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Speakers

Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman partner Marian A. Kornilowicz presented a CLE for the Jagiellonian Law Society comparing the U.S. Constitution to the Polish Constitution of May 3, the first modern and written constitution adopted in Europe. Elizabeth M. Zechenter, president of JLS, co-presented.

JLS is an organization of attorneys and legal professionals who are interested in the connection between Polish, Central European and American cultures.

The society works to promote and enrich the professional, cultural, educational and social interests of its members and foster understanding and respect between the countries, institutions and legal systems and organizations.

Membership is open to any legal professional with an interest in Polish culture.

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Kellie L. Rahl-Heffner, an attorney with Gross McGinley, was appointed to the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, an affiliate of the national nonprofit organization aimed at providing affordable housing to disadvantaged families.

As a board member, Rahl-Heffner will help guide the organization in its mission to provide local families the assistance they need to become homeowners, instilling a sense of stability within families throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley works alongside families in need.

Each family works directly with volunteers to contribute 250 hours to the construction of their future home.

Once construction is completed, volunteers stay in contact with the families, many of whom are first-time homeowners, helping them transition to home ownership.

To-date, the organization has constructed 120 homes for local families.

Rahl-Heffner is a family law attorney who focuses her work on legal matters including divorce, child custody and guardianship, child support and alimony claims, protections from abuse, and adoptions.

She assists her clients in designing prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and represents individuals and property owners in landlord-tenant matters.

She serves on the board of directors for the Allentown Chamber of Commerce as well as Pinebrook Family Answer. Rahl-Heffner also sits on the development committee for the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living and serves as a member of the LCCC Paralegal Program Advisory Committee.

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McNees Wallace & Nurick attorneys Pamela Polacek and Kathy Pape is scheduled to present at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Public Utility Law Conference in Harrisburg on May 30-31.

Polacek is to serve on the panel “Impact on Consumers, Climate and Communities,” which will discuss the challenges and opportunities for large energy consumers in Pennsylvania as the General Assembly and the PUC evaluate future developments in the electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater industries.

Pape is set to serve on the panel “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Act 12” and will address the history of fair value and original cost regulation in Pennsylvania.

She will speak on the economic and financial circumstances that prompted the passage of Act 12, which permits private utilities to pay for and earn on the fair market value of acquired municipal water or wastewater assets.

Polacek practices in the McNees energy and environmental practice group. She has experience in implementing electric supply competition in Pennsylvania and other states.

She advises clients regarding commercial, legal, regulatory and legislative opportunities and risks in the electric and natural gas industries.

She assists clients in analyzing and negotiating wholesale and retail natural gas and electricity contracts, as well as addressing other utility service requirements.

In addition, she represents and advises cable telephony providers, local exchange carriers and interexchange carriers.

Pape practices in the McNees government relations and public finance and government services practice groups.

As a prior CEO, she works to find long-term solutions for her municipal clients through collaboration with state government and the private sector.

She provides counsel to state and municipal governments and businesses in public finance, government funding, utility regulation and partnership structures among state and local governments and business.