The Attorneys at Lavanga Law
Michael A. Lavanga, Esq
(215)680-7972 | mlavanga@lavangalaw.com
Michael Lavanga is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. He grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and moved to Bucks County in 1984. While living in Bucks County, he was active in local politics, and ran for the Council Rock School Board in 1995, Northampton Township Supervisor in 1997, and for Pennsylvania State Representative in 2004. He also served as an officer on the Signal Hill Condominium Association and the Village Shires Community Association from 2001 through 2007.
A graduate of Council Rock North High School, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Villanova University and his Juris Doctor degree from the Temple University Beasley School of Law. Before going to law school, Michael worked as an insurance agent licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and a licensed Series 7 stockbroker from the National Association of Securities Dealers. More recently, he has worked as a legislative assistant for State Rep. Kevin Boyle, who represents parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, and was Chief of Staff for State Rep. Mark Painter, who represented part of Montgomery County. He also had worked as a political consultant to numerous candidates and elected officials running for local, state, and federal offices.
Just prior to opening his law practice, Michael operated PA Unclaimed LLC, a third-party unclaimed property finder licensed and registered with the Pennsylvania Treasury. His interests include live music, and he frequently attends concerts and music festivals throughout the United States and Canada.
Bar Admissions
Pennsylvania
United States Tax Court
BreeAna E. Coleman, Esq.
(717)992-2920 | bcoleman@lavangalaw.com
BreeAna Coleman is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in the state of Pennsylvania. She grew up in Central Pennsylvania, where she currently practices law. Prior to this role, BreeAna worked as an Administrative & Legislative Liaison for a lobbying firm in Harrisburg, PA. In the political arena, she communicated with PA Legislators regarding client budget needs, assisted with proposed changes to legislation, and organized fundraisers for PA legislators via Political Action Campaigns.
A graduate of Susquehanna Township High School, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comprehensive Liberal Studies from Virginia Wesleyan University in 2018. She graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctor degree from the WesternMichigan University- Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2021. While in law school, BreeAna served as the Senior Articles Editor for the Cooley Law Journal and was involved in several scholarship & leadership programs. Before relocating back to Pennsylvania, BreeAna served as a staff attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Hillsborough County in Tampa, Florida. There, she worked in the Family Law Division, clerking for several judges in the division.
BreeAna’s interests include singing, volunteering in her church/community, working out, and spending time with those she loves. She also enjoys traveling out of the country to experience different cultures. She enjoys the Caribbean countries most and has been to Barbados, Curacao, the Bahamas and Mexico.
Education:
WMU- Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Juris Doctor
Virginia Wesleyan University, BA in Comprehensive Liberal Studies
Susquehanna Township High School, Harrisburg, PA
Bar Admissions
Pennsylvania
Jessica Wood Rodriguez, Esq
610-248-8288 | jrodriguez@lavangalaw.com
Jessica E. Rodriguez (she/her) is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the United States Supreme Court. Jessica grew up in Montgomery and Delaware Counties.
A graduate of Radnor High School, Jessica received her Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University, Capital College, in public policy. During Jessica's undergraduate career, she focused on gaining experiences in politics and government including internships with the U.S. House of Representatives, PA Legislative Services, Clark Resources, ACLU of PA, Project Vote Smart, and the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office. She also worked on political campaigns in Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, and California.
After obtaining her undergraduate degree, Jessica served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Houston, Texas, and as a financial aid administrator in PA and NJ. Jessica attended Temple Law as an evening student and worked full time during the day at the Philadelphia-based non-profit Clarifi.
