A History Of
Distinction

Elizabeth Syer-Ashmore concentrates her practice in the defense of civil liability claims. She has represented parties in various disputes involving medical and professional liability, automobile accidents, real estate, premises liability and workers' compensation.

Ms. Syer-Ashmore has represented healthcare providers since 2002 when she worked as an intern for the Medical Availability and Reduction of Error Fund.  She uses her knowledge of medicine and law to advise her clients in disputes, and she passionately defends both individual and corporate entities in pre-litigation and litigation matters.  Over the years, Ms. Syer-Ashmore has published articles and given presentations on Informed Consent, Medicare, Telemedicine, Medical Liability and Workers’ Compensation.  Ms. Syer-Ashmore graduated from Penn State Dickinson School of Law where she received the American Bar Association Award of Excellence and served as an editor of the Penn State International Law Review and as the Editor-in-Chief of the Judicial Notice. She also contributed articles to the ABA Student Lawyer Magazine. Ms. Syer-Ashmore received her undergraduate degree with Honors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Zach Smith concentrates his practice in the areas of toxic tort, medical malpractice and workers compensation claims.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Smith served as an Assistant Public Defender in Berks County Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Public Defender's Office, he worked for the Angino Law Firm in Harrisburg focusing on medical malpractice and auto accident claims.

Mr. Smith graduated from Villanova University School of Law where he was a member of the National Trial Team. He received his B.A. from the University of Tampa where he graduated Cum Laude and was selected as the graduation speaker.

He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and in the United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.

Bill Preston, partner in the Wilmington office, concentrates his practice in the areas of fire loss and fire code compliance issues, construction law, mass tort, insurance defense, and wills and estates.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Preston enjoyed a distinguished career in fire safety, criminal justice and emergency medical services, and served as the Delaware State Fire Marshal. His extensive experience in fire investigation, fire loss and fire code compliance gives him an unique perspective in the representation of his clients' interests. His knowledge of medical issues and terminology, acquired over the 20 years of responding to thousands of emergency calls and providing advanced life support, assists him in advocating on behalf of clients in the medical-legal arena.

Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Preston revised and updated the fire code for the state of Delaware; participated in revising the Fire and Explosion Investigations Guide for the National Fire Protection Association, which is recognized worldwide as an authority on fire and explosion investigation principles; and investigated over 2000 fire and explosion incidents, working closely with insurance company representatives to bring cases to a conclusion. He has served as a chief negotiator during union negotiations and has drafted legislation, lobbied and testified before the Delaware legislature and state administrative agencies on fire safety issues.

Mr. Preston's investigative experience together with his knowledge of the courtroom allows him to effectively evaluate the issues and represent his clients, whether in settlement negotiations or at trial. As a former certified fire inspector with a depth of knowledge of fire codes, he is invaluable to developers, contractors and architects in the planning of new construction as well as to building owners facing compliance issues.

Mr. Preston is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American, Delaware and New Jersey Bar Associations; the National Fire Protection Association where he is member of the Technical Committee on Fire Investigations; the International Association of Arson Investigators and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

He graduated from Widener University School of Law where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi Honors Fraternity. He is admitted to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Bernadette Plaza concentrates her practice in the areas of toxic tort, product liability, and insurance defense claims.  

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Plaza served as a Deputy Attorney General for the state of Delaware.

Ms. Plaza graduated from Widener University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from University of Delaware.

She is a member of the Delaware State Bar Association and is admitted to practice in Delaware and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

John F.X. Monaghan, Jr. concentrates his practice in the defense medical malpractice claims against individual professionals, hospitals, nursing homes and healthcare facilities, as well as the defense of product liability claims and general civil litigation. John also has significant experience in other areas of litigation, including commercial matters, real estate, construction, employment, vehicular and liquor liability. In addition to physicians of all medical specialties and nurses, John also represents podiatrists, chiropractors and dentists.

John is an Assistant Professor at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and has been a major contributing author of articles for various medical publications in medical malpractice, along with a number of articles in general civil liability for risk management publications. He has presented on topics involving various medical legal issues to law firms, medical organizations and medical institutions throughout the United States as well as in England, France, Ireland and the U.S. Virgin Islands. John has also lectured in various aspects of medical legal issues to the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society, the Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Plastic Surgery Society, the Gastrointestinal Society of Pennsylvania, the Colorectal Surgical Society and the Northeastern Plastic Surgical Society and numerous podiatric societies.

Mr. Monaghan received his B.A. degree from LaSalle College, where he made Dean's List and attended on a full athletic scholarship. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he made Dean's List and earned an International Law Certificate from the University of Dijon.

John is admitted to practice in United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States Supreme Court and the state courts of Pennsylvania and Mississippi. Mr. Monaghan carries an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.

