Philadelphia Bar Foundation Expands the Board of Trustees

New Trustees contribute to the organization’s interests in banking and real estate

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Bar Foundation welcomes Mark A. Gittelman, Esq. and Ira Lefton, Esq. to join their Board of Trustees. Gittelman and Lefton will share their expertise in banking and commercial litigation, respectively, as the Bar Foundation advances their mission of equal access to justice and develops the Equal Justice Center project in Philadelphia.

Lefton is a member of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot LLC, and focuses on litigation relating to real estate, construction and product liability. He is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association and provides pro bono assistance to a number of regional, statewide and national nonprofit organizations.

Gittelman is the Managing Chief Counsel of Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization for PNC Bank, National Association. He provides legal services for the bank's troubled loan portfolio and is also the former pro bono coordinator emeritus for the PNC Legal Department. Until 2017, Gittelman served as President of the Board of Directors of the Support Center for Child Advocates, one of the Bar Foundation’s nonprofit partners in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation is dedicated to promoting access to justice for all people in the community, particularly those struggling with poverty, abuse, and discrimination. We accomplish this mission by providing grants and technical assistance in support of quality legal services, addressing unmet legal needs and providing education on matters in the public interest. Through our various programs, services and partnerships, we remove barriers to justice, engage the community to support legal aid, and build system-wide capacity. www.philabarfoundation.org

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