POOL COUNSEL - Key Persons
Andrea Lynne Cola focuses her work on matters involving civil rights, special education and student services. Her consideration for the issues that the firm's school entity clients face each day is influenced by a professional background that includes not only work within a school district, but also on behalf of students and children.
Prior to joining the firm, she worked as an attorney for the School District of Philadelphia in its Special Education Unit. There, she managed a high volume of claims and complaints against the district, negotiating settlements when able, and appearing in litigation venues when necessary. She also counselled district personnel on day-to-day legal issues in schools and provided professional development training to staff.
Prior to her work with the School District of Philadelphia, she worked for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. There, she worked to enforce the rights and needs of children in matters involving abuse, dependency/parental rights, education conflicts/issues, and ongoing support.
While attending law school, she was awarded the Suffolk University Juvenile Justice Fellowship, and achieved honors in the Juvenile Justice Clinic.
Education
Suffolk University Law School (J.D., cum laude)
Northeastern University (B.S., cum laude)
Andrew Faust is a widely-recognized authority in the areas of special education, student services and child accounting, and student civil rights.
He has represented school districts and intermediate units at every level of the federal and state judicial and administrative systems, lectured widely to audiences of educators and attorneys, and testified as an expert witness in court proceedings and before state and federal agencies.
He regularly conducts onsite staff training to client schools and is the driving force behind the firm's groundbreaking "Pool Counsel" service.
Education
Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University (J.D.)
Syracuse University (B.A., magna cum laude)
Christina Stephanos brings a powerful and multifaceted professional perspective to her practice: in addition to her law degree, she earned a diploma in Special Education, certificates in both Reading and Elementary Education and taught Language Arts and Special Education for six years.
Her practice involves ongoing consultation and representation of school districts in a variety of matters, including but not limited to IEP and Section 504 meetings and due process administrative hearings. She also prepares and presents special education audits with specific recommendations for overall programming, staffing and supports. She also provides in-house professional development programs on a variety of topics, including mock due process hearings, discipline, special education programming, the role of the local educational agency, and inclusion.
Prior to joining the firm, she served as a staff attorney for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Child Advocacy Unit and as an assistant district attorney in the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
Education
Rutgers University School of Law (J.D.)
Rowan University (B.A.)
Christine Cattani joined Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams in 2021 after operating her own solo practice for over a decade. Her work for clients encompassed a number of practice areas, including tax law, contract law, real property law, equine law, criminal defense and civil litigation. At Sweet Stevens, she will assist clients with tax assessment appeals, zoning hearings, Right-to-Know responses and general litigation.
Committed to serving in the community and helping others succeed, she has served as a coach for the Pennsylvania State Bar Association Young Lawyer Division Mock Trial Competition, and received a Certificate for Extraordinary Pro Bono Work from the Bucks County Bar Association. She was also nominated for the association's "Justice Rising" award for three years in a row. She serves as a guest lecturer for Bucks County Community College and Holy Family University and also as an instructor for the Bucks County Juvenile Court's "Progress: Law & Responsibility" program.
She obtained her undergraduate degree from Temple University's Boyer College of Music, studying under renowned piano scholar Dr. Charles Abramovic.
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law (LL.M. Taxation)
Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D.)
Temple University Boyer College of Music (B.M.)
Chris Bambach is primarily involved in the representation of school districts and entities in matters of special education throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He represents school entities at both the administrative and appellate levels, and also proactively provides informed counseling to his clients in all matters of special education.
Chris joined Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams after several years of practice involved in complex and general civil litigation in Pennsylvania and Mississippi. He now puts his comprehensive and successful background in litigation to work every day in successfully resolving matters for his clients.
Education
Mississippi College School of Law (J.D.)
The University of Scranton (B.A.)
David Conn is a seasoned litigator who has represented public entities of almost every kind, including county agencies, townships, boroughs, school districts and municipal authorities. In that capacity, he has appeared in everything from administrative hearings to appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
David's approach combines a commitment to public service with a fierce attachment to advocacy and he is always looking for creative solutions to face the dynamic challenges confronting public entities.
Education
Temple University School of Law (J.D.)
Macalester College (B.A.)
Ellis Katz concentrates his practice in representing school districts and municipalities in employment and labor matters. He guides clients on employee and student discipline issues, and he has extensive experience in collective bargaining, grievance and interest arbitration. He is also experienced in unfair labor practice cases, and Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board proceedings and has argued discrimination matters before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. His experience before federal court includes litigation related to IDEA, Section 504, ADA and civil rights matters.
An authority on both private and public sector labor law, he has lectured widely and is frequently published in national and regional labor law journals. He has taught graduate classes in labor relations at Penn State University and he served as the Assistant Counsel for the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board from 1981 to 1983.
Education
Gonzaga University School of Law (J.D.)
Villanova University (M.S.)
Pennsylvania State University (B.S.)
With over 25 years in practice, Jane Williams is among the most experienced attorneys currently representing school entities in special education and student matters. She has served as a hearing officer and advisor to school boards in student expulsion matters, and provided school district boards with in-service programs concerning special education and pupil services. She provides both proactive and defense representation to school entities in all phases of special education litigation.
