Pennsylvania Appellate Update 2024 – 2025

Mr. Kirkpatrick is the Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Appellate Litigation Section of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. In this role, he supervises all civil appeals litigated by the Attorney General’s Office. He is also co-author of West’s Pennsylvania Appellate Practice. Prior to joining the Office of Attorney General, Mr. Kirkpatrick clerked for Judge Yvette Kane of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and was an associate at White and Williams LLP.

Mr. Gordon’s practice focuses on commercial, personal injury, medical malpractice, and appellate litigation. He has served clients as lead counsel before trial and appellate courts across Pennsylvania. He also regularly represents media and other clients in matters involving the Right-to-Know-Law, Freedom of Information Act, and other methods of obtaining public records and court records as well as defending those accused of defamation. Mr. Gordon received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and earned membership in both the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barristers. He also earned the John P. Gismondi certificate in civil litigation for completing specialized litigation coursework. Before law school, Mr. Gordon graduated magna cum laude from Juniata College earning his Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Politics.

Casey is a member of the Appellate Advocacy & Post-Trial Practice Group, where he focuses his practice on appellate advocacy, post-trial motions, and appeals. A highly accomplished appellate attorney, Casey has extensive experience before Pennsylvania’s highest court. Over the course of his career, he has represented parties and amici curiae in more than 15 appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and has successfully secured discretionary review, widely known as “allocatur,” on six occasions. He has also presented oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, and the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Casey is a frequent commentator on appellate matters, contributing insights to The Legal Intelligencer and Law360 on cases pending before Pennsylvania’s appellate courts. In addition to his robust appellate practice, Casey maintains an active commercial litigation practice and brings significant first-chair trial experience. He regularly represents businesses in high-stakes, “bet-the-company” litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. His experience spans a wide array of matters, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy, constitutional challenges, emergency injunctive relief, environmental disputes, restrictive covenant litigation, shareholder disputes, and trade secrets claims. He also represents clients in matters within the original jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Casey serves as Chair of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee, where he assists the Court in the development and administration of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. He is also a Board Member of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Historical Society; Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute’s Amicus Curiae Committee; a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Appellate Advocacy Committee; and a member of the James S. Bowman American Inn of Court. He is a past President of the Middle District of Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Chapter’s CLE Committee. He has also contributed to the federal bench and bar through his service on the Planning Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania’s 2024 Bench/Bar Conference and as a former member of the Third Circuit Lawyers Advisory Committee. Casey has earned widespread recognition for his exceptional legal acumen and leadership, including selection to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Appellate Practice and Administrative/Regulatory Law. He was also honored as one of The Legal Intelligencer’s “2024 Lawyers on the Fast Track (Small/Midsize)”, a highly selective distinction recognizing just 13 attorneys statewide under age 40. In 2023, Casey was named a Fellow of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association, an elite honor awarded to fewer than 300 attorneys nationwide. Earlier in his career, he was consistently recognized on the Pennsylvania Rising Stars list (Thomson Reuters) for Business Litigation for ten consecutive years (2015-2024), reflecting his sustained excellence and growing influence in the field. Prior to entering private practice, Casey served as a law clerk for then-Justice, now Chief Justice Emeritus, Thomas G. Saylor of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for two and a half years. Casey received his juris doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Temple Journal of Science, Technology & Environmental Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts with distinction, in Journalism from The Pennsylvania State University. While at Penn State, Casey was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and spent a semester in Washington, D.C., interning for CNN’s Capital Gang.

