About Us...

For over 25 years, McAndrews Law Offices has been committed to providing exceptional legal services in our areas of practice. The genesis of our firm began in 1982 when Dennis C. McAndrews, the firm’s founder, began his private practice of law.

The early years of his practice focused upon disability law and estate planning for persons with disabilities, much of which developed from the expertise Mr. McAndrews obtained in serving as Executive Director and Staff Counsel to two Pennsylvania Senate Committees which investigated the system of care for disabled persons in Pennsylvania.

Work in the field of special education was subsequently added to the practice, and in 1989 Mr. McAndrews was appointed as a part-time special education hearing officer, a post in which he served for over 15 years. The reputation of the firm was enhanced in the 1980s by Mr. McAndrews’ teaching appointments at Villanova University and Immaculata University, and he continues to teach at Villanova University to the present day.

From 1982 to 1995, Mr. McAndrews also served as a member of the Office of the District Attorney of Delaware County, and held the posts of Deputy District Attorney for Special Prosecutions and Deputy District Attorney for Law and Appeals. He resigned in 1995 to devote himself full-time to the private practice of law.

In February, 1996, The District Attorneys’ Office asked Mr. McAndrews to return to that office to work as a special prosecutor in the trial of John Eleuthere duPont, widely regarded as the wealthiest murder defendant in American history. After the successful prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of the defendant in that matter, Mr. McAndrews returned to the full-time private practice of law, and the growth of the current practice began to take shape.

Over the next decade, an array of talented attorneys and support staff have been added every year, and today form a highly collaborative and collegial team of professionals who enjoy their work, and who share a passion for serving the important needs of our clients every day.

For example, Heidi B. Konkler-Goldsmith is one of the most experienced and accomplished education law attorneys in Pennsylvania. Tanya Alvarado worked for the Disability Law Project and handled discrimination cases before coming to our firm. Gabrielle Sereni is a former federal law clerk and public school teacher who brings extensive federal court and education law experience to our practice. Heather Hulse combines two Master Degrees in psychology with her law degree and with her extensive experience in Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts and Special Education. Lesley Mehalick possesses a Masters in Tax Law and extensive experience in Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts and Civil Litigation. Jennifer Bradley has quickly established herself as an accomplished special education attorney, using her extensive litigation skills obtained in seven years as an Assistant District Attorney in Berks County and Dean M. Beer recently joined us from the Philadelphia Public Defender's office with over two decades of legal experience.

The biographies and resumes of our attorneys and our incomparable support staff are available on this web site. The relevant experience, education, training, and commitment of our staff are, we believe, unmatched in any firm in the United States which practices in our areas of specialty. Each member of our staff possesses invaluable legal and professional experience and training, as well as a commitment of service to the clients we represent.

McAndrews Law Offices recently won two important victories on behalf of children with disabilities in federal court. In two separate cases, the federal court in Philadelphia overturned decisions of the Pennsylvania Appeals Panel and found in favor of children with disabilities and their families.Read More →
McAndrews Law Offices Have Speakers Available for your organization. We provide dozens of seminars and presentations each year to relevant organizations in the field of Special Education, Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts. Our attorneys regularly speak at national, state, and local organizations such as parent groups, Bar Associations, community organizations, advocacy groups, and similar organizations. These presentations are provided at no cost, are educational in nature, and no marketing of our services is presented. If you would like to schedule a speaker for your organization, please contact Sarah Locher at 610-648-9300, and we will be happy to arrange a presentation for you.Read More →
Services for Exceptional Children in Private Schools On September 26, 2007, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision in Lower Merion School District v. Doe. Read More →
Federal Court in Pennsylvania Awards Compensatory Education in a Monetary Fund The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently found that a school district’s failure to provide an appropriate educational program required an award of compensatory education, and held that the award of compensatory education must be placed in a fund with a specified monetary amount for the child. Read More →