The Honorable Emil Giordano (Ret.), a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and Co-Chair of its Litigation Practice Group, recently presented “Judiciary Panel: Planning from The Court's Perspective” and “Working with Ad Litem and Elder Law Attorneys” for the Society of Settlement Planners 2021 Annual Conference, held virtually this year, February 23-25.
“Preparation is key to any successful legal encounter. It was my pleasure to speak with the members of the Society of Settlement Planners to better assist in that process,” said Judge Giordano.
The judiciary panel, held February 24, featured judges and mediators, who discussed their experiences with settlement planners. They addressed the settlement plans they are more likely to approve, such as straight blended planning options rather than structured settlement plans; how planners can be better advocates for plaintiffs in these settings; and how they can better communicate with judges about the importance of a balanced plan and settlement protection.
The elder law presentation, held February 25, covered how planners can expand their network by working with court-appointed guardians, how guardians arrive at a determination and apportionment of the settlement, and what happens when a guardian overrules the wishes of the plaintiff and the family.
Judge Giordano served as a presiding judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, Third Judicial District, from 2004 through 2018. He was Northampton County’s first administrative judge of the Orphans’ Court County Division, overseeing estates and trusts of the county; and was named to the Statewide Orphans’ Court Task Force, an organization charged with implementing changes to Orphans’ Court. He was also the first judge in Pennsylvania to institute guardianship certification requirements for the protection of senior citizens.
For 15 years, Judge Giordano presided over many jury trials and non-jury trials, hearings and motions, and a wide range of disputes under Pennsylvania and federal law, including construction, commercial litigation, professional malpractice, CERCLA, Civil Rights, condemnations, labor and land use appeals, criminal, and domestic relations.
As an arbitrator and mediator, Judge Giordano is certified through Harvard Law School Negotiation Institute in Advanced Mediation. He is a fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators; is affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Mediation; has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) as a Diplomate Member for mediation; and has been selected to serve as an arbitrator and mediator to the Judicial Roster, Real Estate, and Pennsylvania at Large ADR Panels of Distinguished Neutrals for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution.
Judge Giordano serves on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Guardianship Certification, the Board of Directors for the Notre Dame CYO, and the Board of Governors for Saint Thomas More Society. He is a recognized member of the Justinian Society of Philadelphia and is the Northampton County Bar Association Wills and Trusts Committee Lecturer. In 2005, he was the first judicial recipient of the Lehigh Valley Crime Victims Council Award for Outstanding Commitment to Victims’ Rights. On January 1, 2020, Judge Giordano was designated Vice-Chair of the statewide Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Judge Giordano earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in 1985 and his B.A. from Moravian College in 1982. A proud Moravian College alumnus, he serves as an Adjunct Professor for undergraduate classes.
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