DBA HEARING LOSS - Key Persons
Cherriel Gentles has a full service family law practice that primarily covers litigation involving significant assets and business interests. She has a wealth of experience in complex cases involving divorces with significant assets and property distribution, child custody, spousal support, alimony, child support and premarital agreements. She has significant experience representing owners of businesses and their spouses, and those with significant assets, and works with business valuation experts and forensic accountants to maximize the benefits to her clients. Cherriel takes pride in guiding her clients through the challenging and often highly complex family law issues they confront.
Cherriel is a trusted counselor and aggressive advocate who is reliable, thorough, and responsive to clients' needs. She recognizes the emotional challenges inherent in family disputes and believes the best approach is one which provides compassion and understanding. She also understands the financial challenges presented to clients in legal disputes and provides efficient and competent services.
In addition to significant experience in family law, Cherriel has represented clients in wills, trusts, estate probate and administration, contract and real estate matters. Her versatile legal experience outside of family law provides her a well-rounded understanding of potential issues affecting clients.
Cherriel earned her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Telecommunication from Temple University and continued her education at Widener University Law School, where she received her Juris Doctorate.
Prior to joining this firm, Cherriel worked with a prominent center city law firm where she worked in the areas of family law handling divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements and general civil litigation including real estate and landlord tenant matters where she gained significant litigation experience.
Practice Areas
Family Law
Deborah Cooper Nixon concentrates in criminal law, focusing in areas such as white-collar crime, murder, sexual violence, drug distribution and conspiracy, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Deborah also represents individuals in governmental investigations, grand jury hearings, student conduct hearings, and appellate/post-conviction relief. Her practice also includes litigation of civil rights claims and personal injury matters.
Nina Hogan Sellers concentrates her practice on the representation of injured workers in the litigation of claims arising under the Defense Base Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, and its extensions.
Nina recognizes that injury, disability, job loss, and involvement in law suits are life altering challenges for both individuals and their families. While her practice focuses on litigation she also values dispute resolution, is a certified mediator, and has represented clients in mediation proceedings and settlement negotiations for over a 15 years. She previously managed the firm's consumer bankruptcy practice and mortgage foreclosure and civil litigation representing clients in both state and federal court.
Prior to joining the firm Nina served as a criminal defense Attorney at the Defender Association of Philadelphia providing defense representation in felony and misdemeanor matters to Defender Clients who represent approximately 70 percent of all persons arrested in Philadelphia.
Nina earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1997 from Schiller International University in Madrid, Spain and her law degree from the Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia in 2002 where she served as a teaching assistant in trial advocacy and was awarded for outstanding trial advocacy. She also served as a law clerk at the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women. Nina is licensed in Pennsylvania and North Carolina and is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Nina H. Sellers is focused on representation of claimants in Defense Base Act and Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act claims.
Education
B.A., International Relations, Schiller International University, 1997
J.D., Temple University School of Law, 2002
Job Titles:
- ATTORNEY
- Certified Specialist
- Senior Shareholder With Freedman and Lorry
Paul B. Himmel is a Senior Shareholder with Freedman and Lorry, P.C. Mr. Himmel has extensive civil litigation experience in state and federal courts in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations. Mr. Himmel is responsible for all aspects of litigation, from initial pleadings through verdict.
Mr. Himmel manages the firm's workers' compensation department. In May 2014, Mr. Himmel became a Certified Specialist in Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Section in Workers' Compensation Law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Mr. Himmel is Fund Counsel to the Laborers' District Council Plasterers, Tenders & Laborers' Health and Welfare Fund.
Practice Areas
In addition to handling personal injury and worker's compensation matters including motor vehicle accidents and all types of negligence claims, Mr. Himmel also handles medical malpractice and products liability claims.
Thomas Smith earned his BA from Bucknell University in 2015 and graduated from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in 2018. During law school, he worked as a law clerk for the Honorable David Strawbridge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as a law clerk for an employment discrimination firm and as a certified legal intern for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.
After graduating from law school, Thomas served for two years as the law clerk for the Honorable Glenn B. Bronson in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. Clerking for a homicide judge, he assisted Judge Bronson in several high-profile Philadelphia homicide trials. Thomas also helped the Judge draft over 55 appellate opinions, which primarily involved homicide cases.
Thomas has had two law journal articles published. The first was an article on transgender youth student athletes and discriminatory state interscholastic policies that he wrote as a member of the Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal in law school. After graduating law school, Thomas had an article published in 2019 about protecting police applicants with disabilities from employment discrimination.
Thomas' hobbies and interests include collecting sports cards/memorabilia, Philadelphia sports, and coaching a CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) high school boys' basketball team for 3 years.