She is a well-regarded speaker and consultant on special education and other education law-related topics, having lectured statewide to a variety of organizations consisting of both educators and attorneys. She has served for years as a planning committee member of the Lehigh University College of Education Special Education Law Symposium, and participated as a moderator and presenter over the years.
Jane has served in several leadership roles in the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association, including that of President. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Education
Emory University School of Law (J.D.)
Northwestern University (B.A.)
Sullins College (A.A.)
Jason Fortenberry advises clients on special education issues, Section 504 matters, Americans with Disability Act violations, and other disability discrimination claims. While in his current role he advocates solely for school entities, he has also represented students and their families in such matters, bringing a valuable dual perspective to his work in education law. He frequently presents educational programs on a variety of topics in special education.
Jason's professional experience also includes work as an attorney at a legal service agency in Pennsylvania and for the State of New Jersey, Office of Administrative Law. He was also an extern for the Honorable Gloria M. Burns, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and an intern for the Honorable Marlene F. Lachman, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
In law school, he received the Mary Philbrook Student Public Interest Award and was a Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Fellow, where he taught a course in constitutional law at Camden High School.
He currently serves on the board of directors of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools of Special Education and is a commissioner on the Conshohocken Human Relations Commission.
Education
Rutgers University School of Law (J.D.)
University of Alabama (B.S.)
Jason Sam joined the firm in 2021. He will put his background in trial practice to work to obtain successful outcomes for clients in civil rights, special education, contract disputes, employment law, and tax assessment matters.
He came to the firm from the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, a high volume, high pressure environment, working in both the Motions Court Pre-Trial Unit and the Municipal Court Unit. In these roles, he successfully balanced a substantial caseload with proactive client communication and interaction, all while mentoring interns and new hires and managing other duties.
During law school, he completed internships at a Washington, D.C. law firm and the Kings County District Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Education
American University Washington College of Law (J.D.)
Temple University College of Liberal Arts (B.A.)
John Audi has over 35 years of experience in public sector Labor and Employment Law and now focuses his work on education labor law, public sector labor law, legal consultation and staff training.
He started his career as general counsel to a union of state workers employed by the Office of Employment Security, and from 1999-2008 served as in-house regional counsel for the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
His vast experience touches all aspects of labor relations matters, including arbitrations, bargaining, PLRB hearings, and related court litigation. He served for 11 years as an administrative law judge for the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board and he is a frequent lecturer on labor, employment and education legal matters.
Education
Dickinson School of Law (J.D.)
University of Scranton (B.S.)
Karl Romberger advises school entities about special education, student services, school-behavioral health placement reimbursement disputes, civil rights, policy development, contracts and service provider arrangements. He also represents educational institutions in administrative hearings, including special education cases, MOU reimbursement actions, and actions before the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and litigation in both state and federal courts. Karl provides regular consultations through the firm's Pool Counsel service and also provides staff in-service presentation trainings on special education and student services topics. He is a regular presenter before various continuing legal education audiences and is also trained as a special education hearing officer with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education.
Prior to joining the firm, Karl was a permanent federal law clerk to Hon. E. Mac Troutman of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and also served as a Pennsylvania special education hearing officer, in addition to working for a large Philadelphia-based national law firm.
His personal educational background includes study abroad in Scotland, holding the position of board member and business manager of The Dickinson Journal of International Law, receiving the Comparative Law Award, and interning for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law in Vienna, Austria.
Education
Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University (J.D.)
Moravian College (B.A.)
Leslie Collins concentrates her work in the areas of special education and student services.
She joined the firm after working as a staff attorney for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. There, she counseled members, governance and staff in matters pertaining to individuals with disabilities, special education, assessment and accommodations, child protective services, student records, school funding, ESEA, establishment of religion, school violence, Transfer Between Entities and other legal issues arising in the public educational setting. She was responsible for assisting in drafting, reviewing, and/or analyzing federal and state statutes, regulations and guidelines pertaining to these areas and for providing professional development to staff, members and at special education conferences in Pennsylvania and in other states.
Her background also includes work for the United States Department of Education in Washington, D.C., where she analyzed and drafted legislation, prepared departmental recommendations for Congress on legislation affecting special education, and received an award for exemplary performance.
She is a board member of the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners and is a frequent speaker at conferences on various issues related to special education and to other areas listed above.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Antioch College (B.A.)
Marcie Romberger concentrates her work in the areas of Special Education, Student Services and Civil Rights Defense. Her clients benefit from her extensive background in business, the private practice of law, education, and government. In education law, she brings the valuable perspective of having worked in law firms on behalf of both students/families and school entities.
Just prior to joining the firm, she ran a successful retail business, overseeing human resources, sales, finance, customer service, marketing and overall operations.
She has also worked for the Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) in Harrisburg, reviewing Special Education law, presiding over Due Process hearings, and writing decisions on same. She also served as director of the ODR office for several years, managing and instructing staff and officers. She has also taught Special Education classes at Lehigh Carbon Community College and Albright College.
