Ralston Lawyers

I was originally trained and certified as a mediator by the Cincinnati Institute of Justice in 1982, when serving as a neutral for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. In 2013, I refreshed my training with a 40-hour American Arbitration Association mediation skills training seminar. While I maintain a modest private law practice representing small businesses in NEPA, the focus of my practice is now as a neutral, facilitating the resolution of conflicts and settlement of disputes for businesses and individuals. I am equipped to facilitate the resolution of most any kind of conflict, but my three decades...

I was born and raised in New York and attended law school in central Pennsylvania. I have more than 12 years of experience trying cases in courts throughout the Harrisburg region, including 75+ criminal jury trials, and hundreds of criminal and family law hearings. I have also had the privilege of successfully arguing cases before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, some of which resulted in published opinions which changed or created new law. I am dedicated to being a tireless advocate who is at home in the courtroom, and giving my clients the respect, attention, and...

Francis J. Lafferty, IV, earned his law degree in 1999 from Widener University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from University of South Carolina in 1990. Prior to establishing Norfleet and Lafferty in 2011; Mr. Lafferty was a partner with Metzger, Wickersham, Knauss and Erb, P.C, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As a Plaintiff's Personal Injury Attorney, Mr. Lafferty has successfully handled cases for his clients against those responsible for causing their injuries. Mr. Lafferty's practice emphasizes representing persons injured by others in motorcycle, automobile and trucking accidents. Mr. Lafferty has handled Wrongful Death cases and complex cases involving...

Upon cofounding The Slocum Firm, Matthew placed an emphasis on seeking out cases where his defense of clients’ rights had compounding impact beyond an individual case, thereby positively affecting the lives/health of the greater community.

Hilary Peery Vesell is a trial attorney focusing in family law matters and civil litigation. She has a BA in psychology and MA in clinical psychology both from Columbia University. Hilary received her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. Hilary has written several articles that were published in the Pennsylvania Lawyer and Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly along with other legal publications. These articles are on the topics of mental illness in the legal system, co-parenting in custody cases, prenuptial agreements, parental alienation, and child sexual abuse allegations in custody cases. They can be found in their entirety...

I am a business, real estate and litigation attorney in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I serve clients mainly in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties.

The focus of my law practice is Bankruptcy Law, representing individuals, businesses, and creditors in Chapters 7, 11, and 13 cases. Our firm represent clients in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, primarily those assigned to the Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport court locations. In addition to client representation, I have served on the Attorney Advisory Panel for the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Board of Directors of the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association; Local Rules Committee for the Bankruptcy Court; and Judicial search committees, as both Chair and member; and volunteered for the Luzerne County, PA consumer debt and...

Attorney Justin P. Miller’s clients benefit from his extensive experience and knowledge gained from representing hundreds of clients as a public defender and working as a judicial law clerk. He has made hundreds of court appearances, including nearly daily appearances while working in the busy Centre County Public Defender Office. He has successfully negotiated complete dismissals of serious cases and other resolutions that protect his clients’ liberty and dignity.

Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability Lawyer

Ed has devoted his life to the law, having practiced his craft in Northeastern Pennsylvania for nearly four decades. Currently a member of Munley Law, Ed specializes on pre-litigation and workers compensation cases. Throughout his career, he has worked on a variety of personal injury cases including motor vehicle accidents, premise liability cases and product liability in addition to being experienced in Social Security disability claims, and handling wills and estates. Ed's prior experience includes serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Forrest Schaeffer of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas, participating in countless arbitration and...

Melinda Ghilardi brought years of experience as a trial lawyer to her position at Munley Law. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Lackawanna County. She then spent almost three decades serving as a First Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Practicing law for more than two decades, William Vinsko has built up an impressive portfolio of successful cases. He has a wide-ranging legal background, handling cases involving real estate law and litigation, government law, business litigation, estate planning and probate, divorce and child custody issues. His dedication to his clients, and getting them positive results in their legal cases, has not gone unnoticed. Attorney William Vinsko has been selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers' Rising Stars list every year from 2005 through 2018, and a Super Lawyer in 2019. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in Pennsylvania ever...

