PHILADELPHIA, January 20, 2026—Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that it has promoted 14 senior associates to special counsel. These newly named special counsel are:
Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group: Drew S. McGehrin, Philadelphia
Corporate Practice Group: Matthew W. Gaspari, Chicago; Kristine E. Marsilio, Philadelphia
Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group: Danielle M. Dwyer, Philadelphia; Guilherme Massetti, Boca Raton; Tyler Zmick, Chicago
Intellectual Property Practice Group: Meghan C. Killian, San Francisco
Real Estate Practice Group: Cristina T. Sanchez, Miami
Trial Practice Group: Laurie G. Furshman, Baltimore; Tyson E. Hafen, Las Vegas; Oliver Kent, London; Arjun D. Shah, Northern New Jersey; Morgan L. Swing, Miami; Timothy J. Witczak, San Francisco
“It is always a privilege when we are able to announce promotions in our firm, which reflect our healthy, robust enterprise that is growing beyond our existing boundaries to embrace new skill sets and depth,” said Matthew A. Taylor Duane Morris Chairman and CEO. “In that regard, the special counsel role at Duane Morris is an exceptional proving ground and a meaningful elevation for talented attorneys. It is not only a strategically important role at the firm, but also a big career move for each new special counsel. Drawn from six different practice groups and nine offices, the group comprising this year’s class have been elevated based on rigorous review and diligence.”
Danielle M. Dwyer is a well-versed management-side employment attorney who helps organizations navigate complex workplace challenges with practical, business-focused solutions. She advises clients across a wide range of industries including staffing, technology, healthcare, gaming, nonprofits, education, manufacturing, food service, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and more on discrimination and harassment prevention, leave and disability management, wage-and-hour compliance, workforce restructuring and sensitive internal investigations. Dwyer also drafts and implements employment policies, employee handbooks, and all forms of employment agreements including executive, severance, arbitration, confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreements, ensuring organizations are legally compliant as well as strategically sound. She partners closely with leadership and HR teams to address issues before they escalate, providing guidance that balances legal exposure with business objectives. Dwyer also represents employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies, handling claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, disability, medical leave, wage-and-hour and breach of contract. She manages all phases of employment litigation, from factual investigations to discovery, motion practice and trial strategy.
Dwyer is a graduate of Rutgers Law School (J.D., 2014), where she was executive editor of the Rutgers Law Review, and the Pennsylvania State University (B.A., highest honors, 2011).
Laurie G. Furshman is a trial attorney representing clients in commercial, maritime/transportation, financial services and business litigation matters in federal and state courts. Her recent significant maritime/transportation work includes representation of the M/V DALI vessel interests in connection with its allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, in March 2024 as well as a major dispute involving transportation contracts that generated hundreds of millions of dollars of annual revenue. Furshman serves as litigation counsel for several CMBS and RMBS servicers, lenders and industry players in lender liability and loan enforcement litigation. She has represented clients in a wide variety of complex commercial disputes and individual matters, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and business torts. Furshman has experience in all phases of civil litigation, including pre-litigation strategy and alternative resolution, writing and arguing motions, discovery, working with experts, drafting settlement agreements, mediations and appellate briefing and oral argument. She has also counseled clients on large-scale product recalls and reporting obligations under the laws enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Furshman served as an associate liaison on the core team of the firm’s Transportation, Automotive and Logistics Industry Group.
Furshman is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2010), where she was associate comments editor of the University of Baltimore Law Review and a member of the Heuisler Honor Society. She is also a graduate of Gettysburg College (B.A., magna cum laude, 2007), where she was a captain of the women’s D-III collegiate lacrosse and soccer teams.
Matthew W. Gaspari represents both lenders and borrowers in a wide variety of debt financing transactions including asset-based lending transactions, cash flow financings, acquisition financings, syndicated transactions, real estate transactions, sponsor backed private equity transactions, bridge debt facilities and corporate restructurings. His practice includes the representation of commercial banks, private equity funds, financial institutions, non-bank lenders, leasing companies, private and public businesses and other participants in the financial services industry. In addition to a traditional lending practice, Gaspari’s practice also extends to reorganization, bankruptcy and out-of-court workout transactions, where he represents both agents and lenders in syndicated credit transactions. His experience spans various industries and specialty lending, including recurring revenue financing, manufacturing, tech, medical devices, insurance premium financing, and domestic and cross-border sale, lease and financing transactions involving commercial aircraft and railcars.
Gaspari is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2016), where he was editor-at-large of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, and the University of Wisconsin (B.A., 2011).
Tyson E. Hafen practices primarily in business and commercial litigation with a focus in banking, contractual disputes and insurance coverage related matters. His recent successes include obtaining a complete defense verdict in a $5 million jury trial, winning a $6.5 million judgement in a shareholder derivative action and prevailing on multiple appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court. Hafen concentrates his practice in representing the financial services industry, which includes international and community banks, loan service companies and insurance companies. His insurance coverage practice includes representation of insurers in high-stakes coverage litigation arising from construction, environmental, product liability and Covid-19 related business interruption claims. He also frequently handles litigation involving online gaming companies, commercial receiverships and the defense of personal injury, wrongful death, and sexual assault related claims. Hafen has jury and bench trial experience and currently represents clients in state (Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Oregon), federal and tribal courts.