Jessica earned her Juris Doctorate from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law in 2018 and was employed with the City of Philadelphia Law Department from 2018 until 2024. Jessica began working in the Law Department’s Child Welfare Unit as an Assistant City Solicitor, where she litigated hundreds of dependency bench trials in the Court of Common Pleas and worked on several appeals before the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts. In 2021, Jessica was promoted to Deputy City Solicitor and began focusing her practice on the intersection between law and policy. Jessica was instrumental in assisting DHS with the implementation of several new federal, state, and local laws. In addition, Jessica was closely involved with numerous complex litigation matters. Jessica also served as a co-chair for the Law Department's Professional Development Committee and the Child Welfare Unit's Anti-Racist workgroup focused on case initiation.
In 2024, Jessica was part of the creation of an entirely new unit at the Law Department, focused on compliance, and advised Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families, which includes the Department of Human Services, Parks and Recreation, and the Free Library of Philadelphia, regarding their obligations with federal and state laws, settlement agreements and consent decrees, regulations, local laws, and best practice standards.
Since becoming a licensed attorney in 2018, Jessica has completed the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Bar Leadership Institute and completed a one-year term as a Philadelphia Bar Foundation Board Observer at the nonprofit HIAS-PA. Jessica has also served as a liaison on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee.
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law
Juris Doctor, 2018
Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg
Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, 2011
Radnor High School
Bar Admissions
Pennsylvania, 2018
Supreme Court of the United States, 2024
Matthew Russin, Esq
(412)886-8645 | mrussin@lavangalaw.com
Matthew J. Russin, Esq. is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania. He was born, raised, and grew up in the McKeesport area of Allegheny County. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature and spent considerable time living in Poland and Russia. He currently resides in southern Allegheny County with his wife and children.
Matthew earned his J.D. from the Duquesne University School of Law and has been practicing law since 2012. After a foray into the exciting world of document review, he hopped onto the oil and gas bandwagon and worked as a title abstractor. He then attempted to enter private practice with another local attorney but was quickly called back into the oil and gas industry, spending several years working as a title attorney at some of Pittsburgh’s major-player law firms in the energy sector. His legal experience includes criminal defense, estate administration, family law, oil and gas title law, real estate law, and, most recently, tax assessment appeals. Just prior to joining Lavanga Law LLC, he briefly worked for himself as a solo practitioner.
Matthew is a “hands-on” type of guy, spending whatever free time he can find reading fiction and non-fiction, performing auto maintenance for himself and his family and friends, and repairing iPhones and Apple watches.
Education
Duquesne University School of Law
University of Pittsburgh
South Allegheny Jr/Sr High School
Bar Admission
Pennsylvania
Liam Woods, Esq
267-733-7899 | lwoods@lavangalaw.com
Liam Woods is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A lifelong resident of Philadelphia, he moved to Bucks County, PA with his family in 2020. Prior to pursuing a career in law, Liam gained valuable experience as an auditor and billing analyst at Legal Cost Control, Inc., where he worked from 2008 to 2012. In this role, he assisted Fortune 500 companies and government entities in managing legal costs, while collaborating closely with general counsel to control expenditures on external legal services. This exposure to the legal industry sparked his interest in law, prompting him to enroll in law school.
During law school, Liam gained practical experience working with immigration and criminal defense law firms and he served as President of the Employment Law Society. His passion for service and working with young learners led him to volunteer as a Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Scholar. In this role, Liam coached Philadelphia high school students in moot court competitions, and his efforts culminated in one of his students achieving second place in the National competition in Washington, D.C.
Before joining Lavanga Law, Liam worked as both a transactional attorney and in-house counsel for a real estate and development company. There, he honed his skills in drafting contracts, negotiating deals and settlements, and collaborating with outside counsel to represent the company in a broad array of legal matters. With his diverse background in both law and business, Liam brings a well-rounded perspective to his legal practice.
Liam enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and three young sons. Outside of law, Liam has a passion for all things coffee and can regularly be found sipping some of the finest beans from around the globe.
Education
Drexel University, Thomas R. Kline School of Law Juris Doctor
Temple University Bachelor of Arts
St. Joseph’s Preparatory High School Philadelphia, PA
Bar Admission
Pennsylvania
New Jersey