I have dedicated my practice to helping clients in the areas of workers' compensation, personal injury, family law and divorce, social security disability, and general civil litigation. As the son of a coal miner from a small town, I understand the unique challenges facing many blue collar working families. I have extensive litigation experience, including argument before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. I have handled hundreds of workers' compensation cases to a favorable outcome, including successfully arguing employee status of a truck driver fatally injured on the job. I have successfully handled hundreds of simple and complex...

I have been defending the rights of the criminally accused since 1992 and I have been involved in all aspects of criminal litigation from initial investigation to final appeal. I have tried to verdict well-over 80 criminal cases and I have negotiated pre-trial resolutions in well-over 1000 other criminal matters. My priority is defending clients with passion and skill against complicated and serious criminal prosecutions.

I have dedicated my career to criminal defense and to the science of Trial Advocacy. I believe in representing my clients zealously and maneuvering cases as quickly and cost -effectively as possible through the criminal justice...

Attorney Nanda Palissery earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University in 1989. After and during a career as an engineer and associate professor of engineering technology at the Luzerne County Community College, he earned his Juris Doctor at the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia in 1994.

Returning to his native home in Northeast Pennsylvania to raise his family, Mr. Palissery opened his private practice in 1994, focusing on criminal defense litigation. Mr. Palissery is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the...

Intellectual property and regulatory compliance have been central to my career, both as an engineer and an attorney. I am passionate about protecting the ideas, concepts and inventions of others and I am always looking to bring my skills, education and experience to unique situations.

Tom Wilken is the former managing partner of the Workers' Compensation Section of Morgan and Wilken, P.C. He continues in his area of expertise in workers' compensation with Ira H. Weinstock, P.C. Mr. Wilken is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and earned his Juris Doctor at Duquesne University School of Law. He is a former past President and Vice President of the Dauphin County Workers' Compensation Section 1999-2001. He is also a frequent speaker for the Department of Labor & Industry on topics pertinent to injured workers. He maintains active membership in...

Tracy L. Updike practices bankruptcy law, with an emphasis on both debtor and creditor rights, which she believes gives her well-rounded perspective, and an advantage over her opposition. She is highly active within the legal community, shaping the future of the law as practiced, as a member of the Court's Advisory Committee, Local Bankruptcy Rules Committee Chair, and annual lecturer at the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association Conference and Pennsylvania Bar Institute Bankruptcy Institute.

Born and raised in Harrisburg, PA, Gregg S. Freeburn, Esq. graduated from Dickinson College in 2009. He was a four-year member of the Dickinson College Men’s Soccer team and a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

In 2012, he graduated from the University Of Pittsburgh School of Law, Cum Laude. At the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Mr. Freeburn was a recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Media Law.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Freeburn was a legal intern in New York City for iQor, US.. He was also a certified legal intern for Neighborhood...

Richard E. Freeburn has received an AV rating, the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which means that he is deemed to possess pre-eminent legal ability and very high professional ethics.

Martindale-Hubbell ratings were created in 1887 as an objective method of assessing a lawyer’s ability and professional ethics based on confidential opinions of other lawyers and judge. It has remained the most prestigious and widely respected lawyer rating system in the world for the past 119 years. Martindale-Hubbell’s evaluation process is based on confidential questionnaires sent to lawyers and judges in the geographical area of the lawyer under evaluation. Legal ability...

Jason M. Rapa, Esquire is the founder of Rapa Law Office, P.C. Jason practices together with his brother Matthew J. Rapa. Together they provide services not only in the Poconos and the Lehigh Valley but throughout the State of Pennsylvania. Jason focuses his practice in the areas of Bankruptcy, Consumer Protection and Civil Litigation, while Matthew focuses on Criminal Defense and Consumer Protection. Together Jason & Matthew have handled hundreds of cases against abusive debt collectors and Jason routinely speaks at national, state and local legal events regarding debt collection harassment.Jason has recently be names a Rising...