Hafen is a graduate of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2012), where he was executive text editor of the Utah E. Law Review, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business (MBA, 2012) and Brigham Young University (B.S., with highest honors, 2009), where he was co-editor of the BYU Pre-Law Review. He was appointed as a trustee of the Nevada Bar Foundation in 2025 and is also serving as chairman of the State Bar of Nevada’s Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Sub-Section. Hafen is a past chairman of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Business Law Committee and served on the executive board of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Inn of Court for eight years.
Oliver Kent practices in the area of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with a focus on product liability and consumer law, particularly in the automotive and technology sectors. He has experience advising manufacturers in all manner of contentious disputes, ranging from defense of court and arbitration proceedings (often including international aspects), complex group actions, to regulatory and other proceedings, including recall actions under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Kent has experience advising technology and other companies in an array of matters, ranging from disputes surrounding application development to compliance with consumer protection and other laws. On an international level, he has experience assisting a wide variety of clients in relation to foreign proceedings and cross-border arbitration. In addition, Kent advises on matters such as the service of foreign proceedings, the taking of evidence (both discovery and oral testimony) from English witnesses for the purposes of foreign proceedings under the Hague Convention and the enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitration awards (including ICSID awards) in England and Wales.
Kent is a graduate of the College of Law, Bloomsbury (LL.B., 2012), and the University of York (B.A., 2010).
Meghan C. Killian practices in the area of intellectual property law with a concentration on trademarks, copyrights and right of publicity. She represents and counsels clients in a wide variety of industries including medical devices, travel services, engineering services, food and beverage, entertainment, cannabis, and toys and games on a broad range of issues related to trademarks, copyrights, brand protection, as well as right of publicity. Killian has been involved in the litigation of cases involving a broad range of claims, including trademark and trade dress infringement, trademark dilution, federal and common law unfair competition, false advertising, breach of contract and libel in both state and federal court. Her trademark litigation experience also includes opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Killian negotiates, reviews and drafts trademark and copyright licenses and assignments, trademark co-existence agreements, settlement agreements, marketing services agreements, sponsorship, influencer and talent agreements. She also has experience negotiating, reviewing and drafting various other agreements including intellectual property purchase agreements, software licenses, software development agreements, nondisclosure agreements and independent contractor agreements.
Killian is a graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2015), where she was staff editor of the Intellectual Property Law Bulletin and a board member of the University of San Francisco Moot Court Board. She is also a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A., with honors, 2010).
Kristine E. Marsilio is a member of the firm’s Gaming Industry Group. She represents companies engaged in all facets of the gaming industry, advising on a broad range of corporate and regulatory matters. Marsilio has extensive experience assisting clients in securing the approvals and licenses required to conduct gaming operations, including i-gaming, sports wagering and daily fantasy sports. Marsilio regularly drafts comprehensive legal opinions analyzing the legality of gaming operations under applicable federal law, as well as the laws and regulations of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, she has developed a practice in preparing terms of use, sweepstakes rules and related documentation for a wide variety of products and services. Her knowledge extends beyond traditional gaming operations to encompass emerging and related sectors, such as “freemium” and sweepstakes platforms, as well as card-breaking operations. Marsilio also advises clients on legal and regulatory issues involving gaming activities conducted on cruise ships, providing guidance tailored to the unique jurisdictional and operational considerations of maritime gaming.
Marsilio is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2013), where she was senior staff editor of the Law Review, and Ithaca College (B.S., magna cum laude, 2009). She serves as the co-vice chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Gaming Law Committee.
Guilherme Massetti counsels U.S. and global companies on a full range of corporate immigrant and nonimmigrant matters, including petitions for new-hire employees, intracompany transferees and individuals of extraordinary ability. He also guides clients through the labor certification application process, adjustment of status applications and U.S. naturalization. Massetti has extensive experience preparing complex legal briefs and memoranda, including responses to audits from the Department of Labor and USCIS-issued requests for evidence. He has represented clients across various industries, including software development, financial services, management consulting, universities and healthcare institutions.
Massetti is a graduate of Boston University School of Law (J.D., 2018) and Florida Atlantic University (B.A., magna cum laude, 2011). He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and is an active member of the firm’s Pro Bono Program.
Drew S. McGehrin practices in the areas of commercial finance, financial restructuring and bankruptcy and is a member of the firm’s Banking and Finance Industry Group. He represents institutional lenders, commercial banks and borrowers in various financial transactions, including secured and asset-based lending, real estate mortgage loans and cross-border financings, as well as complex commercial reorganizations and out-of-court workouts. McGehrin also counsels debtors, insurance companies, trustees, creditors’ committees and other clients in all aspects of federal bankruptcy proceedings and represents their interests in proceedings pending throughout the United States. He is listed as an “Associate to Watch” by Chambers USA in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring. McGehrin served as a representative on the firm’s Associates Committee.
