Attorneys

SHAUNA BARNASKAS | sbarnaskas@abatolaw.com

Shauna Barnaskas is a shareholder in Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been with the firm since October, 2015. Growing up in Iowa to a union family, Shauna has experienced first-hand the multiple facets of labor law. Her deep-rooted interest helps serve her clients and provide them with a comprehensive approach and viewpoint. Ms. Barnaskas concentrates her practice in the representation of Taft-Hartley plans, including compliance and litigation on behalf of those clients, and assists on a broad range of issues including delinquent contributions, withdrawal liability, fiduciary responsibilities, qualified domestic relations orders, and enforcement of plan terms.

Ms. Barnaskas is admitted to the bar in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. She is a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, the Labor and Employment section of the Maryland Bar Association, and a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Prior to joining Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A. Shauna served as a law clerk for the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (“HELP”) Committee where she was a contributing author of the committee staff report, "For Profit Higher Education: The Failure to Safeguard the Federal Investment and Ensure Student Success." Additionally, Ms. Barnaskas was selected for the coveted Peggy Browning Fellowship program where she worked for the American Federation of Teachers, and she previously served as a volunteer attorney for Workplace Fairness.

Ms. Barnaskas earned her B.A. degree in 2011 as a double major in Political Science and Corporate Communications, graduating magna cum laude from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. She earned her law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2014. While at American University Washington College of Law, Shauna served as the Articles Editor of the Labor and Employment Law Forum.

COREY SMITH BOTT | csbott@abatolaw.com

Corey Smith Bott is a shareholder in Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been with the firm since March, 1999. She concentrates her practice in the representation of Taft-Hartley welfare and pension plans. Ms. Bott’s practice involves all aspects of representation of employee benefit plans, including plan design and amendment, compliance with federal regulation, fiduciary responsibility, litigation related to collection of employee benefit plan contributions and assets, enforcement of employee benefit plan terms, and creditor representation in matters under Chapters 7, 11 and 13 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Corey Bott is admitted to practice before all of the courts of the State of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Bott is a member of the Labor and Employment and Estates and Trusts Sections of the Maryland Bar Association, and is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Ms. Bott earned her B.A. degree in Political Science from Miami University in 1994, and was on the Dean’s List in 1991 and 1993. She earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1998 where she served as President of the Women’s Bar Association, and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

KIMBERLY L. BRADLEY | kbradley@abatolaw.com

Kimberly L. Bradley is a shareholder with the law firm Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has worked with Taft-Hartley plans since 1990. Ms. Bradley focuses her practice on the representation of Taft-Hartley pension, welfare, annuity, safety, education, drug testing, training and scholarship plans in a wide variety of industries. In addition, she serves as trustee to the firm’s profit sharing/401(k) plan.

Kim Bradley is admitted to practice before all of the courts of the State of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the Estates and Trusts Section of the Maryland Bar Association, the Labor and Employment Section of the American Bar Association, and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Ms. Bradley has appeared as a speaker at Midwinter Meetings of the ABA’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits and at various conferences of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. She is a contributing author of the Employee Benefits Law treatise.

Ms. Bradley graduated from Duke University in 1989, where she was awarded B.A. degrees in English and Political Science. She earned her J.D. degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1995, where she served as Notes Editor of the Journal of International Law and Trade.

PATRICK CIOCIOLA | pciociola@abatolaw.com

Patrick A. Ciociola is an associate with Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been with the firm since January 2020. Growing up in Baltimore in a union family, Patrick has a deep connection to organized labor. This perspective allows Patrick to connect with and service the firm’s clients in a unique and holistic way.

Mr. Ciociola works in the firm’s Labor Practice Group and represents a variety of unions in the Mid-Atlantic region in a wide range of traditional labor law matters. Mr. Ciociola’s practice also includes the representation of ERISA plans in the areas of compliance and litigation matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ciociola served as a civil litigator for seven years at one of the largest law firms in Baltimore City. In this position, Mr. Ciociola represented working people who were harmed in personal injury, toxic tort, environmental exposure, and asbestos cases. Mr. Ciociola is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Ciociola earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Gettysburg College in 2010, graduating magna cum laude. He earned his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2013, graduating cum laude. While in law school, Mr. Ciociola served as a Rule 16 attorney in the Baltimore City Landlord-Tenant Clinic.

BRIAN G. ESDERS | besders@abatolaw.com

Brian G. Esders is a shareholder with Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been with the firm since August, 2008. Mr. Esders concentrates his practice in the representation of multi-employer welfare and pension plans as well as representing unions in traditional labor law matters. His practice involves litigation relating to collection of employee benefit plan contributions, enforcement of plan terms, creditor representation in bankruptcy matters, as well as collective bargaining negotiation and disputes concerning collective bargaining agreements.

Brian Esders is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and is admitted to practice before all Maryland state courts, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Esders is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Prior to joining Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, Mr. Esders represented hospitals in matters relating to health insurance coverage and benefits.

