Photo: SFIO CRACHO/Shutterstock.com

Speakers

John Fiorillo, an Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees attorney focused on real estate tax reassessments on commercial and residential properties in the Delaware Valley, was interviewed on how the assessment process works on MLTV-Main Line Network's "Legal Talk with Stacy Clark."

Fiorillo discussed key deadlines, key paperwork and how the entire assessment process works.

Fiorillo litigates real estate tax assessment controversies by representing property owners who challenge assessments on commercial and residential properties.

His experience includes analysis of property assessments and advocacy before administrative tax boards, in court and on appeal.

Fiorillo also defends property owners on complex constitutional law issues.

Fiorillo successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the tax assessment case of Downingtown Area School District v. Chester County Board of Assessment Appeals, which reestablished the concept of uniformity in real estate taxation in Pennsylvania.

In addition, Fiorillo serves as head of the Unruh Turner's creditors' rights practice and co-chair of the firm's litigation department.

In this regard, Fiorillo represents banks and other financial and lending institutions, trust companies, commercial landlords and leasing companies involved in collections, workouts, restructurings and insolvency litigation.

Fiorillo received his law degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in 1989.

He currently serves as vice president of the Chester County Bar Association.

Elected and Appointed

Zakia Elliott, program manager at Philadelphia Climate Works, and Shauna Itri, partner at Seeger Weiss, were elected to the board of directors of the Public Interest Law Center.

Elliott is a climate activist with advocacy experience that includes working with legislators and environmental professionals on climate planning and resilience in Providence, Rhode Island.

She was also a Southeast Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture.

She graduated from Brown University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies.

Itri leads litigation teams in complex fraud cases in both state and federal courts.

She focuses her practice on representing plaintiffs in various settings including securities and consumer class actions, antitrust and cases involving patient harm.

She also has experience representing whistleblowers in False Claims Act lawsuits and tax and securities whistleblowers with claims under the IRS and SEC whistleblower programs.

She earned her Juris Doctor from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

The Public Interest Law Center uses high-impact legal strategies to advance the civil, social and economic rights of communities in the Philadelphia region facing discrimination, inequality and poverty.

It uses litigation, community education, advocacy and organizing to secure access to resources and services.

Events

The American Bankruptcy Institute is slated to host a series of webinars over the next few days looking at the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 that went into effect Feb. 19.

The programs feature speakers looking at how the laws will create greater access to financial relief for consumers and small businesses seeking bankruptcy.

A panel is slated to discuss "Tools to Navigate the Financial Crisis Related to COVID-19" at noon April 6.

Panelists will include former U.S. House Speaker John A. Boehner of Squire Patton Boggs, Karol Denniston of Squire, Michael C. Eisenband of FTI Consulting, Brian Kennedy of FTI Consulting and Ed J. Newberry of Squire, speaking with moderator Stephen Lerner of Squire.

The panel will cover the most recent federal bailout programs and developments.

The panel will also discuss how best to successfully navigate the liquidity issues arising in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic.