Candice Komar, Esq. Chair

Candice L. Komar is a founding member of Pollock Begg, a leading Pennsylvania firm devoted exclusively to the practice of family law. She’s served as a member of the CLE Board since 2019. Prior to joining Pollock Begg, Candice was a shareholder in the family law division of Buchanan Ingersoll (now Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC).

Recognized as a skilled litigator and negotiator in matrimonial law, Candice handles divorces involving closely held businesses and high net worth individuals. She has considerable trial experience in Allegheny and surrounding counties and is a certified mediator and collaborative law practitioner.

Candice majored in English and business at the University of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law.

Throughout her career, she’s been active in the family law divisions of both her state and local bar associations. She currently serves as secretary of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section.

Candice is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, the Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She helped found the Pittsburgh chapter of the Matrimonial Inns of Court, where she served in various capacities.

Based on her aptitude for successfully crafting legal solutions leveraging the interests of both parties, Komar was voted 2022 Pittsburgh “Lawyer of the Year” in Family Law Mediation through The Best Lawyers in America peer review process. She’s been honored among the Pittsburgh Business Times Top 25 Women in Business and consistently is recognized on Super Lawyers’ Top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania and Top 50 Attorneys in Pittsburgh lists.

A sought-after speaker on negotiation and conflict resolution as well as a myriad of family law topics, Candice has lectured at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and various women’s leadership conferences. She has been featured in numerous publications and is a frequent guest on WPXI’s Pittsburgh Cable News Channel “NightTalk” and “Pittsburgh Now” programs.

Candice lives in Downtown Pittsburgh and is a dedicated supporter of the area’s cultural institutions. She is an active member of the Inspired Women Paying it Forward charitable giving circle as well as the United Way Women’s Leadership Circle.

Tuan Samahon, Esq. Vice Chair

Professor Tuan Samahon is a full-time legal educator and tenured faculty member at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law where he teaches civil procedure, constitutional law, and federal courts. His published scholarship has appeared in the Stanford Law Review, the University of Chicago Legal Forum, and Intelligence and National Security, among others. In 2017, Tuan served as a Fulbright Scholar in Croatia with the University of Zagreb’s law faculty.

In addition to his academic work, Tuan remains active as a litigator. He has briefed cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts, where he has handled separation-of-powers and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases. He has handled matters against the CIA, DOJ, FBI, and IRS, among others, on behalf of fellow academics, book authors, and journalists who sought the release of federal records. These documents have ranged from a draft undisclosed CIA history of the 1961 Bay of Pigs operation to FBI investigatory records about the theft and laundering by U.S. servicemen of the royal family of Hesse’s jewels.

Beyond his scholarship and litigated matters, Tuan is engaged in public service by interpreting and implementing federal law. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, and assisted individual members of Congress on questions of federal law. In 2020, the Archivist of the United States appointed Tuan to the FOIA Advisory Committee, where he advises the National Archives and Records Administration on FOIA reform. Locally, he assisted the federal court in Philadelphia with the selection of a new federal magistrate judge. Finally, Tuan is actively involved with the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania.

He is now pleased to join the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Over the years, he has taught numerous CLEs on constitutional and transparency law topics.

Tuan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, where he was jointly awarded the Olin Prize in Law and Economics and published his student scholarship in the Georgetown Law Journal, Law & Policy in International Business, and the Federal Communications Law Journal. Following graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and later the Honorable Jay S. Bybee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Tuan practiced law in the Washington, D.C. office of Covington & Burling.

Ana Gomez, Esq. Treasurer

Ana Paulina Gomez was appointed as Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, d/b/a/ Pennie® in January of 2023. As Chief Counsel, she oversees Pennie’s legal matters and provides legal advice to Pennie’s senior staff. Prior to her appointment, she worked for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where she represented the Department in litigation before administrative tribunals and appellate courts. She also provided the Department with legal advice regarding complex insurance issues, legislation, and regulations. Ms. Gomez is also an Adjunct Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law where she teaches Insurance Law. Prior to joining the Insurance Department, she worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Education where she litigated educator misconduct cases at the administrative and appellate level. Prior to joining the OGC, Ms. Gomez was an Assistant District Attorney at the York County District Attorney's Office from 2012 until 2015. Prior to her work as an ADA, Ms. Gomez clerked for the Hon. Thomas Kelley in York County immediately after graduating from law school. Ms. Gomez attended the Penn State Dickinson School of Law where she interned for the Hon. Yvette Kane, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and served as a Senior Editor for the Penn State Environmental Law Review and a Miller Center for Public Interest Fellow. Ms. Gomez is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is also a trained mediator.

