Member Benefit Compliance Session

Mr. Silberblatt is the managing partner of the Pittsburgh law firm of Silberblatt Mermelstein, P.C. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Allegheny College in 1977 and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1980 where he served as a Senior Writer on the Law Review. He is Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Civil Trial Advocate. During his long career, Mr. Silberblatt concentrated his practice in civil litigation with a particular emphasis on lawyers’ professional liability matters. Now, as a Mediator with Noble Mediation, LLC, he is helping lawyers across the state to resolve their cases. He served as the 128th President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association from 2022-2023. He also served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Allegheny County Bar Association, and he is a Fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, having also served on its Board of Governors. Mr. Silberblatt was Chair of both the Civil Litigation Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Civil Litigation Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and he was a Director of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation. He was the PBA Zone 12 Governor from 2015 to 2018 and is a member of the PBA House of Delegates and represents the PBA on the American Bar Association House of Delegates. He has chaired the PBA Lawyers Professional Liability Committee, is an appointed member of the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, and served as the Chair of the PBA Review and Certifying Board. He has been appointed by the ABA President to the ABA’s Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism. He served a six-year term as a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board, and he is a Hearing Committee Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He was appointed by the Supreme Court and serves on the Pennsylvania Commission for Fairness and Justice. He received PBA Special Achievement Awards in 2000 for his work in planning the PBA Civil Litigation Section’s Retreat and in 2004 and 2025 for his work in planning and presenting malpractice avoidance programs for the Professional Liability Committee. Jay was awarded the PBA President’s Award in 2002 for his efforts with Senate Bill 406 and Rule 1023.1 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, in 2020 for his work on the PBA Covid-19 Task Force, and in 2023 for his work on the PBA’s Search and Transition Committee. A third generation Pennsylvania lawyer, he is the author of numerous legal articles that have appeared in The Barrister, The Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly, The Pennsylvania Law Weekly, The Pennsylvania Lawyer, The Pittsburgh Legal Journal, The Lawyer’s Journal, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, The Advocate, and Trial. Mr. Silberblatt has lectured for the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, the Pennsylvania CLE Board, and Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company.

Lance D. Greene focuses his practice on counseling and representing businesses and individuals facing civil and criminal investigations. He has been appointed conflict counsel for juvenile offenders in both Lancaster and Dauphin counties. He also handles a range of commercial litigation matters including commercial trucking and commercial real estate litigation where he represents various trucking and property management companies. In addition, Lance counsels individual clients in preparation of forming their estates and creating trusts.

Lance is a former assistant district attorney (ADA) of the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, where he served as a supervisor and lead prosecutor in the Juvenile Court Division. In addition to his duties handling cases involving juveniles, he successfully tried a wide range of adult matters through jury trials, bench trial and suppression hearings. As a former ADA, Lance developed respect in the community for his work in resolving cases in a fair and compassionate way to put youth on a path for future success.

Prior to his work as a prosecutor, Lance served as the Chief Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court in Roanoke, VA, supervising the departmental functions, including employees across Civil, Criminal, Probate and Land Records Divisions and acting as a liaison between the court and the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Lance is an active member of the Lancaster community and continues to serve in leadership positions. He currently serves on the board of directors as the head of the Community Engagement committee for the Lancaster Law Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting equal access to the justice system in Lancaster County. Lance also serves as the treasurer for Assets, a local non-profit in Lancaster County dedicated to assisting minority entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses. In addition, Lance serves on the board of Leadership Lancaster, a non-profit which focuses on cultivating the future leaders of Lancaster.

While earning his J.D. from Suffolk School of Law in Massachusetts, Lance was a Massachusetts Rule 3:03 Certified Student Prosecutor participating in criminal prosecutions in the Roxbury District Court. Additionally, he completed a summer internship at the United States Attorney’s Office where he assisted with legal investigations, researched and drafted responses. He also compiled jury instructions for cases under the Federal false, fictitious and fraudulent claims statute. He also was a NAACP Kellogg’s Summer Law Fellow, one of six chosen from a national search, where he conducted legal research for an amicus brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, among other legal research and advocacy projects on environmental justice, education and other civil rights issues.

Sarah M. Lockwood is an Associate Attorney with JSDC Law Offices. She represents clients in criminal matters, divorce and child custody disputes, and Protection from Abuse (“PFA”) matters.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in legal studies and her associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Central Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude. She then proceeded to obtain her juris doctorate degree and graduate cum laude from Widener University Commonwealth Law School, where she received CALI awards for the highest grade in each class for Evidence, Family Law, Pennsylvania Civil Practice, and Torts I, as well as earned the “American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Eric D. Turner Award.” While completing her undergraduate degree and law school, she worked as a full-time paralegal for nine years.

Sarah is licensed to practice in all Pennsylvania courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Sarah currently serves on the Paralegal Advisory Board at Central Pennsylvania College and is a member of the Harrisburg Young Professionals, the Dauphin County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Sarah became a lawyer because she had always wanted to help people. She advocates honestly and vigorously for her clients, providing them with extensive preparation and great attention to detail in each of their cases.

