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Pennsylvania Elects Four New Appellate State Court Judges
On November 7, 2023, Pennsylvania voters elected Daniel D. McCaffery, Jill L. Beck, Timika Lane, and Matthew S. Wolf to the state’s appellate courts. Voters also elected to retain two Superior Court judges, Jack A. Pannella and Victor P. Stabile. Pennsylvania is one of 43 states that elects some or all of its judges.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Daniel D. McCaffery defeated Carolyn T. Carluccio to win a seat on the state Supreme Court. A Philadelphia native, Justice-Elect McCaffery served in the U.S. Army before earning bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from Temple University. He served an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia County from 1991 until 1997, when he joined Jaffe, Friedman, Schuman, Nemeroff and Applebaum PC in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In 2013, Justice-Elect McCaffery was elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where he served until his election to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in 2019.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the Commonwealth’s highest court and the oldest appellate court in the nation. McCaffery’s election brings the court to full capacity with seven justices, filling the vacancy created by the death of Chief Justice Max Baer in 2022.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Jill L. Beck and Timika Lane won seats on the Superior Court by finishing first and second, respectively, in a four-way race that also included Maria C. Battista and Harry F. Smail Jr.
Judge-Elect Beck, raised in Pittsburgh, earned a bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University and a juris doctor from Duquesne University School of Law. In 2006, she joined KidsVoice, a nonprofit, representing abused and neglected children. From 2010 through 2019, Judge-Elect Beck served as a law clerk to the Honorable Christine Donohue, first on the Superior Court and then on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming a candidate, Judge-Elect Beck worked for Blank Rome LLP in Pittsburgh.
Judge-Elect Lane, a Philadelphia native, earned a bachelor’s degree at Howard University and a juris doctor from Rutgers Law School. She served as a law clerk, and then, beginning in 2004, as an Assistant Public Defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. In 2009, Judge-Elect Lane became Chief Legal Counsel for a Pennsylvania state senator and Executive Director for the Pennsylvania State Senate State Government Committee, where she worked until being elected to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in 2013.
Additionally, two current Superior Court judges, Jack A. Pannella and Victor P. Stabile, were retained for new 10-year terms by a majority of voters. Pannella and Stabile joined the court in 2004 and 2014, respectively.
The Superior Court is one of two statewide intermediate appellate courts and hears civil and criminal appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas. Judge-Elect Beck will replace Judge Jacqueline Shogan, who retired in 2021, while Judge-Elect Lane will succeed Judge John T. Bender, who will retire at the end of 2023.
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Matthew S. Wolf defeated Megan Martin for a seat on the Commonwealth Court. He earned a juris doctor degree from Rutgers Law School before working as a trial attorney at various law firms. Since 2017, Judge-Elect Wolf has served on the Philadelphia Municipal Court.
The Commonwealth Court is one of two statewide intermediate appellate courts and is primarily responsible for matters involving state, local government, and regulatory agencies. Judge-Elect Wolf will succeed Judge P. Kevin Brobson, who was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2021.
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Henry M. Sneath - Practice Chair
Co-Chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Litigation Practice, and Chair of its Intellectual Property Practice, Henry Sneath is a trial attorney, mediator, arbitrator and Federal Court Approved Mediation Neutral and Special Master with 98 trial verdicts and extensive federal and state court trial experience in cases involving commercial disputes, breach of contract litigation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), intellectual property matters, patent, trademark and copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, DTSA claims, cyber security and data breach prevention, mitigation and litigation, employment and restrictive covenant litigation, probate trusts and estates litigation, construction claims, eminent domain, professional negligence lawsuits, pharmaceutical, products liability and catastrophic injury litigation, insurance coverage, and insurance bad faith claims. DTSALaw® Business Litigation. Pittsburgh Strong.®
Samuel H. Simon - Practice Chair
As co-chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Litigation Group, Sam focuses his practice on commercial/business litigation. Sam regularly represents clients in the construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and wholesale/retail/ distribution industries, as well as individuals in matters such as:
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