Drew A. Jabour-Gehman is a member of Saxton & Stump’s Education and Family Law groups. His education law practice includes representing school districts in diverse types of litigation. In his family law practice, he represents clients in negotiating and litigating the full range of family law matters, including equitable distribution, custody, and alimony and child support, tailoring his approach to meet the specific needs of each client and situation. Drew also handles the negotiation of pre- and postnuptial agreements. Before joining Saxton & Stump, Drew practiced at regional Pennsylvania law firms, where he gained experience in family, education, municipal and litigation matters. That background gives him a practical foundation for advising clients across a wide range of issues. Before entering private practice, Drew served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Renée Cohn Jubelirer, President Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, where he was exposed to issues involving land use, public sector labor law, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, state constitutional law and jurisdictional and procedural issues in the Court’s original and appellate jurisdiction. Before pursuing law, he spent five years as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher in Texas, Mexico City, and Pennsylvania. Drew holds Pennsylvania teaching certifications covering all subjects grades PK–6 and English, social studies, Spanish and French for grades 7–12.

Christina McKinley is a rare combination of both experienced trial lawyer and appellate advocate. Although trained as a commercial litigator, Christina excels in government and regulatory litigation, which is the common thread running through her diverse substantive background. Her experience spans a wide range of industries and sectors, including chemicals, manufacturing, retail, energy, and environmental. As a first-chair trial lawyer, Christina has tried numerous cases to verdict, including multiple cases involving complex environmental statutes (e.g., the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) and the Clean Water Act), complex commercial agreements, and trade secrets issues. Her matters routinely involve administrative law and statutory issues, including the intersection of federal and state agencies; environmental statutes and disputes arising under them; energy resource disputes; and the protection of competitive interests (e.g., Lanham Act, unfair competition, tortious interference, trade secret protection, restrictive covenants). Notwithstanding her significant first-chair trial experience, Christina’s passion lies in the appellate realm. An experienced appellate litigator, Christina has practiced before the United States Supreme Court at every stage of the process, including the briefing and preparation of several merits cases that were argued before the Court. She also has practiced before nearly all of the United States Circuit Courts and all three of Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, and has argued numerous appeals. Her appellate practice spans a range of substantive fields, including energy policy, intellectual property, immigration, tax, bankruptcy, and criminal law. In addition, her appellate practice frequently involves challenges to regulatory action and agency decision-making via petitions for review, complex statutory construction issues, and the intersection of regulation and policy. In 2023, Christina was selected by The Legal Intelligencer as one of only 29 “Lawyers on the Fast Track” statewide in Pennsylvania. This recognition is only given to attorneys under the age of 40 who have demonstrated excellence in four categories: development of the law; advocacy and community contributions; service to the bar; and peer and public recognition. Before entering private practice, Christina was a law clerk to the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Before that, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Christina graduated summa cum laude from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, where she served as a Production Editor on the Board of the Law Review and on the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Team. She earned her B.A. in History from Duquesne University, where she also graduated summa cum laude and received the Department’s Joseph R. Morice Award for Excellence. Christina is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys everything related thereto. Christina also is a voracious reader. Her favorite passion, though, is watching and coaching her boys in their numerous sports endeavors.

Born in Rosedale, West Virginia, Lucas recognized early on that becoming a lawyer was his desire. He completed both his undergraduate and legal studies at WVU. Lucas worked for Attorney Sean Logue in criminal defense throughout his time in law school. He later moved to the Fourth Judicial District of Colorado to work in criminal prosecution. After discovering that defense was his genuine vocation, he started working as a 3L for Attorney Walker, where he assisted on general criminal defense matters such as DUI, underage drinking, fake ID, Homicide, Sex Offenses, Drug Offenses, Summersville Traffic Tickets, College Crimes, Morgantown Municipal Court Cases, Federal Offenses and Criminal Appellate matters.