Mr. Esders is a 2002 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where he earned a B.S. in Business. Mr. Esders graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2005 and was a member of the Law Review.

STEPHEN W. GODOFF | sgodoff@abatolaw.com

Stephen W. Godoff has been of counsel to Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, since 2004. Mr. Godoff has represented labor unions and union members since 1983. He currently represents Local Union affiliates of, among others, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). He has been the union’s principal spokesperson in negotiations for some 150 collective bargaining agreements in the healthcare and hospitality industries.

Steve Godoff is licensed to practice law in Maryland and in the District of Columbia. He was listed in the publication The Best Lawyers in America for each year from 2007 through 2013, and Maryland Super Lawyers for each year from 2008 through 2012.

Mr. Godoff is a 1964 graduate of Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a 1968 graduate of the Boston University School of Law. He also holds a Masters Degree in Law from George Washington University.

H. VICTORIA HEDIAN | vhedian@abatolaw.com

H. Victoria Hedian was formerly the president of Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, where she practiced law from 1984 until 2015. Currently she is of counsel to the firm. She has represented local and international unions and employees in arbitrations, negotiations, administrative hearings, and federal and state court litigation since 1980. Ms. Hedian negotiated collective bargaining agreements on behalf of members employed as nurses, musicians, garment and clothing workers, textile workers, truck drivers, warehouse and logistics workers, and automobile processors.

Vickie Hedian has appeared as a speaker at Annual Meetings and CLE Conferences of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law and at Midwinter Meetings of the Section’s Committee on the Development of the Law under the National Labor Relations Act. She was a panelist at the 2003 annual meeting of the National Academy of Arbitrators, and has presented papers at AFL-CIO Lawyers Conferences and at the International Conference of Teamsters Lawyers. She has served as a faculty member at seminars presented by the American Arbitration Association on collective bargaining, grievance processing and mediation, drug testing, arbitration case preparation and presentation, advanced arbitration advocacy. In 2013 she spoke at a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service symposium on ethics for arbitrators and advocates. She has taught union classes on labor history, civil rights laws, grievances and arbitrations, and contract costing, and has appeared as a guest lecturer on various labor law topics at the law schools of the University of Baltimore and University of Maryland.

Ms. Hedian graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia in 1976 with a B.A. degree with high distinction in English and Russian language and literature. She earned a J.D. degree with honor from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1980. Martindale-Hubbell has awarded her and her firm an AV rating. She was listed in the The Best Lawyers in America for each year from 2007 through 2015, and Maryland Super Lawyers for each year from 2007 through 2015. She was on the Board of Directors of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee from 2005 until 2008, and is an associate editor of the treatise The Developing Labor Law. In 2007 she was elected as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

JAMES R. ROSENBERG | jrosenberg@abatolaw.com

James R. Rosenberg is the president of Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he represents local union affiliates of, among others, International Longshoremen’s Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Amalgamated Transit Union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Sheet Metal and Related Trades, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers, American Federation of Musicians, International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Service Employees International Union and United Food and Commercial Workers in negotiations, arbitrations, state and federal court litigation and before the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to joining Abato, Rubenstein and Abato in 1996, Mr. Rosenberg worked for the NLRB as a field attorney with Region 5 in Baltimore and as a staff attorney with the Office of Appeals in Washington, D.C. In addition, Mr. Rosenberg worked as an in-house attorney for the Road Sprinkler Fitters Union, Local 669, U.A. Mr. Rosenberg also worked for 10 years for Giant Food where he was a member of UFCW Local 400.

Jim Rosenberg is a member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee and the Labor and Employment Research Association. He has made presentations at various bar association functions, at union business agent and shop steward training seminars and as a guest lecturer at Dundalk Community College. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has received an "av" rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Rosenberg is a 1983 graduate of the University of Maryland, where he received a B.A. in Economics, and a 1988 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law where he received his J.D. degree.

PAUL DOUGLAS STARR | pstarr@abatolaw.com

Paul Starr is a shareholder with Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, P.A., where he represents local union affiliates of, among others, International Longshoreman’s Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Amalgamated Transit Union, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in contract negotiations, arbitrations, in state and federal court litigation, and before the National Labor Relations Board.

In addition to his traditional labor law practice, Paul is fund counsel to several Taft-Hartley employee benefit funds, including both construction industry and non-construction industry pension and health and welfare funds.

Paul is admitted to the bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Oregon (inactive), and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the District of the District of Columbia, the Western District of Michigan as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth and Sixth Circuits. He is a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, the Labor and Employment Section of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Maryland Chapter of the Labor and Employment Research Association, and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Paul is a 1988 graduate of Ithaca College, where he received a B.A. in English Literature, and a 1992 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law. Prior to joining Abato, Rubenstein and Abato, in 1997, he was legal counsel to the United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment, in Washington, D.C.