News & Events

Since approximately 1983, the firm flourished under the leadership of Frank J. Santoro.  We were honored to learn in September of 2007 that Frank Santoro was selected to serve as United States Bankruptcy Court Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia.  On January 1, 2008, in anticipation of Frank Santoro’s departure from the firm, Marcus, Santoro & Kozak, P.C. changed its name to Marcus, Crowley & Liberatore, P.C.

In February of 2008, Frank Santoro was sworn in as United States Bankruptcy Judge and officially departed from the employ of the firm.  Karen Crowley assumed the role of managing partner.  The firm continues to specialize in financial restructuring at all levels and seeks to preserve the excellent reputation it garnered under Mr. Santoro.

During 2007-08, Karen Crowley served as the president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association.  She has served on the executive board of that bar association, along with other attorneys in Marcus, Crowley & Liberatore, P.C., for the past several years.

Also during 2007, Karen Crowley was a featured speaker at several local and state bankruptcy seminars, most recently speaking on Ethical Practice in the Electronic Age at the 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Institute on Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice, at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Karen Crowley was recently included in The Best Lawyers in America publication.  The Best Lawyers lists, representing 80 specialties in all 50 states and Washington, DC, are compiled through an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the U.S. confidentially evaluate their professional peers.  In addition, she was recently included as a “Rising Start” among “Super Lawyers,” which is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  Super Lawyers is published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazine, featuring articles about attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list, is distributed to all attorneys in the state or region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies and the ABA-approved law school libraries.

During the fall semester of 2006, Joseph Liberatore served as an Adjunct Professor at Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  He has also taught Uniform Commercial Code III.  “Professor Liberatore” has taught as an adjunct professional at Regent for the past ten years. He is also continuing to serve as Board Chairman for StoneBridge School in Chesapeake, Virginia, and Board Chairman for The Ukraine Children’s Project, an organization serving over 30 orphanages.

Kelly Barnhart will serve, on an interim basis, as attorney for the acting Chapter 13 Trustee for the Eastern District of Virginia.  She will represent and advise the Chapter 13 Trustee on legal matters relating to Chapter 13 cases pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk and Newport News Divisions.

During 2007, Kelly Barnhart also served as an adjunct professor at Tidewater Community College, teaching in the Legal Administration Program.