Bernie Levinthal concentrates his civil litigation practice in the areas of toxic tort, medical malpractice, product liability, wrongful discharge, casualty claims, commercial and estate litigation. He has coordinated and supervised mass tort litigation and tried cases in a variety of venues for clients regionally and nationally.

Mr. Levinthal has served as a faculty member of the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program of The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and has presented at seminars on the topic of asbestos litigation and various aspects of trial practice.

He graduated from The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where he was a finalist in the intramural moot court competition, served as Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Board and was selected for the student trial advocacy program of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Bernie also served a summer clerkship for the Honorable Norma Shapiro in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Goldfein & Joseph, he was a staff attorney at the Nassau County, NY, Legal Aid Society, Criminal Division. Bernie earned his undergraduate degree from Temple University.

Mr. Levinthal is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland and has been admitted pro hac vice in numerous jurisdictions throughout the country. Mr. Levinthal carries an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.

Madhurika Jeremiah has extensive experience as a skilled civil litigator and has represented clients in state, federal and appellate courts.  She concentrates her practice in the areas of products liability, mass torts, environmental and commercial litigation.  Madhurika has achieved success in civil trials, disputing alleged claims in court; and obtaining summary judgments and outright dismissals prior to trial. Madhurika represents several companies and serves as national counsel to clients and oversees litigation in several jurisdictions.  Madhurika also handles contract disputes and commercial litigation cases.  

Madhurika graduated, cum laude, from, Widener University School of Law in 2005, where she was a Dean's Honors List student. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas, in 1996.  She is fluent in Tamil and Sinhalese.

She is a member of the State Bars of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is admitted to practice before the U.S District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Eric B. Greenberg, D.P.M., Esq., concentrates his practice representing individual doctors and healthcare professionals, as well as hospitals and medical institutions,  in the defense of medical and podiatric malpractice claims.  Eric also has extensive experience in the litigation of general liability matters.  His practice includes the representation of healthcare providers in disciplinary matters before state disciplinary boards.

Eric is a board certified podiatric physician and a frequent lecturer on topics involving legal issues at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, where he serves as a member of the Foundation Board.. He has also been a speaker at numerous seminars in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other states around the country on medical legal and risk management issues.  In August 2023 Dr. Greenberg was voted in  to serve as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Podiatric Medicine.  Prior to this appointment, Eric had served for 4 years as a member on the board.  The State Board of Podiatry is a governmental agency , in the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs,  which is responsible of regulating the practice of podiatry in Pennsylvania for approximately 1600 licensees.  

Eric received his B.A. degree from the Pennsylvania State University, his D.P.M. degree from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and his J. D. degree from the Delaware Law School of Widener University.

Eric is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States Tax Court and the state courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.     

Mr. Goldstein concentrates his practice in the areas of medical malpractice, toxic torts, insurance coverage, real estate, and commercial litigation claims.

He graduated from Drexel University’s Kline School of Law where he was an executive editor for the Drexel Law Review and published his note entitled, Guilty Until Proven Innocent: The Failure of DNA Evidence. During law school, Mr. Goldstein clerked for the Honorable Arnold L. New in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and served as an in-house legal intern for BDP International, Inc., a global logistics company.

Mr. Goldstein served as the Young Lawyer Division’s liaison to the Business Law Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association from 2020-2021, and was recognized as a Business Law “Bar Star” in 2021.  

Prior to law school, Mr. Goldstein earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Touro University in New York, and worked in broadcast journalism for nearly a decade prior to attending law school.

Mr. Goldstein is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania state court and in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Fredric Goldfein has over 30 years of national  experience in defending complex litigation involving casualty claims, insurance coverage, toxic tort, professional liability and commercial and real estate matters. He has particular expertise in asbestos litigation and has served as national coordinating counsel for several asbestos defendants. With his background in medical-legal  matters on behalf of healthcare providers and their insurers he has presented to many physician and health care provider groups  Having successfully defended hundreds of cases at trial and on appeal, he is frequently consulted for expert strategic litigation planning in complex and high profile cases.

Mr. Goldfein has lectured at numerous continuing legal education courses in Pennsylvania and New York and at national seminars on asbestos and toxic torts. Recent presentations include "Medical Malpractice and Risk Management - Lessons From a Litigator," "Litigation - Managing the Monster" and "Strategies for Giving Deposition and Trial Testimony." Mr. Goldfein has been published in the Temple Law Review, Business Insurance and Corporate Legal Times. For his successful defense of a First Amendment case involving a short-seller and a pharmaceutical company, he received national media coverage in Bloomberg and Barron's Technology Week and locally in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Legal Intelligencer. He authored the chapter entitled "Preparing for and Managing Effective Growth" in Strategies For Growing A Law Firm. In recognition of his professional excellence, the publishers of Law & Politics have named him to the list of "Pennsylvania Super Lawyers,"  as featured in Philadelphia magazine, a distinction reserved for only 5% of Pennsylvania's attorneys.  Mr. Goldfein graduated from Villanova University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York as well as before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the US District Courts in Pennsylvania and New York.  Mr. Goldfein carries an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.

