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Heather C. Giordanella is counsel in the firm�s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. She has worked extensively on matters involving special master services, employment disputes, ERISA, commercial litigation and federal and state qui tam litigation.
Heather has acquired vast experience in the area of special master services. Specifically, she has assisted the special master Gregory P. Miller, appointed to oversee discovery in thousands of federal cases transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for coordinated and consolidated pretrial proceedings in the In Re: Diet Drugs (Phentermine/Fenfluramine/Dexfenfluramine) products liability litigation. In this role, Heather assists in developing discovery procedures, resolving discovery disputes and acting as a liaison between the district court and various parties.
Heather's work also has included defending against allegations of employment-related retaliation and sexual harassment, initiating claims against brokers and investment advisors on behalf of an insurance commissioner, litigating insurance coverage and breach of contract disputes and pursuing federal and state qui tam lawsuits involving health care fraud. Additionally, Heather has experience in evaluating and pursuing claims against ERISA plan fiduciaries, and she recently helped an ERISA-regulated employee benefits trust secure its right to operate a self-insured, risk-assuming preferred provider organization.
In General. Heather is an active member of the National Association of Women Lawyers, serving as a member-at-large on the executive board and as the co-chair of National Program Committee. In addition, she is a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, as well as the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession. Currently, Heather also is serving a three-year term as president of Temple University's Owl Club, which is an organization that promotes financial support for student-athletes who participate in the university's 24-sport varsity program. | 