About Us
Board of Directors
Brian K. Sims, Chair
Brian K. Sims, Esq. is the Staff Counsel
for Policy & Planning at The Philadelphia Bar Association. He works with
the Chancellor, Executive Director & Board of Governors to pursue and
implement the legislative and policy agenda of the Association. He attends
Legislative Liaison Committee meetings, assists in preparing testimony for
public hearings, and works with the Association’s Sections & Committees on
legislation pending at the local, state and federal levels.
Before joining the Bar Association, Mr. Sims practiced Disability Insurance Law
in
Mr. Sims is a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Law and
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from
Brian
can be reached at:
Brian
K. Sims, Esq.
Staff
Counsel for Policy & Planning
Phone:
(215) 238-6353
Fax:
(215) 238-1159
Larry Felzer, Treasurer
Larry Felzer, Esq. joined
He
previously was Associate Director at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania for 8
years, where he managed agency finances and operations, as well as assisting
clients and doing trainings on legal issues for social service and health care
providers. In 1994 Larry graduated from the evening division of Temple
University School of Law and his undergraduate Bachelor of Business
Administration is also from
He is
active on various Philadelphia Bar Association committees, is a member of the
executive board of the Temple Law Alumni Association and is chair of the board
of Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia (GALLOP). Larry was one of the
co-organizers of the first Gay Community Evening with the Phillies in August
2003.
Larry can be
reached at:
Phone:
(215) 701-3203
Fax: (215)
988-1243
lfelzer@seniorlawcenter.org
Robert P. Tuerk, Secretary
Robert Tuerk is licensed in
His legal
career has included handling various legal affairs of high profile clients,
events, and matters, including serving as general counsel of companies based in
Mr. Tuerk’s
volunteer activities include legal representation of children under the
Guardian Ad Litem program in Florida, assisting hurricane victims with various
legal concerns, serving upon a property association board and community group
committees, political campaign work, protection of historic districts, and
environmental clean up projects. He is one of the founding petitioners for the
creation of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s first LGBT attorney
committee.
Bob can be
reached at:
Robert P.
Tuerk, Esq.
Law Offices
of Robert P. Tuerk
2 Penn
Center,
(215)
854-4051
esq@tuerklaw.com
Eric Cheung, Director-At-Large
Eric Cheung is the Senior Attorney and Policy Analyst
at Clean Air Council, a nonprofit environmental group headquartered in
Prior to
working at the Council, Mr. Cheung was an Associate in the environmental group
of Drinker, Biddle and Reath, a Philadelphia-based law firm. Mr. Cheung has
volunteered extensively for both
Day
monitoring.
Mr. Cheung received his law degree
from the
Eric can be reached at:
Eric Cheung, Esq.
Senior Attorney / Policy Analyst
Clean Air Council
Phone:
(215) 567-4004 x114
Fax: (215)
567-5791
echeung@cleanair.org
Cletus P. Lyman, Director-At-large
Cletus P. Lyman, Esq. is the Principal
and Founder of Center City-based, Lyman & Ash. One of the founding mwembers
of GALLOP, Mr. Lyman has been involved in advancing LGBT Rights and the rights
of LGBT attorneys for decades.
In 2007, Mr. Lyman was awarded the Michael M. Greenberg Award for his
outstanding leadership, activism, and advoacy in memory of one of the founders of Philadelphia
Attorneys for Human Rights (PAHR) the predecessor organization to GALLOP.
A graduate of
Mr. Lyman can be reached at:
Cletus P.
Lyman, Esq.
Principal
Lyman &
Ash
Phone:
(215) 732-7040
Fax: (215)
732-2496
cletus@lymanash.com
Eric Wilensky, Immediate Past-Chair
Eric
Wilensky, Esq. is an associate with the Delaware Corporate Law
Counseling Group at the law firm of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnel LLP in
Eric has
assisted in providing advice to members of independent committees in the
context of potential transactions, and has assisted in the representation of
corporations generally in the implementation of stockholders’ rights plan,
interpretation of preferred stock terms, and determination of stockholder
voting requirements for both charter amendments and asset sales.
Eric is
actively engaged in the regional community and is a Past-Chair of GALLOP and
sits on the board of directors the ACLU-Delaware. He also devotes time
pro bono to Delaware Volunteer Legal Services.
Eric can be
reached at:
Eric
Wilensky, Esq.
Morris, Nichols,
Arsht & Tunnel LLP
Phone:
(302) 351-9169
Fax: (302)
498-6220
Ruth S. Uselton,
Ruth S. Uselton is an associate in the Litigation
Department at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. Ms. Uselton is a
graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (B.S. 2002), and
Ms. Uselton
is a contributing writer for the Lesbian/Gay Law Notes, a publication
that reports on LGBT and AIDS/HIV legal developments, and is the author of Critical Mass: Restricting Advocates’ Rights
Under the Community Reinvestment Act 53 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 299
(2009).
Prior to
joining Ballard Spahr, Ms. Uselton was a grant writer for the Women’s Sports
Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of girls and women
through sports and physical activity.
Ruth can be
reached at:
Ruth S.
Uselton
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP
1735 Market Street, 51st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7599
Direct 215-864-8633
useltonr@ballardspahr.com
Board Meetings are held each month and open to the public. If you would like to attend a Board Meeting, please contact Brian K. Sims at bsims557@yahoo.com.
GALLOP is supported entirely by its members, donors, supporters and other private contributors.
GALLOP is committed to:
Representation, Visibility and Advocacy Within the Legal Profession
In 1994, GALLOP secured a designated voting seat on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division. In 1997, GALLOP successfully lobbied the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association to create a special committee on the Legal Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men. Our representatives have also met with leaders of the legal community to improve relations with the courts, justice system, law firms, law schools and political forums.
Amicus Support
GALLOP files amicus curiae briefs in significant cases. Past cases have included the U.S. Supreme Court's review of the Colorado anti-gay initiative, Romer v. Evans, and a challenge to a Texas Sodomy Law, Lawrence v. Texas.
Community Educational Forums
GALLOP has hosted annual forums during Philadelphia's Equality Forum and at the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association's Lavender Law Conference.
Outreach to Other LGBT Organizations
GALLOP is represented at, and has co-sponsored events with, the national and local Freedom to Marry coalitions, the Domestic Partnership Coalition, Equality Forum, the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, the Greater Philadelphia Professional Network, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Delaware Valley legacy Fund, Equality Advocates, the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association, the ACLU of Delaware, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Area Physicians for Human Rights, PACE and various student groups at area law schools.
Domestic Partnerships Health Insurance
GALLOP is pleased to report that domestic partnership health insurance coverage is available from Philadelphia Bar Association-sponsored Independence Blue Cross insurance programs. Benefits are available through Colburn-Bertholon-Rowland Insurance Service. To learn more about available benefits and/or how to apply, contact Kathleen M. Geyer at (610)833-1800 x 3099.
Social & Networking Functions
GALLOP regularly hosts social events, parties and picnics as a means to build coalitions, exchange ideas and network within the lesbian and gay legal community, as well as other LGBT professional groups.