KLEINBARD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate, Business & Finance
Ana is an associate in the Business and Finance Department. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, and general corporate matters, with an emphasis on middle market businesses. Ana has experience representing private equity funds, their portfolio companies and strategic buyers and sellers across a variety of industries, including clients in the healthcare, life sciences, retail, and manufacturing sectors.
Andrew is Of Counsel in Kleinbard's Litigation Department. He is a litigation and trial lawyer, representing companies and professionals across a vast range of industries. He has significant casualty litigation experience where he defends insured and self-insured entities in state and federal courts in matters related to commercial automobile liability, trucking and transportation, product liability, premises liability, and general liability.
Andrew has successfully defended cases involving catastrophic loss and is well-versed in handling complex e-discovery issues. He works closely with clients at the outset of matters to implement cost-effective strategies to minimize exposure and efficiently move cases towards resolution.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Partner, Litigation
Anthony L. Gallia is an experienced trial lawyer. Anthony serves as lead trial counsel in multimillion-dollar complex disputes in state and federal courts across the United States. He regularly represents and counsels clients, both plaintiff and defendant, in matters involving commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, contracts, commercial real estate transactions, covenants not to compete/restrictive covenants, manufacturer/distributor disputes, products liability, and securities litigation.
Anthony also has significant trial experience representing manufacturers, distributors, commercial entities, and individuals in complex injunction proceedings involving claims of unfair trade practices, consumer fraud, protection of intellectual property, misappropriation of trade secrets, and unfair competition, as well as matters involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death.
In addition to his courtroom experience as trial counsel in both civil and criminal cases, Anthony has successfully represented clients in disputes through arbitration in local, national, and international forums. And when in the best interest of his clients, Anthony has successfully resolved disputes through mediation (binding and non-binding) and favorable settlements.
Anthony is a Hearing Board Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate, Business & Finance
Ashleigh is an associate in the Business and Finance Department. Ashleigh's practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions with an emphasis on middle market businesses. She has significant experience working with private equity firms, search funds and venture capital investors in acquisition transactions, executive compensation and general corporate matters.
Prior to joining Kleinbard, Ashleigh was a Private Equity Mergers and Acquisitions Associate with Sidley Austin LLP in Boston and a Corporate Associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate, Business & Finance
Aylin is an associate in the Business and Finance Department. She focuses her practice on advising clients in a variety of transactions and matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, sale of businesses to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and general corporate governance.
Aylin is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, where she was an associate editor on the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. During her time in law school, she also represented startups through the school's Entrepreneurship Clinic and interned for Judge Eduardo C. Robreno of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel, Business & Finance / Real Estate
Job Titles:
- Partner, Business & Finance
Carl is a partner in the Business and Finance Department. He has extensive experience in business planning, business advisory board services, business financings (debt and equity), employment counseling, mergers and acquisitions, and business litigation. He regularly represents and counsels entrepreneurial and middle market businesses with respect to their short-, intermediate-, and long-range planning, as well as their business, operational, and transactional needs and desires.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner, Real Estate & Finance
Christopher R. Sullivan is a partner in the Firm's Real Estate and Finance Group. He concentrates his practice on assisting clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, leasing and financing, including construction loans, permanent financing and multi-state portfolio transactions. Chris is experienced serving as lead counsel on transactions and has represented developers, banks, government officials, non-profit corporations and companies ranging from small businesses to middle market and national companies. In this role, he frequently works cross-functionally with client C-Suite executives and in-house corporate, finance and legal departments.
A native of Harrisburg, PA, Chris began his career as a Deputy General Counsel in the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel serving Governor Tom Corbett. He frequently serves as a child advocate through the Philadelphia-based Support Center for Child Advocates and volunteers his time as a coach with his children's youth sports programs.
He resides in Haddon Township, New Jersey with his wife and two children.
Job Titles:
- Practice Leader, Government Relations
Job Titles:
- Counsel to the Firm
- of Counsel, Litigation
David Chanin is Of Counsel to the Firm and a member of the Litigation Department. He has over 30 years experience litigating complex business and tort matters, resolving disputes to minimize client risk. His practice includes representation of large corporations, closely-held businesses, insurers and individuals in:
contract and business tort disputes;
merger and acquisition litigation;
out-of-court workouts, bankruptcy litigation and on official and ad hoc creditors' committees;
insurance industry litigation arising out of general agency disputes, agent terminations, first-party coverage, ERISA and bad faith claims under life, health and disability policies;
security companies in large loss, complex fire and theft litigation, and business advice;
aviation catastrophic loss litigation on behalf of rotary and fixed wing aircraft and component manufacturers;
commercial lessor-lessee disputes, zoning matters and tax assessment appeals; franchisor/franchisee litigation;
class actions;
advising businesses on insurance issues, contractual risk allocation and risk reduction;
alternative dispute resolution.
David has served as local counsel to national firms on cases in state and federal courts in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. He is an experienced mediator of business, contract, partnership, personal injury and property damage disputes.
Job Titles:
- Associate, Real Estate & Finance / Real Estate
Eric Bodzin provides full-service guidance to national developers and institutional investors, as well as banks, hospitals, non-profits, and companies across commercial, industrial, and multi-family industries regarding matters of real estate financing, acquisition, leasing, construction, condominiums, environmental, title, and diligence, and specialized land use matters including zoning, code enforcement, planned development, and tax assessment and abatement.
Eric is regarded as a trusted, connected, and experienced advisor and dealmaker who anticipates client needs within and beyond every transaction from letter of intent through post-closing. Eric is also a regional leader who serves on the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia chapter of the Building Industry Association, the Real Property Section of the Bar Association, and Rebuilding Together. Prior to joining Kleinbard, Eric represented Philadelphia City Council, where he counseled the Land Bank, the Housing Trust Fund, and the Building Safety Oversight Board.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Litigation / Employment
Job Titles:
- Associate in Kleinbard 's Business
- Associate, Trusts & Estates
Franca Tavella is an associate in Kleinbard's Business and Finance Department and a member of the Firm's Trust and Estates Group. Franca primarily focuses her practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and taxation. She is experienced in drafting wills, trusts, special needs trusts, powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, living wills, and prenuptial agreements. In addition, Franca regularly assists clients with the formation of charitable and non-profit organizations, including qualification of tax-exempt status.
Franca also has a special focus on limited and plenary guardianships of the person and estate of incapacitated individuals. Whether a guardianship is sought on behalf of a child with special needs or an elderly or otherwise disabled family member, she handles all aspects of guardianship proceedings. Once appointed, Franca advises the guardian in his or her fiduciary role and assists in the preparation and filing of all requisite reports to ensure timely compliance through Pennsylvania's Guardianship Tracking System.
Franca previously clerked for the Honorable Matthew D. Carrafiello, then serving Administrative Judge of the Philadelphia Orphans' Court. Prior to attending law school, Franca was employed in the wealth management division of a prominent bank where she worked closely with relationship managers, wealth strategists, and investment advisors in the administration of trust and investment management accounts for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. It was this role that inspired Franca to pursue a legal career in trusts and estates.