Drexel University College of Medicine
Office of the General Counsel
1601 Cherry Street, Suite 10627
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.255.7835
Fax: 215.255.7856

 

DIRECTIONS
The Office of the General Counsel is located three blocks from the University campus. Employees and students may show their University id. to gain access to the building. All other visitors must sign in at the front desk.

Map & Directions to Drexel University College of Medicine Campus (Note that our building is not on the Map. However, please follow the directions below which starts at 15th & Race Street, which can be found on the Map.

From Drexel University Shuttle Service From 15th & Race shuttle stop (front of Bellet Building), walk South on 15th Street. Make a right on Cherry Street. Cross 16th Street. The building entrance is next door to the Mexican Post restaurant. The Office of the General Counsel is located on the tenth floor.

 

ATTORNEYS AND STAFF

Michael J. Exler
General Counsel
215.255.7844

Michael Exler has been with the Office of the General Counsel since May 2000. Having spent over 20 years in both private practice and in the non-profit sector, Michael has a wide range of experience in the business and legal affairs of universities and academic health centers.  As Vice President, General Counsel and Board Secretary of Drexel University and General Counsel of the Drexel University College of Medicine, Michael is responsible for advising the President, the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff on a variety of matters in support of the University’s mission, goals and objectives.

Prior to joining Drexel, Michael served as Senior Counsel for the Johns Hopkins Health System, where he also served as Board Secretary for four Hopkins-related entities.  Prior to that, he served as Associate General Counsel for the Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundation based in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. His career in higher education followed seven years in the private practice of law with the Pittsburgh law firm of Kabala & Geeseman (now part of Fox Rothschild).  Michael received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Duquesne Law Review.  Michael is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the American Health Lawyers Association and the Association of Academic Health Centers – Executive Leadership Group for Legal Counsel.

John R. Gyllenhammer
Deputy General Counsel, Health Sciences
215.255.7843

John Gyllenhammer joined the Office of the General Counsel in 1997.  John is the chief attorney responsible for all legal matters affecting the College of Medicine in the areas of human resources, medical malpractice and human subject research; and serves as the Office’s managing attorney for all administrative, financial and personnel matters.  As Board Secretary, he counsels the Board of Trustees on governance, legal compliance and other matters that arise from time to time.  He provides legal counsel and support to senior management, department chairs, faculty and staff in a wide variety of areas including contracts and business transactions, healthcare law, litigation prevention and management, faculty and student affairs, sponsored research, patient safety, regulatory compliance, real estate and employment law matters.  John has worked in higher education law since 1992.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, John spent five years in the Legal Affairs Office at George Mason University in Virginia, from which he received his Juris Doctor. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

 

Diana S. Hare
Associate General Counsel
215.255.7842

Diana S. Hare joined the Office of the General Counsel in April 2003.  Diana represents the University in various transactions and issues relating to education, information technology, research, patient care and medical services, and real estate.  She is a member of the Privacy Committee of the College of Medicine, and she advises on compliance with Privacy and Data Security Laws and Regulations, including HIPAA and Pennsylvania state law.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, Diana spent 15 years as in-house counsel at three major Philadelphia corporations (Cigna, SmithKline Beecham, and Fleer).  A member of the Board of Directors of the Delaware Valley Corporate Counsel Association, she earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, and her law degree from the Rutgers-Camden School of Law.

 

Priya Sankar
Assistant General Counsel
215.255.7845

Priya Sankar joined the Office of the General Counsel in June 2006.  Priya represents the University in transactions relating to research and compliance.  She advises the Clinical Research Group, Office of Research Compliance and other University departments on various issues including HIPAA, intellectual property, conflict of interest, compliance, and other research-related issues.  In addition, she manages the negotiations of agreements for clinical research conducted at the College of Medicine.   She also works with the Clinical Research Group and University researchers in developing research affiliations and collaborations.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, she spent five years in-house at Schering-Plough Corporation and Exelon Corporation. She received her undergraduate degree from George Washington University and her law degree from the Temple University School of Law.  She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA).  She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

 

Deborah R. Lorber
Director of Risk Management
Chief Operating Officer, Schuylkill Crossing Reciprocal Risk Retention Group
215.255.7841

Deborah Lorber joined the Office of the General Counsel in September 2000.  Deborah manages all University insurance programs, including the property, casualty, educators and medical malpractice insurance programs.  She also manages claims for approximately 230 physicians and the University’s allied health professionals.  As Chief Operating Officer of Schuylkill Crossing Reciprocal Risk Retention Group, the insurance company that provides professional liability insurance for Drexel and Drexel Med of the RRG, she handles the day to day operations of an insurance company with assets of more than $20 million.   Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, Deborah has 20 years of experience working with medical malpractice insurance program, defense counsel, plaintiff’s counsel, judges, MCARE, excess insurance carriers and reinsurers, as well as government regulators and insurance brokers. This experience includes being responsible for the professional liability insurance programs for the physicians and residents at Albert Einstein Health Network in Philadelphia as its Insurance and Litigation Coordinator.  She is a frequent speaker on the mediation of healthcare disputes, having been instrumental in the creation of Drexel Med’s award-winning Medical Malpractice Mediation Program.

 

Gail Schlemback
Assistant Risk Manager
215.255.7838

Gail Schlemback has been with the Office of Risk Management since June 2003.  She is primarily responsible for administering the College’s Workers Compensation Program, and assisting the Director in the management and oversight of all medical malpractice claims and the College’s medical malpractice mediation program.  She is involved with collecting and maintaining data from the clinical departments relating to incidents, claims and lawsuits of any and all kinds, as well as obtaining information required by the malpractice insurers relating to qualifications and claim histories of all current and potential employees of the College.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, she served as a legal assistant in a private law firm that specialized in plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice litigation.

 

Patricia Buck
Legal Department Administrator
215.255.7836

Pat Buck joined the Office of the General Counsel in March 2001.  She is the principal staff liaison with the Board of Trustees, and is responsible for coordinating all Board and Executive Committee meetings and mailings and facilitating their participation in the governance of the corporation.  She is also the Administrator for the Contract Protocol Review Process for the College of Medicine, which requires that all contracts involving amounts higher than $25,000 be approved by several departments as well as by an OGC attorney.  She manages all administrative, financial, and personnel matters for the Office of the General Counsel. She has 25 years administrative experience in the healthcare industry, including many years as the executive assistant to the Chief Financial Officer of MCP Hahnemann University.  She received her Associates Degree in Science and Business Administration from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (Philadelphia University) and is a member of the Association of Legal Administrators.

Tina Dwyer
Legal Executive Secretary
215.255.7837

Tina Dwyer joined the Office of the General Counsel in May 2000.  She provides administrative and secretarial support to the Vice President and General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and Associate General Counsel, as well as serving as the receptionist for the office.  She is also the office’s main resource to remember everything that has happened, and where the relevant people and files can be found.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, Tina provided administrative support to the Dean of the School of Health Professions of MCP Hahnemann University, which in 2002 became part of Drexel University.  She received her Associates Degree in Science from MCP Hahnemann University.

 

Megan Newsome
Legal Executive Secretary
215.255.7846

Megan Newsome joined the Office of the General Counsel in September 2007 as a Legal Executive Secretary. Megan provides administrative and secretarial support to both the Office of the General Counsel and Risk Management Department, and to Schuylkill Crossing Reciprocal Risk Retention Group, Drexel Med’s professional liability insurer.  She previously worked in the College of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine as the Coordinator for the Fellowship Program. Megan received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rosemont College.