Mark Milsop, Esq.

Mark E. Milsop is a 1989 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in speech communication. He then attended Duquesne University School of Law in 1992, where he earned his Juris Doctor and graduated with honors. During law school, Mr. Milsop was a member of the Law Review and Appellate Moot Court Society. He also interned with the Honorable Ralph J. Cappy of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Attorney Milsop knew early on that he wanted to be a courtroom attorney. He wanted to do work that was important, helpful and that makes a difference in people’s lives. Mr. Milsop believes the courtroom is a place where he can stand up for people.

Attorney Milsop joined Berger and Green, P.C. in 2007, where he proudly represents injured accident victims in personal injury claims including: car accidents, burn injuries, dog bites, slip and fall incidents, and wrongful death claims. Attorney Milsop has 25 years of experience. He believes in building trust with his clients, letting them know up front what the strengths and weaknesses of their case are, and how he plans to handle them. He understands that a serious injury can have a devastating impact on his client’s life. This compels attorney Milsop to work hard to make a recovery for his clients.

Attorney Milsop serves on numerous professional organizations including the Board of Governors of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA) of which he currently serves as secretary, the Local Rules Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA). He is also an elected member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County (ATLAC), where he served on the membership committee. Mr. Milsop is a former member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice’s Board of Governors and is the former chair of the PAJ’s Amicus Curiae Committee. He is also a board member and former President of the St. Thomas More Society (Catholic Lawyers). From 2011-2018 Attorney Milsop was named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer. These lawyers represent the top five percent of all lawyers in Pennsylvania in peer recognition and professional achievement. Most recently, Attorney Milsop was honored by his peers with the 2018 George F. Douglas Amicus Curiae Award.

Attorney Milsop has also written on the law, having served as a co-author of the Pennsylvania Automobile Litigation: Guideline and Forms for the Trial Lawyer, 3rd Edition. He also authors a regular Column -“By The Rules”- for WPTLA’s quarterly publication.

Mr. Milsop is licensed to practice in all Pennsylvania Courts as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Milsop likes to stay active in the legal community, writing on the law and advocating for laws that protect the rights of injured accident victims.

Mr. Milsop is proud to serve personal injury victims as an attorney with Berger and Green. He believes that it is important to focus on the fact that his clients have been victims of the carelessness of others. Attorney Milsop feels it is his role to see that his clients are treated fairly by the civil justice system.

Mark Powell, Esq.

Mark Powell is the District Attorney of Lackawanna County and is a member of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) Executive Committee. In 2018, he was named to the association’s Education and Training Committee and elected to the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute, the educational and training arm of the PDAA, in 2020. In addition, Powell serves as a faculty member for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in Washington, D.C., and was awarded its Teaching Excellence Award in 2016. Before being elected DA, he co-chaired the Lackawanna County Bench Bar Conference for several years and remains active on the Lackawanna Bar Association’s Educational Committee.
Prior to public service, Powell was a partner in the Powell Law firm in Scranton for 27 years. He earned many professional accolades, including the distinction of being a Board-Certified Trial Specialist in both criminal law and civil law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. While in private practice, Powell served on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the Board of Directors of the Northeastern PA Trial Lawyers Association. For 12 years, he served as a Hearing Committee member for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board and is a past president of Northeastern Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association where he received its highest award for his Exemplary Character and Compassion for Victims.
Powell earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, his Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and his Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy from the Temple University Beasley School of Law where he graduated with honors.

Barry Simpson, Esq.

Mr. Simpson has served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 1999 and also as the Pennsylvania Bar Institute executive director since 2018. As executive director, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 21,000-member professional association. He recently served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts Board of Directors and had previously served on the Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security, including serving as Secretary and Treasurer during his term. Prior to leading the PBA staff, Simpson was a partner for 16 years in the Pittsburgh firm of Brennan, Robins & Daley, where he managed the daily business operations of the firm and the legal and administrative staffs. He then became a shareholder in the Pittsburgh law firm of Ecker, Rome, Simpson and DeAngelis for ten years. While in Allegheny County, he was a member of the PBA House of Delegates and served as a delegate to the American Bar Association. He served as president of the Allegheny County Bar Association in 1998 and is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. In addition, he is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing Management from The Pennsylvania State University.