McGehrin is a graduate of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2016), where he was managing editor of student works for the Villanova Environmental Law Journal, and the Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College (B.A., with honors, 2013).
Cristina T. Sanchez focuses her practice in the area of commercial leasing and commercial real estate finance. She has experience drafting complex commercial leases, subleases and assignments or other transfers of retail and office space. Sanchez also has experience representing lenders in all aspects of real estate financing, including the negotiation, documentation and closing of commercial loan transactions. She has served as commercial leasing counsel for ownership acting as an international commercial investment advisor to funds, REITs and pensions, with a focus on day-to-day ownership decisions and legal actions, including retail and office lease negotiations at approximately 70 medium- to regional-sized retail shopping centers in multiple U.S. states. Sanchez also has served as landlord’s counsel in connection with anchor and junior anchor deals (new leases, expansions, contractions, relocations, extensions, assignments, collateralizations for debt and assignments) at multiple shopping centers across the United States.
Sanchez is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 2013), where she was contributing editor and associate editor of the Journal of Race and Law, and Barnard College, Columbia University (B.A., cum laude, 2010).
Arjun Shah is an experienced litigator with more than a decade of experience handling complex, high-stakes matters. He has successfully represented a diverse array of corporate and individual clients in federal and state courts throughout all stages of litigation. Shah has deep knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge, sophisticated e-discovery issues and technologies, which has enabled him to serve as national discovery counsel for a Fortune 500 energy company in high-profile climate change litigation across the country. Shah has helped clients develop successful strategies to defend against environmental liability claims, including those brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, New Jersey’s Spill Act and New York’s Navigation Law. He also has extensive class action and consumer claims experience, successfully representing parties in actions brought under the laws that make up the Consumer Credit Protection Act, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, Truth in Lending Act, Electronic Funds Transfer Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
Shah is a graduate of Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2012), where he was managing editor of the Emory International Law Review, and Rutgers University (B.A., cum laude, 2009).
Morgan L. Swing is a litigator in the firm’s Trial Practice Group with significant experience handling a wide-variety of complex and high-stakes commercial litigation in federal and state courts. She represents international, national and local companies as well as individuals in multiple industries, including Fortune 500 companies, mid-cap companies, institutional lenders, commercial banks and borrowers, small businesses, family businesses and high net-worth individuals in all stages of litigation, including mediation and through trial and appeal, throughout the United States. Swing represents her clients in a wide range of subject areas, including real estate, contract disputes, lender and workout disputes, securities fraud, construction, corporate governance disputes, partnership disputes, consumer products, media and constitutional matters. She also advises clients in pre-litigation disputes.
Swing is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School (J.D., 2005) and Yale University (B.A., cum laude, 2002). She is fluent in Spanish and proficient in French and Portuguese. Swing previously served as co-chair of the firm’s Associates Committee, serves as a liaison for the firm’s Fashion, Retail and Consumer Branded Products Industry Group and is an active member of the firm’s Pro Bono Program. Among other things, she has also served as a representative for the Yale Alumni Assembly and served on the committees of numerous community organizations, including the United Way of Miami-Dade. She is a graduate of the Leadership Miami program.
Timothy J. Witczak focuses primarily on insurance coverage matters. He represents insurers on a national basis in complex, high-exposure cases, which often involve novel legal issues. Witczak’s practice spans a wide range of coverages, with an emphasis on construction claims, including construction defects, delay damages, breach of contract and breaches of professional standards of care. He is often retained to identify risks early in disputes and to monitor claims among project owners, general contractors, licensed professionals and other participants. Witczak’s background in construction litigation is particularly useful in providing advice with respect to construction professional liability policies and protective loss and indemnity. In addition to his insurance work, he maintains an active commercial litigation practice, representing clients in business and real estate disputes involving breach of contract, tort, fraud and the California False Claims Act. Witczak has participated in all stages of litigation, including conducting and defending depositions and arguing motions in state and federal courts.
Witczak is a graduate of Boston College Law School (J.D., 2011) and Loyola University Chicago (B.A., magna cum laude, 2008).
Tyler Zmick is a member of the firm’s Class Action Defense Group. Clients turn to him for representation in complex privacy and consumer-related class actions and in individual and complex claims arising under federal and local employment laws, such as Title VII, the Fair Labor Standards Act and federal labor laws. Zmick defends companies in class action litigation involving the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and counsels them on the rapidly evolving landscape of privacy legislation, including biometric-specific statutes and broader information privacy statutes. He also represents employers in complex discrimination and wage-and-hour cases, and he has defended clients with a national presence in numerous industries, including health care, retail and e-commerce, telecommunications, food processing, finance and transportation.
Zmick is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2016), where he was articles editor of the University of Illinois Law Review, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison (B.A., 2008).
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
