit investigations and administrative proceedings (EEOC/PHRC) through trial. Her practice includes defending claims involving discrimination, retaliation, constructive discharge, leave interference, ERISA and FMLA violations, wrongful discharge, and whistleblower allegations. She has experience in both bench and jury trials and is skilled in responsive pleadings, discovery, depositions, dispositive motions, and trial advocacy. Morgan also advises companies on employment policies, manuals, contracts, and regulatory compliance. Morgan has both bench and jury trial experience. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, all United States District Courts within Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Morgan is an Arbitrator
and Mediator with the Allegheny County Housing Court Program and serves as a mentor in Penn State Law’s Mentor/Mentee Overview Program. She has spoken on labor policy changes, mental health leave, and judicial clerkships at FMG webinars and Penn State Law panels. Morgan earned her J.D. from Penn State Law, where she was a Jessup Moot Court Advocate and a coach for the National Criminal Procedure Moot Court. As part of her time at Penn State Law, Morgan was also admitted to the Order of Barristers for demonstrating exceptional trial and oral advocacy skills. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with an additional major in Japanese from Michigan State University.

Brandon Lee Wolff, Esq. represents and counsels individuals and businesses in matters involving business transactions, employment law, commercial litigation, estate litigation, estate administration, estate planning, real estate, bankruptcy, civil rights, disability law, health law, education law, family law and personal injury. Brandon is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Florida and the District of Columbia. Brandon is the Past Treasurer of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Past Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Past President of The Florida Bar Out-of-State Division, Past Secretary of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and Past Governor on The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors. In addition, Brandon is one of the most recent graduates on the Seton Hall Law Alumni Council and has co-chaired several committees. Brandon is also a co-chair of the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Generation Now Committee. Brandon served as a law clerk to The Honorable Garry S. Rothstadt in the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division. He also interned with three federal judges, the New Jersey Supreme Court and United States Attorney’s Office. Additionally, he was a Law Clerk at Summit Medical Group and Summit Health Management. Brandon received a Certificate in Healthcare Compliance and graduated cum laude (Top 11%) from Seton Hall Law with a Concentration in Health Law. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Seton Hall Health Law Outlook, an Articles Editor of the Seton Hall Legislative Journal and a member of the school’s Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board and Mock Trial Board. He participated in the school’s Impact Litigation Clinic, the Civil Rights & Constitutional Litigation Clinic, and the Southern District of New York’s Representation in Mediation Practicum. Before law school, Brandon was a National McCabe Scholar at Swarthmore College where he received the Deans’ Award for Sustained Contributions to the Swarthmore Community. Brandon was valedictorian of his high school class, founded an anti-violence organization and was recognized as the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards top high school volunteer in Pennsylvania.

Tyesha C. Miley brings more than two decades of litigation and regulatory experience to her practice. She has represented public agencies, insurers, and private clients in matters involving complex litigation, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Her career includes extensive trial and appellate work, along with significant experience managing high-exposure cases and developing operational efficiencies for legal departments. Tyesha previously served as counsel for major public entities and insurers, where she defended tort, contractual, and insurance claims, achieving impactful results on behalf of her clients, realizing substantial cost savings and leading the implementation of streamlined litigation systems. She also operated her own law firm, where she handled tort, real estate, and estate planning matters. Early in her career, she served as an Assistant District Attorney, gaining significant courtroom experience prosecuting a high volume of criminal cases. Active in the legal community, Tyesha has held leadership roles within the Pennsylvania Bar Association, including service as an At-Large Governor on the Board of Governors and Chair of the Minority Bar Committee. Additionally, Tyesha is an active member of the National Bar Association, where she has served in multiple leadership positions. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, J.D., and The City College of New York, B.A. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PA and U.S. Supreme Court.