Ben Baer is a seasoned trial lawyer and a founding partner of Injury Law Partners. Ben’s passion for helping victims has led his career. Ben has developed a reputation for handling the most complex personal injury cases in which clients have suffered life-changing injuries. His experience spans a wide range of catastrophic accidents, construction and workplace accidents, auto and crashworthiness accidents, aerial lift tip-overs, electrical contacts, and cases involving defective or malfunctioning products. What sets Ben apart is his track record of success. Over the last decade, he has obtained record-breaking, multimillion dollar settlements and verdicts, with many reaching seven, eight, and nine figure outcomes. These substantial recoveries are a testament to his exceptional legal skills and relentless advocacy for his clients. Ben was part of the legal team that secured a record-breaking $160 million settlement for the individuals most severely burned in the devastating Philadelphia Food Truck Explosion, with one of Ben’s clients receiving over $69 million. At the time of its resolution, it was the largest individual pre-verdict settlement in the history of Pennsylvania State Court. Ben’s exceptional legal skills have garnered recognition from his peers and the extended legal community. He has been recognized for many years as a Super Lawyer, a prestigious honor reserved for the top 5% of all attorneys in Pennsylvania. He was also acknowledged by The National Trial Lawyers Association in their list of Pennsylvania’s “Top 40 under 40,” a distinction reserved for the most promising young trial lawyers. In 2025, Ben was named a “Power Player” finalist by the Legal Intelligencer’s Pennsylvania Legal Awards. Appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as the vice chair of the Pennsylvania Civil Rules Committee, Ben assists the Supreme Court in the preparation, revision, publication, and administration of the Pennsylvania rules of civil procedure. After becoming a lawyer, Ben attended the Temple University Beasley School of Law’s nationally renowned Trial Advocacy Master’s program, where he graduated with honors. After obtaining his LL.M, Ben was invited to join Temple’s faculty. He currently teaches both law students and other lawyers who wish to become better trial attorneys. Ben is also a member of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Inn of Court. Ben places major importance upon giving back to the community. Ben serves on two charities focused on helping Pennsylvania’s children. Ben is a board member of the Justice Max Baer Memorial Fund, a charity he started with others to keep his late father’s dream alive of enhancing the lives of abused and neglected children. Ben is also a member of the Allegheny County Musical Festival Advisory Committee, which provides children with life-enriching opportunities and items that are not otherwise available to them through government funding. Ben is also a member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and also volunteers his time working as Judge Pro Temp for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. At the request of the Court, Ben works with opposing counsel to mediate pending cases and helps resolve discovery disputes. Prior to founding Injury Law Partners, Ben worked with a Philadelphia-based, nationally-renowned injury law firm, where he was made partner in 2020. Before entering private practice, Ben worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. During his time as a prosecutor, Ben took approximately 20 major trial cases to verdict, prosecuting violent crimes. Ben also handled thousands of bench trials and hearings pursuing justice for crime victims. His integrity, passion for justice, and commitment to excellence are evident in every case he handles, making him a trusted advocate for catastrophically injured clients. While the results are significant, Ben is most proud of the relationships he forms with his clients. Ben always makes himself available to clients and takes the time to talk with them and explain every step of the often long and difficult legal process. Ben was born and raised in Pittsburgh and now lives in South Philadelphia with his wife and three children.

Attorney Edward Ciarimboli of Dallas, Pennsylvania is a founding partner at Fellerman & Ciarimboli Law PC. Attorney Ciarimboli graduated from Wilkes University with a dual degree in political science and engineering and applied science. While at Duquesne University School of Law, he was admitted to the Order of Barristers for Excellence in Courtroom Advocacy and was named a national semi-finalist in the American Trial Lawyers Association Moot Court Competition. As he was working on his Juris Doctor, Attorney Ciarimboli also served as a law clerk to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Attorney Ciarimboli concentrates his practice on trucking, auto collision and medical malpractice litigation. Having been selected for inclusion in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list every year since 2008, Attorney Ciarimboli is fearlessly dedicated to serving his client’s best interests and the results consistently prove just that. Ed Ciarimboli is also an active member of his community. With his partner Greg, Ed began the Safe Prom Pledge in 2010 to promote a drug-free and alcohol-free prom night for students throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. To date, they have spoken to more than 25,000 high school students on the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Today Ed lives in a 115-year-old farmhouse in northeast Pennsylvania with his wife, Jennifer, their children, two dogs, two cats, numerous chickens, roosters, and an occasional pheasant.

