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About Us...
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. *************************************************** Our Commitment to Service Over the past 25 years, McAndrews Law Offices have developed a reputation for providing services to persons in need across the Delaware Valley. Our work on behalf of individuals with disabilities frequently affords us with opportunities to obtain appropriate educational programs and access to public services which families were unable to obtain on their own. In many cases, we have provided pro bono services or representation under which this office took substantial risk in accepting legal matters for individuals who were unable to pay legal fees. To the extent reasonably possible, McAndrews Law Offices assists individuals with unique personal and financial needs to obtain an enhanced quality of life. Our office also provides dozens of informational seminars at no charge every year to interested members of the public. McAndrews Law Offices is committed to providing community service in Pennsylvania in a variety of means. In addition to our extensive programs of providing pro bono and low cost legal services in selected cases, we offer a wide range of seminars to community groups and parent groups to provide public education with regard to special education, estate planning, and special needs planning. Many members of our staff provide a wide variety of community service activities. For example, our founder and managing partner, Dennis C. McAndrews, engages in the following community activities: • Member of the Board of Directors of Mother’s Home, a shelter for homeless pregnant women; A great many other members of our staff provide similar services to the local community as part of our commitment to serving the needs of our local citizens. Tanya A. Alvarado is on the Advisory Board for Reach Out and Read (ROR) of Greater Philadelphia, a national non-profit organization in existence since 1989 and now reaching over 3 million low-income families each year. ROR was developed by pediatricians and early childhood educators who recognized that early exposure to books and reading greatly increases a child’s chance for healthy development and school success. The program provides new books to children between the ages of six months to five years at every well visit to a participating doctor, and parents are taught about the importance of reading and early language acquisition skills. Dean M. Beer is also involved in the local community; he serves as the Director of Boy’s Travel Soccer for the Tredyffrin Easttown Soccer Association. Dean is also the Chairman of the Valor Cup Tournament, which is a soccer tournament for Hispanic youth in the Soccer and Scouting Program of the Boy Scouts of America. In Soccer and Scouting, boys learn the life-long values taught in the Scouting program and, at the same time, are taught soccer skills while participating in exciting competition. It combines the citizenship, character building, morals, and values in which Scouting has been known for the past 100 years with the competition and excitement of youth soccer.
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Main Office: McAndrews Law Offices | 30 Cassatt Avenue | Berwyn, PA 19312 The information within this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney |
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