Greenblatt, Pierce, Engle, Funt & Flores, LLC (GPEFF), is pleased to announce that two of its attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 (Copyright 2017 by Woodward/White, Inc. of Aiken SC). Michael J. Engle was selected in the area of Criminal Defense: General Practice, and Patricia V. Pierce was selected in the area of Employment Law – Individuals.
One of Philadelphia’s top criminal defense lawyers, Michael J. Engle is chair of the firm’s white-collar criminal defense practice and his experience has included cases ranging from typical state court matters to complex white-collar investigations and prosecutions. A Fellow of the prestigious American Board of Criminal Lawyers, Michael has handled numerous cases in Pennsylvania state courts as well as federal courts throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. His clients include individuals, professionals, public officials, as well as corporate clients. As a recent Past President of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL), Michael has also represented the interests of criminal defense attorneys throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as the co- chair of PACDL’s white collar practice committee as well as the CLE committee. Michael frequently lectures at seminars for both attorneys and judges on criminal law, criminal procedure and advanced trial strategy. He is a published author of three academic articles in the fields of sociology and criminology, and he is also a frequent lecturer at Villanova University where he speaks on serial murder. A summa cum laude graduate of Villanova University, Michael received his law degree from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
Patricia V. Pierce heads the firm’s Employment Law Practice and co-chairs the Civil Rights Practice. She represents employees and consumers in individual, class and collective civil litigation in employment, civil rights and consumer protection matters. In addition, Patricia provides advice, training and representation to select small businesses and non- profit corporations in EEO and personnel matters. She is a frequent author and lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Defender Association of Philadelphia and a past President of the Board of Directors of Women Organized against Rape. Patricia began her legal career as a criminal lawyer with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, where she represented indigent criminal defendants in matters ranging from retail theft to rape and attempted murder. She has remained committed to advocating for the rights of others, having represented victims of sexual assaults, police abuse, workplace discrimination and civil rights violations. Among her career highlights, Patricia secured a $2.5 million verdict on behalf of a sales manager who was sexually harassed at work; a $300,000 verdict for a client who was subjected to ethnic harassment; and with Greenblatt, Pierce, Engle, Funt & Flores criminal defense lawyer James Funt, a $4 million verdict against the University of Pennsylvania on behalf of a former School of Dental Medicine faculty member; as well as numerous other notable verdicts and settlements. Patricia received her undergraduate and law degrees from Rutgers College of Arts & Sciences (B.A. 1973, magna cum laude) and Rutgers School of Law (J.D. 1976, magna cum laude), respectively.
Founded over 20 years ago as an aggressive criminal defense law practice, Greenblatt, Pierce, Engle, Funt & Flores is an established, full-service law firm with experienced attorneys skilled in all areas of criminal, employment, civil, and family law. The firm has offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more information on the firm or its attorneys, please see www.gpeff.com