Upon her admission to the bar, she worked for the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office as an assistant district attorney in the Child Abuse, Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence Division. She also served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable John Backenstoe.
Education
The Dickinson School of Law (J.D.)
Moravian College (B.A.)
Maria Desautelle brings a diverse legal background to her practice in representing school entities, primarily in the area of special education. She is an accomplished attorney with broad experience in litigation, mediation and investigation.
Ms. Desautelle has an extensive background working for several government entities. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a mediator and complaint investigator with the New Jersey Department of Education - Office of Special Education. Ms. Desautelle also worked as a deputy attorney general with the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety representing both the Department of Human Services and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. She further served as the legislative liaison for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Ms. Desautelle has also worked in private practice representing several major telecommunications companies in municipal land use matters. Additionally, Ms. Desautelle served as a Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the United States Air Force, New Jersey Air National Guard, 108th Air Refueling Wing.
Education
Widener University School of Law (J.D.)
The Pennsylvania State University (B.S.)
United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's School, Maxwell Air Force Base
Prior to joining the firm, Mark worked in the Bucks County District Attorney's Office as deputy district attorney assigned to the Special Victims Division. While there, he gained extensive courtroom experience and specialized in the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and computer crimes cases. Through that experience, Mark has gained unique insight into computer and mobile phone forensics, social networking, and the pitfalls of modern technologies.
Education
Villanova University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude)
Villanova University (M.P.A.)
George Washington University (B.A.)
Sharon Wolff Montanye has earned a reputation with our clients as a powerful advocate in special education litigation and a knowledgeable and thoughtful advisor. While many of the issues facing school districts or other school entities remain constant, countless other influences shape how those issues must be addressed: federal and state mandates, state funding limitations, academic and technological innovations and expectations for governance all directly impact the ability of public school entities to deliver high quality education. Helping school board directors, superintendents and other administrators understand how to apply the myriad of legal requirements facing them is the core of her practice.
Sharon has spoken widely to audiences of educators and attorneys, both in school entities and for such organizations as the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Pennsylvania Association of Pupil Service Administrators.
Prior to joining the practice of law, she spent nearly a dozen years working in the field of education as a certified teacher, administrator, grant writer, and peer reviewer for both the United States Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Additionally, she has volunteered her time with a number of professional and community organizations, including the New Horizons Montessori School, Aldie Counseling Foundation and The Council for Exceptional Children.
Education
Temple University School of Law (LL.M., Taxation)
Temple University School of Law (J.D.)
Temple University (M.Ed., summa cum laude)
Arcadia University (B.A.)
Shawn Lochinger joined the firm in 2015 with a comprehensive background in special education law and labor and employment law as it relates to school entities. He has extensive experience in due process hearings, in giving day-to-day advice on special education matters, and in working with clients to resolve situations that arise in the special education field. Shawn also has a strong knowledge of gifted matters and has spoken frequently on all of these subjects.
He has served as a hearing officer for gifted education as well as expulsion hearings and in student discipline cases, and has represented clients at the administrative level and in federal court, before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the EEOC, the OFCCP, and unemployment compensation referees.
He regularly conducts in-house training sessions on sexual harassment, employment discrimination, special education and numerous other employment and education law topics, and speaks at conferences around the region for such entities as the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education.
Education
Duke University School of Law (J.D.)
Washington & Jefferson College (B.A.)
Suzanne Pontious joined Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams in 2020. She has worked in both the public and private sector and is a seasoned litigator, both in court and administrative proceedings.
Before joining the firm, Sue served as deputy city solicitor for the City of Philadelphia Law Department's Child Welfare Unit. There, she managed a high-volume caseload of dependency matters in various stages of litigation. As a core courtroom team captain, she trained and supervised new attorneys on her team. She also conducted CLEs and attorney trainings.
Tammy Schmitt joined Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams in 2020. In practice for close to two decades, she brings extensive experience in her chosen areas of practice from both sides of the negotiation table.
Just prior to joining the firm, she worked with a private law firm that represented families of students with educational disabilities in their claims against school entities. There, she handled an extensive caseload, handling all aspects of litigation. Prior to that, she litigated both special education matters and cases involving civil rights and employment discrimination on behalf of school and public entities. Additionally, she served as managing attorney for another former law firm, responsible for her own caseload of complex litigation matters while supervising all legal staff, which included attorneys, paralegals and independent contractors.
She has been named to both the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star lists, and she is often called upon to present at conferences, both live and virtual, on topics related to Special Education.
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D.)
Temple University (B.A. cum laude, M.A.)
Tom Warner's practice focuses primarily on the representation of Pennsylvania school districts and entities in matters of special education. While he devotes much of his practice to representing clients in matters of special education litigation at the administrative and appellate levels, he also spends a significant amount of time providing in-service training to school districts regarding various matters, including the development of defensible special education programming and confidentiality/disclosure issues involving education records. He also frequently presents at conferences focused on special education legal issues.
Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for a firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and interned for the Allegheny County Law Department.
Education
Duquesne University School of Law (J.D.)
Dickinson College (B.A., magna cum laude)