Kiandra D. Steffy, Esq.

Kiandra Steffy is Senior Counsel at Saxton & Stump practicing in the Labor and Employment, Title IX, Investigations and Commercial Litigation groups. She has experience with state and federal employment law and provides representation to employers in the investigation of allegations of discrimination, harassment, and other types of workplace misconduct. Kiandra also represents higher education entities in all aspects involving violations of Title IX.

Prior to joining Saxton & Stump, Kiandra focused her practice on fiduciary litigation, employment litigation and education law. She previously served as an Assistant City Solicitor with the City of Philadelphia Law Department as well as an arbitrator for the Office of District Court Administration in Lancaster, PA. Kiandra began her career by serving as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Dennis E. Reinaker.

As a participant of the Clemency Project 2014, which allows non-violent, low-level offenders to receive pro bono representation, Kiandra successfully petitioned for an incarcerated individual to receive a commuted sentence after being granted clemency by the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. She was the first member of the National Bar Association to file a successful petition for clemency.

Kiandra is an active member of the Lancaster community and has served in many leadership roles. She is currently Director at Large for the Lancaster Bar Association’s Board of Directors and serves as Chair of the Diversity Committee whose role is to strengthen and expand the LBA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the Lancaster legal community. Kiandra serves as a Board Member for The LINK Foundation which provides monetary grants to local non-profit organizations.

Honorable Clyde Waite

Howard Univ. (B.A.) 1968; Yale Law (J.D.) 1971; Bucks County Legal Aid Society Volunteer Atty. and Asst. Public Defender. 1971-72; Law Clerk Judge Edmund V. Ludwig, 1972; Law Clerk Judge Harriet M. Mims, 1977; Waite Real Estate Brokerage, 1979-2003; Solicitor Bristol Twp 1981; Solicitor Bucks County Ind. Dev. Auth. 1984; Partner, Stief, Waite, Gross, Sagoskin & Gilman, 1972-2003; Bucks County Bar Assoc. Bd Dir.; NAACP – Exec. Com.; Enterprise Zone of Bucks County – Pres.; Aldie Foundation Bd. Dir.; Bristol Twp. Ind. Dev. Corp. Founder; B. C. Bd. Realtors; Lower Bucks Cham. Com.; Bucks County Housing Group Pres. of Bd; Bucks County Playhouse Bd. of Dir.; Yardley Country Club Bd. Of Governors; B.C. Legal Aid Soc. Bd. of Dir.; PA State Planning Board/Futures Council; Kingswood Betterment Soc., Founder; Local Merit Judicial Selection Com.; Lower Bucks County Family YMCA Bd. of Dir.; St. Mary Hospital Authority – Bd. of Dir.; United Way of Bucks County. Elected Judge Court of Common Pleas Nov. 2003. Member of the Supreme Court’s Judicial Ethics Committee; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedures Committee; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Superior Court’s Pro Se (Unrepresented Litigant) Committee; Founder, Bucks County Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Libby A. White, Esq.

Libby A. White is a former Professor of Legal Writing at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Visiting Professor at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and Professor in the LSAC Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program. In addition to Legal Analysis, Writing, and Oral Advocacy, Professor White has taught Animal Law, Contracts, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, International Entertainment Law, Professional Responsibility, and Logic for Lawyers. Prior to teaching, she was a transactional and securities lawyer for Saul Ewing LLP, a sole practitioner in business law, and performed free-lance litigation overflow for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Civil Division). Currently, Ms. White works as a consultant for law firms to (a) train associates on transactional and litigation drafting and (b) advise on, negotiate, and draft contracts for their clients. Professor White is the author of articles on theater law, oral advocacy, legal analysis and writing, and pedagogy. She has also presented numerous seminars concerning oral advocacy, practical law practice, pedagogical practices, and legal writing. She is the author of “Fundamentals of Legal Writing and Lawyering,” and “Contract Drafting.”

Susan Affronti, Esq