Candidate for
Judge; Pennsylvania Superior Court

I serve on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania where I sit as a judge in the Court's Civil Division. I have handled a wide-range of matters, from cases involving breach of contract, to claims for medical malpractice, to issues involving the use of revenue generated by the "drink tax".

Prior to joining the bench, I was a partner in the firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP where I served as chairperson of the firm's Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group and the partner-in-charge of litigation for the firm's Pittsburgh office. My practice concentrated on complex commercial litigation, emphasizing antitrust litigation, directors' and officers' liability, securities litigation, class actions, shareholders derivative actions, business torts, and other commercial matters. As a trial lawyer, I handled matters in various federal and state courts throughout the country and before governmental agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to trying numerous cases in state and federal courts, I handled appeals before state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. I also served as a private mediator and an arbitrator for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

As a lawyer, I was selected by her peers as one of Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers® in 2004 - 2008, and in 2004 was named as one of Pennsylvania's top 50 women lawyers. I am also a fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County where I am a past member of the Board of Governors and the immediate past chairperson of the Federal Court Practice Committee, and a fellow of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation.

I received the highest rating "Highly Recommended" by the Pennsylvania Bar Association for a position on the Superior Court.

I received my J.D., cum laude from Duquesne University School of Law where I ranked second in my class, and my B.A., magna cum laude, from Saint Francis College. I clerked for the Honorable Maurice B. Cohill, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

I contribute a significant amount of time to charitable organizations. Currently, my charitable activities include serving on the National Board of Directors for the American Heart Association, the Ethics Committee for Children's Hospital and the Pastoral Council for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. My active involvement in the community was recently recognized when I was awarded the first-ever Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis Earl G. Harrison Service Award for distinguished community service.

My husband Jim and I have been married for over 27 years and are the proud parents of two teenage children + Grant and Sophia.