Ms. Crimarki focuses her practice in the areas of workers' compensation and employment law and has over 25 years of experience.

Prior to joining Goldfein & Joseph, she was a Partner in a defense firm in Altoona, Pennsylvania where she represented employers and insurers. She has also served as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Hartford Insurance Group.

Ms. Crimarki received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she graduated summa cum laude. She received her law degree from Widener University in 1994.

Throughout her career, Ms. Crimarki has served as a faculty member for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute for various workers' compensation seminars. She has also previously served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania in the Graduate School of Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management.

Ms. Crimarki is admitted to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.

Karen Saraco Burns concentrates her practice in the defense of medical, podiatric and other complex malpractice claims, as well general liability matters. She has lectured to podiatry students on medical legal issues. Karen also focuses on post-trial and appellate matters and has extensively argued cases in the appellate courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, along with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Karen has successfully represented medical practice groups and hospitals in cases alleging negligence and corporate liability. She is also very skilled and experienced in dispute resolution and was a certified mediator for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. She also serves as the chairperson on several arbitration panels in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.  

Karen received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Temple University and her J.D. degree from Penn State Dickinson School of Law

She is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey and the state courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Roseann is a graduate of Temple University School of Law,  with an undergraduate degree from LaSalle University.  Roseann joined Goldfein and Joseph in 1985 and is now a shareholder and co-managing partner of the firm.  

Roseann concentrates her civil litigation practice in the defense of medical malpractice claims, long term care, continuing care communities, personal care and assisted living communities,  insurance casualty claims as well as insurance coverage and licensing issues.  In addition to physicians, advanced practice nurses and nurses in a variety of medical specialties, Roseann also represents healthcare providers across the continuum of care.

Roseann has presented multiple Continuing Medical Education courses and seminars to healthcare providers on issues related to litigation including but not limited to: documentation, depositions,  apology statutes, violence in the work place, data breaches, HIPAA and wounds.  Roseann has also been an instructor of a trial advocacy course at Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

Roseann is a member of many professional organizations such as RIMS, ASHRM, DRI, PLDF and PDI.

Roseann is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court of New Jersey, and the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Brenner carries an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.

Deborah Beck concentrates her practice in the defense of workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania, regularly appearing before Workers’ Compensation Judges, the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. An attorney for over twenty-six years, Ms. Beck is a certified Workers’ Compensation specialist as authorized by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Beck graduated with honors from Duquesne University School of Law where she served as a research editor for the Duquesne Law Review. Ms. Beck received her undergraduate degree from Gannon University. 

Ms. Beck has presented seminars on workers’ compensation issues and has taught continuing legal education seminars on the subject of workers’ compensation for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. She authored and co-authored numerous articles published in The Legal Intelligencer on the subject of emerging issues in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law.  

Ms. Beck served as secretary to the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section from 1999 to 2002, and as co-chair from 2003 to 2005. 

In 2017, Ms. Beck was selected to serve a three-year term as a council member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Law Section, which supports the exchange of information related to legal developments in workers' compensation law and acts as a liaison with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation to ensure that the interests of claimants, employers and the legal community are protected fairly in the regulatory, legislative and administrative processes. She was reelected as a council member in 2020 for another three-year term as a council member. In 2023, she was elected as Treasurer of the Workers’ Compensation Law Section. In addition, Ms. Beck has served on the following Committees of the Workers’ Compensation Law Section: Unpublished Opinion Committee since 2017 and on the Certification Committee since 2022. 

She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

After more than 40 years as primarily a sole practitioner Stephen Dicht has joined Goldfein & Joseph as “Of Counsel” to the firm.   Steve brings with him his extensive litigation and trial experience.  He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has tried cases to conclusion in the both State and Federal Courts. He has also arbitrated and mediated countless more. 

Steve earned his undergraduate degree from Temple University and his Juris Doctor from Delaware Law School of Widener University. He served for almost two years on the staff of United States Congressman Charles F. Dougherty, after which he entered private practice as a civil litigator. 

During the course of his career, Steve drew international attention and Steve appeared on Good Morning America, Inside Edition as well as several international outlets. Outside of the law Steve has served on the Voorhees Township Planning Board, the Educational Foundation and the Atlantic County Jewish Federation. He currently serves as a Commissioner on the Atlantic County Tax Board. Mr. Dicht carries an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.