Jonathan D. Koltash serves as deputy general counsel for healthcare in the Governor’s Office of General Counsel (OGC). In this position, Mr. Koltash provides counsel to the Governor’s Office regarding health-related matters, serves as a liaison to the health and human services-related agencies, and litigates cases on behalf of the agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction. He is also an adjunct professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and Central Penn College. Prior to serving as deputy general counsel, Mr. Koltash served as the inaugural chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, known as Pennie®. He previously served as assistant chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, deputy attorney general with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and as assistant counsel for the Department of Labor and Industry. Mr. Koltash is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA). He is currently the PBA’s treasurer, member of the Board of Governors, chair of the PBA’s National and State High School Mock Trial Executive Teams, and vice-chair of the PBA’s bylaws and membership development committees. He previously served as chair of the PBA’s House of Delegates; is a past member and parliamentarian of the Board of Governors, a past chair of the Young Lawyers’ Division, Government Lawyers’ Committee, Career Transitions Committee, and Administrative Law Section; and former co-chair of the Bar Leadership Institute. Mr. Koltash is a past president of the Dauphin County Bar Association; chair of the Events Committee and Life Fellow of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation; treasurer of the New Birth of Freedom Scout Council; vice-president of the James S. Bowman American Inn of Court; a past board member of the YMCA Youth and Government program; a member of the Commonwealth Court Historical Society Board of Directors; and chair of Widener Commonwealth Law School’s Dean’s Board of Advisors. He was the inaugural president of Widener Law Commonwealth’s Alumni Association. Mr. Koltash is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and the United States District Courts of the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as a mediator for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; a hearing officer Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board; a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s IOLTA Board; and a site coordinator at Widener Commonwealth’s Volunteer Income Tax Association clinic. Mr. Koltash received a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University and his J.D., cum laude, from Widener Commonwealth Law School.

Ms. Sanghvi is the Legal Director at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. Before her employment at the Project, she taught in the Appellate Litigation Program at the Georgetown University Law Center and worked at law firms in New York, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, with a practice focus on appellate litigation. Ms. Sanghvi holds a B.A. from Columbia University and J.D. and LLM degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center. She clerked for Judge William B. Shubb in the Eastern District of California and Judge Thomas L. Ambro of the Third Circuit. In addition, Ms. Sanghvi serves on the board of the Third Circuit Bar Association.

Corrie Woods focuses his practice on post-trial and appellate litigation and provides support for Kline & Specter’s attorneys on a full range of legal issues. Woods joined the firm in 2025 after founding and practicing for seven years at a small appellate boutique firm in Allegheny County. Prior to that, Woods served as a judicial staff attorney to then Justice, now Chief Justice Debra Todd of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and to Justice Arthur M. Recht of the First Judicial Circuit of West Virginia. Woods has frequently represented clients before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court, and trial courts throughout Pennsylvania. He has appeared before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Third Circuit, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. He has litigated complex legal issues ranging from constitutional restrictions on redistricting, impeachments of public officials, and punitive damage awards to the proper interpretation of consumer protection, mental health, and various criminal and regulatory statutes. He has developed expertise in procedural and evidentiary issues in civil and criminal cases alike. Woods is an active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, where he has served as the Chair of its Appellate Practice Committee since 2020, and he has also served on its Amicus Curiae Brief Committee, Judiciary Committee, Nominating Committee, and its Publications Committee. He routinely organizes and speaks at continuing legal education and continuing judicial education seminars on appellate practice issues. He regularly covers the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s docket on his personal blog, SCOPABlog, and his personal podcast, The Standard of Review. Woods earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he served as a Research Editor for the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and received awards for excellence in the areas of constitutional law and appellate practice.

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.