Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC Launches ADR Group

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC is proud to announce the launch of its Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. Co-Chaired by Hon. Robert Freedberg and Hon. Leonard Zito, the group provides a wide range of arbitration and mediation services.

Judge Freedberg says, “In addition to serving as mediators and arbitrators at moderate rates designed to make our services accessible for most litigants in your community, we are available to conduct practice Appellate Court arguments and to assist with Appellate Brief preparation.”

Judge Zito adds, “With our many years of experience and our deep bench, we handle many different kinds of cases including personal injury, professional negligence, products liability, business disputes, divorce/equitable distribution, decedent estates, real estate, construction disputes, and nursing home negligence.”

Judge Freedberg graduated from Lafayette College in 1966 and Columbia University School of Law in 1969. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1969. He is admitted to practice in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the Common Pleas bench in 1979 and retained for additional terms in 1989 and 1999. The Northampton County Bar Association voted for his retention 290-3 in 1989 and 218-1 in 1999. He served as President Judge from 1991 to 2008. Governor Rendell appointed him to the Superior Court in 2008 where he served until 2012 when his term expired. During his twenty-seven years on the trial bench, he presided at hundreds of jury and non-jury trials, thousands of hearings, and settled hundreds of cases. Prior to serving as a judge, he had a general practice and served as an Assistant District Attorney and Municipal Solicitor. Since 2012, he has been Of Counsel to Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC focusing on civil litigation, representing a municipal authority, and serving as a Mediator-Arbitrator.

Judge Zito graduated from Scranton University in 1968 and Villanova University School of Law in 1971. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1971 and is admitted to the Bars of the United States Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the United States Tax Court. After appointment to the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, he was elected to a full term in 2008. He has presided in the full range of trial court matters including complex civil jury and bench trials, criminal trials, Family Court and Orphans Court cases. He served as Administrative Judge of Criminal Court and was Settlement Judge from 2016 to 2019. He has successfully mediated hundreds of cases. Prior to his judicial services, he had an active practice focused on civil litigation, representation of businesses, environmental law, general practice, and service as a Municipal and Zoning Solicitor. He is Of Counsel to the firm.