Julian Allatt is a dedicated criminal defense attorney and partner at Rehmeyer & Allatt, a law firm in State College, PA. He is experienced in representing clients charged with minor summary offenses, DUI and minor drug possession cases, to violent felonies including armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, attempted murder and related offenses. Additionally, Julian has extensive experience representing clients charged with the possession and distribution of controlled substances in prosecutions commenced by county district attorney’s offices as well as the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. He is a highly experienced and respected courtroom advocate who prides himself in his ability...

Alexis Miloszewski concentrates her practice in the areas of family law, criminal law and estate planning. In her family law practice, Attorney Miloszewski has aggressively represented clients on such sensitive issues as divorce, custody, grandparent’s rights, relocation, spousal and child support, adoption, guardianship, protection from abuse and related domestic issues. She is appointed as Juvenile Conflict Counsel for Dauphin County, where she represents juveniles in delinquency and dependency proceedings. Attorney Miloszewski is a graduate of Widener University School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Attorney Miloszewski is on the Board...

As a Berks County native, Daniel Emkey understands its citizens and truly cares for their well-being. He believes strongly in the legal system and pursued his career in defending the people’s rights. Daniel earned his Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law where he was a member of the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic and participated in the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program. He went on to work at the Berks County District Attorney’s office as the Assistant District attorney. His time as a prosecutor gave Daniel special insight that he uses to help his current clients. He now heads his...

I focus on helping my clients resolve family disputes privately and respectfully without having the court system impose outcomes on them. I believe that most people are best capable of making decisions for themselves and their families. I also act as a mediator, helping parties reach agreements without going to court. I want my clients to be fully informed of all their options for handling family disputes so they can make informed decisions. I also prepare prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements and estate plans.

I am a litigation attorney practicing primarily in the Reading area, and the editor of www.SCOPAreview.com, a website providing coverage of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In my free time, I enjoy creating media, watching classic movies and everything about college football. During my law school career, I worked for Justice McClanahan of the Virginia Supreme Court, helped author an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States, obtained Regent Law’s “Eagle Award” for the top class grade from a former US Attorney-General on the law of war, and graduated in the top 10 of my class....

Allan J. Ray was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania and continues to reside there to this day. Al Graduated from Phoenixville Area High School, and relocated to Idaho to attend the University of Idaho. After graduating with honors, Al returned back to Pennsylvania and attended law school at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law where he was a member of the editorial board of the Penn State Environmental Law Review. During law school, Al volunteered at Legal Aid of Southeast Pennsylvania in Pottstown where he helped indigent individuals through civil and family law matters including child custody and support.

Al...

Matthew M. Setley, Esq. joined the firm that would become Georgeadis||Setley in 2010. He focuses his practice on family law (divorce and custody) and civil litigation. Mr. Setley has extensive experience representing businesses and individuals in connection with a wide range of matters in Pennsylvania’s state and federal courts. He primarily focuses his practice in the legal fields of divorce, child custody, personal and business litigation matters, and select criminal defense work.

Mr. Setley earned his undergraduate degree in political science from The George Washington University (Washington, DC); thereafter, he earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude (with honors), from...

J. Zac Christman is a bankruptcy attorney in Stroudsburg , Pennsylvania, admitted to practice law generally in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Specifically, Zac is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to name a few. Zac graduated from Dartmouth College in 1993, then Cornell Law School in 1997, after which, he returned to open a solo practice in the Stroudsburg area, focusing on bankruptcy, landlord/tenant law,...

Have you been accused of a crime in Reading? Are you considering the option of filing for bankruptcy? Do you need help in a family law case? You should contact Attorney Curtis Barnes and his team to learn how he could help you. Curtis is a graduate of the Florida State University in Tallahassee where he studied Criminology. As a student, he worked at the Florida State Attorney General’s Office where he was able to gain experience in investigating criminal offenses. He then went on to attend the Delaware Law School of Widener University where he graduated with his law...

Marla Soffer is Of Counsel at Galfand Berger, LLP. Marla graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Urban Studies and Spanish. She received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and has been practicing for over 30 years. Marla concentrates her practice in the areas of workers’ rights, safety, compensation and general personal injury and disability law.

Fluent in Spanish, Marla is a frequent lecturer in community programs that focus on the rights and safety of workers, product liability claims and general personal injury matters. She is a consulting attorney to the Consulate of...