Gaetan J. Alfano
GAETAN J. ALFANO is a name partner of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP, where he serves as Co-chair of the Commercial Litigation Practice.
Mr. Alfano served as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia County from 1980 through 1985 under then District Attorney, and now Governor, Edward G. Rendell. Mr. Alfano prosecuted cases in the Felony Jury Unit, the Homicide Unit, and the Motions Unit. Mr. Alfano was also a member of the District Attorney's Hiring Committee from 1982 through 1985.
Mr. Alfano is recognized as a top commercial litigator by his peers and he has extensive experience in commercial disputes, employment disputes, insurance insolvency, construction litigation and white collar criminal defense.
In Legion, Mr. Alfano serves as chief counsel in the liquidation proceedings and represents the estate in a variety of legal matters. Specifically, he represents the Liquidator in a number of matters before the Commonwealth Court in actions by claimants seeking to intervene in the liquidation in order to gain immediate access to Legion's assets. In February 2006, Mr. Alfano was successful in obtaining court approval for Legion’s proposed distribution of approximately $150 million to state guaranty associations. Since then, he has represented successfully the Liquidator against various challenges to this approved distribution. In May 2007, Mr. Alfano defeated claims raised by Oregon Insurance Guaranty Association that the early distribution of Legion’s assets violated state law. Most recently, in October 2009, Mr. Alfano defeated claims by the Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association for direct access to reinsurance.
Mr. Alfano represented the Delaware Insurance Commissioner as Receiver for National Heritage Life Insurance Company (In Liquidation), where he was responsible for prosecuting a variety of professional liability and asset recovery actions. He also represents the Pennsylvania Insurance Department as Liquidator for both Legion Insurance and Villanova Insurance Companies, a $3 billion insolvency.
As an insurance insolvency practitioner, Mr. Alfano tried a reinsurance collection case against GTE Reinsurance Company, Limited on behalf of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department as Rehabilitator for the Mutual Fire, Marine and Inland Insurance Company. This case, in 1993, resulted in a settlement of $44.9 million from GTE Re, which at the time was the largest reinsurance recovery in Pennsylvania history. Mr. Alfano also represented Mutual Fire in a recovery of $12 million from Chesapeake Insurance Company, formerly a subsidiary of Victor Posner's network of companies.
In addition to these matters, Mr. Alfano has represented clients in a variety of commercial and employment disputes. For example, Mr. Alfano recently represented Bankrate, Inc. against a Philadelphia area company in a commercial dispute involving the provision of Internet access and connectivity. He also successfully represented a local official in a wrongful discharge civil rights suit against a township. The suit resulted in an $880,000 settlement in favor of his client.
Recently, Mr. Alfano represented a painting contractor in a construction dispute involving renovations to several New York state bridges including Throgs Neck Bridge. Mr. Alfano was also successful in securing a dismissal with prejudice of an international telecommunications company from a $5 million dollar commercial dispute in State Court in Philadelphia.
In the area of professional liability, Mr. Alfano successfully represented Mutual Fire's receiver in a massive professional liability case against Shand, Morahan & Company, Inc. and its former parent, Alexander & Alexander, Inc. The case involved more than 100 depositions and the production of 10 million documents. In 1995, the matter was resolved in the receiver's favor for a total settlement of $51.6 million. Mr. Alfano also has prosecuted professional malpractice actions against law firms and accounting firms.
In the area of civil and criminal health care fraud defense, Mr. Alfano represented the qui tam relator in the government's $12 million settlement with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania over allegations of Medicare billing fraud in 2000.
Mr. Alfano is a member of the American, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey Bar Associations, as well as the Philadelphia Bar Association, where he was elected to serve on its Board of Governors in December 2006. In 2009, Mr. Alfano was elected to Chair of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, where he has been appointed to the Insurance Programs Committee for a three year term.
Mr. Alfano is heavily involved in community service through the Justinian Society, a group of Italian American lawyers and judges. He has held a number of offices within the Society and its charitable branch, the Justinian Foundation. Mr. Alfano was honored with the Beccaria Award by the Criminal Justice Section and the Justinian Society. The Beccaria Award is given annually to a practitioner, judge or educator for outstanding contributions to the cause of justice and the advancement of legal education.
In addition, Mr. Alfano served as a Senior Member of the hearing committee of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The Hearing Committee hears matters and files written reports and recommendations to the Disciplinary Board, which reviews the conduct of Pennsylvania lawyers and assures compliance by all attorneys to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct.
Mr. Alfano is also a Contributing Member of the American Arbitration Association and a Member of the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Neutrals. He has extensive experience as an arbitrator in Pennsylvania state court and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In addition, Mr. Alfano is a member of the Supreme Court Historical Society.
In August 2005, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell appointed Mr. Alfano to the 10-member Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. In 2006, he was elected the Commission's Secretary/Treasurer, and in 2007 he was elected the Commission’s Vice Chairman. The commission, composed of five members from Pennsylvania and five members from New Jersey, oversees safe and efficient river crossings on the seven toll bridges and 13 toll supported bridges, facilitates commerce between the two states, and evaluates the need for additional crossings. Through his service on the Commission, Mr. Alfano has extensive oversight experience in a variety of construction related disputes.
Mr. Alfano acts as a Judge Pro Tem for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Pilot Program. This program provides early Court intervention in residential owner occupied mortgage foreclosure cases. This program is designed to facilitate loan work-out and other solutions to permit residential homeowners, where possible, to retain their properties.
Mr. Alfano has been nominated and selected by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2004 through 2009, an honor reserved for 5% of the Pennsylvania Bar. He was also selected in the 2008 edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers as Corporate Council Super Lawyer in the area of Business Litigation.
Mr. Alfano received his J.D. from the Villanova University School of Law. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Villanova University.
He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.