Rhode Island – February 23, 2022 – Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC (PLDO) Managing Principal Gary R. Pannone announced that Regina M. Costa, Leah A. Foertsch and Patrick J. McBurney were promoted to Partner and LaTri-c-ea McClendon-Hunt was promoted to Senior Counsel.
“LaTri-c-ea, Regina, Leah and Patrick are all exemplary attorneys that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to delivering superb client service and legal excellence,” said Attorney Pannone. “We truly value all of their contributions, congratulate them on these well-deserved promotions and look forward to their continued success.”
Below are each of the Attorneys’ brief profiles:
Regina M. Costa, Partner
rcosta@pldolaw.com
Attorney Costa is a member of the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution and Special Masterships Teams. She is a highly respected civil rights lawyer and concentrates her practice as a member of the firm’s Special Mastership in Prison Monitoring Team for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, responsible for monitoring prison reform compliance and progress in the implementation of mandatory mental health screening, diagnosis and treatment of prisoners throughout the California prison system. Attorney Costa earned her J.D. from New England School of Law in Massachusetts. She graduated with a Masters of Social Work and a Master of Arts in Agency Counseling from Rhode Island College and earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from Stonehill College in Massachusetts. She is also certified as a mediator from the Center for Mediation & Collaboration Rhode Island and holds a certification in negotiations from Harvard School of Law, Harvard Negotiation Institute. Attorney Costa is admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in Rhode Island. For more information about Attorney Costa, visit Regina M. Costa Profile.
Leah A. Foertsch, Partner
lfoertsch@pldolaw.com
Attorney Foertsch is a member of the firm’s Estate and Trust Planning, Administration and Litigation Team in the firm’s Boca Raton, FL office. Her practice focuses on advising individuals and families in all areas of trust and estate planning and probate administration. In addition, she has extensive experience in representing individuals and businesses in asset protection, wealth management and tax strategies, and has managed multimillion-dollar real estate transactions, including structuring deals and providing title insurance for both commercial and residential properties. She has written extensively on topics in her practice area and is the co-author of The Trust Beneficiary’s Right of Access to Information, published in the Florida Bar Journal. Attorney Foertsch earned her J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law, her Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law, and her undergraduate degree in sociology from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. She is licensed to practice in Florida and is a member of the Florida Bar, Tax and Real Property, Probate and Trust sections. For more information, visit Leah A. Foertsch Profile.
Patrick J. McBurney, Partner
pmcburney@pldolaw.com
Attorney McBurney is a member of the firm’s Corporate & Business and Litigation Teams. He is an accomplished zoning and land use lawyer and litigator with significant experience helping clients navigate through the complex areas of federal, state and municipal policies and regulations regarding permitting, variance approvals and other zoning-related compliance matters such as special permitting applications, land acquisition and public project development. His practice also includes administrative and contract law including resolving breach of contract claims and mechanic lien disputes. He has extensive experience in the public and private sectors, including the construction industry, and routinely represents clients before state courts and agencies as well as municipal boards and authorities. For the past two years, he was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® as a Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch for his professional excellence in commercial litigation, and was named a Rhode Island Super Lawyers Rising Star, a distinction that recognizes the top 2.5 percent of Rhode Island lawyers under the age of 40 or those in practice for 10 years or less. Attorney McBurney graduated with a B.A. in Government from St. John’s University in Queens, New York, magna cum laude, and earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. For more information about Attorney McBurney, visit Patrick M. McBurney Profile.
LaTri-c-ea McClendon-Hunt, Senior Counsel
lmcclendonhunt@pldolaw.com
Attorney McClendon-Hunt is a member of the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution and Special Masterships Teams. She focuses her practice in Special Mastership in Prison Monitoring for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, responsible for monitoring prison reform compliance and progress in the implementation of mandatory mental health screening, diagnosis and treatment of prisoners throughout the California prison system. Attorney McClendon-Hunt is a highly skilled legal advisor and advocate for victims of domestic violence and has provided counsel and guidance to indigent populations in a wide range of areas as part of her client representation and volunteer work. For her professional excellence, Attorney McClendon-Hunt was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022 as a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the practice area of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Attorney McClendon-Hunt earned her J.D. from Appalachian School of Law where she was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Team and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Marquette University. She is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. For more information about Attorney McClendon-Hunt, visit LaTri-c-ea McClendon-Hunt Profile.