Sarah and her husband love to travel – with a goal of visiting every National Park in the United States. She enjoys spending time with her family, including her dog, Oliver. EDUCATION: Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) | Central Pennsylvania College, Summerdale, Pennsylvania, Bachelor of Science (Magna Cum Laude), Major: Legal Studies, Associate of Science, Major: Paralegal Studies PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL) | National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) | Dauphin County Bar Association | Harrisburg Young Professionals BAR ADMISSIONS: Pennsylvania | Middle District of Pennsylvania | U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Dennis combines expertise in administrative law with extensive litigation, trial and appellate experience. He is the only person to have been appointed chief counsel to both Pennsylvania resource agencies, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. During his nearly 28 years of Commonwealth service, he litigated and argued complex cases at trial and on appeal before administrative tribunals and state and federal courts, prosecuted selected criminal matters as a Special Deputy Attorney General, and developed expertise in the defense of Section 1983 actions and in regulatory takings. He currently focuses on appellate and original jurisdiction practice in Pennsylvania and in selected federal courts, using his extensive knowledge of government and the courts to offer sound advice, creative solutions and effective strategies. Dennis has been lead counsel in many notable appeals and has authored amicus briefs before the Third Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, the Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth Courts and the courts of common pleas. With HMS Legal partner Kevin McKeon and others, he is a founder of and regular contributor to Pennsylvania Appellate Advocate, a blog that provides timely coverage and analysis of notable appellate decisions, allocatur grants, upcoming arguments, proposed and adopted rule changes, and other information of interest to lawyers, litigants, and others involved in or affected by issues presented in appeals in Pennsylvania’s appellate courts. Dennis is a past President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and a past chair of Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section, and frequently serves as a planner and faculty member in CLE programs related to administrative law and appellate practice. He was law clerk to Joseph T. Doyle, President Judge of the Commonwealth Court, as well as Commonwealth Court Judges Bonnie Leadbetter and Renee Cohn Jubelirer. He received his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law and his B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

Mr. Quinn obtained his undergraduate degree in 1970, his law degree in 1973 and a certificate in Drug and Alcohol counselling in 2012, all from Villanova University. In addition to his position with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in 2017, Mr. Quinn has been engaged in private practice for nearly 50 years as well. His practice is now limited to estate planning and administration.

Mr. Quinn has also worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counselling in suburban Philadelphia.

Mr. Quinn is a past member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania and served as a peer volunteer prior to accepting his current role as the organization's Educator.

Mr. Quinn has conducted CLE presentations for Bar Associations, private law firms and professional organizations, as well as for CLE providers, on a variety of topics in the fields of Lawyer wellness and impairment in the legal profession. He is a nationally recognized educator and wellness advocate.

Michael F. Yagercik, Esq. is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania with an active private practice based in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. In 2025, he joined the Education and Outreach team at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania (LCL), an organization that provides confidential support services to Pennsylvania judges, lawyers, law students, and their families who may be facing mental health or substance use challenges. Mr. Yagercik has been a dedicated volunteer with LCL since 2020.

Since 2019, Mr. Yagercik has operated the Law Office of Michael F. Yagercik, where his practice focuses primarily on criminal defense, family law, and dependency matters. Prior to establishing his firm, he served as both an Assistant District Attorney and an Assistant Public Defender in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Yagercik earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Saint Vincent College in 2002, and received his Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 2006. He currently resides in Beaver County with his wife, Sarah, and their daughters, Anastasia and Alexandra. In addition to his legal work, he serves on the board of Drug and Alcohol Services of Beaver Valley, a treatment facility located in Beaver, Pennsylvania.

Jesse represents injured workers in workers’ compensation matters. He handles workers’ compensation litigation before workers’ compensation judges across Pennsylvania, and has extensive experience in appellate practice before the workers’ compensation appeal board and the Commonwealth Court. He has helped his clients recover millions of dollars in lost wages and medical expenses through his advocacy.

Jesse is certified as a specialist in the practice of workers’ compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Jesse attended Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, and received his law degree in 2014. While in law school, he gained valuable experience through internships with the Governor’s Office of General Counsel and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Prior to law school, Jesse attended Temple University, and earned his B.A. in 2011.

Areas Of Practice: Workers’ Compensation

Bar Admissions: Pennsylvania

Education: Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, J.D., Honors: cum laude | Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Professional Associations and Memberships: Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member | Dauphin County Bar Association, Member | Dauphin County Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Section – Chair | Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Member | Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Board of Governors – Workers’ Compensation Section

Specialties and Certifications: Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Section of Workers’ Compensation Law

Matthew B. Esslinger primarily devotes his practice to the defense of workers' compensation matters on behalf of insurance carriers, employers, self-insured entities and third-party administrators. He has obtained victories before workers' compensation judges and various appellate bodies in a variety of workers' compensation petitions and issues. Matt helps his clients by counseling them on the most effective and efficient legal strategies necessary to mitigate risk and liability and achieve positive outcomes. He has also presented various topics related to workers' compensation defense at conferences throughout Pennsylvania and nationally. Prior to joining Chartwell, Matt worked for a large defense firm where he litigated and counseled clients on workers' compensation cases.