Attorney Profiles
Joseph S. Toczydlowski
Education and Experience
Joseph S. Toczydlowski is a Pennsylvania attorney with 20 years of experience.
Joseph is a graduate of Scranton Prep. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton in chemistry/business. He studied law at the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1995.
After graduating from law school, Joseph accepted a position as Assistant District Attorney for the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases including numerous jury trials. He remained in this position until 1999. In 2000, Joseph was elected for a six year term as Magisterial District Judge for Judicial District 45-3-04. Joseph has also maintained a private practice of law since 1996. His general practice of law has evolved into a multi-discipline practice capable of professionally assisting almost any individual or small business needs.
Practice Areas
Joe’s primary practice areas:
- Personal Injury – Personal injury cases arise when someone is injured because of the negligence or wrongful action of another. If you have been injured in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, slip and fall or due to medical malpractice or a defective product, Joe can help you pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
- Workers’ Compensation – Workers’ compensation insurance exists to provide benefits for workers who are injured on the job. If you have been denied benefits, are getting ordered back to work or interested in settling your case, call Joe for a free consultation.
- Criminal Defense – Criminal convictions can lead to serious consequences, including incarceration and a permanent record. Joe has handled thousands of criminal cases. If you have been accused of a crime in Pennsylvania, as a former assistant D.A. and District Judge, Joe is your best defense!
- Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law -Estate planning is essential. Joseph can help you evaluate your current situation and create a solid estate plan that meets your needs. Joe assists clients with Wills, Trusts, Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Estate Probate, Guardianship, Medicaid Planning and all elder law needs.
Joan Guari
Joan Lednovich Guari is a 1987 graduate of the University of Scranton. Attorney Guari earned her law degree from Seton Hall University in 1990. She has successfully completed the requirements for bar recognition in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
She began her law career as a law clerk to The Honorable James Kennedy, Presiding Judge, Criminal Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey Monmouth vicinage. Thereafter, Attorney Guari became an Assistant Solicitor for the City of Scranton wherein she handled all aspects of municipal law. Upon departing from the City of Scranton, Attorney Guari entered private practice as an Associate Attorney with the law office of Bialkowski & Savitsky. Attorney Guari handled a wide variety of cases including insurance defense, family law, municipal law, wills, estates, trusts and real estate.
Since 2006, Attorney Guari has working with the Toczydlowski Law handling a diverse practice including, civil litigation, family law, real estate and title insurance, criminal law and wills, estates and trusts.
Stephanie Sebastianelli
Stephanie M. Sebastianelli is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College. She earned her law degree from the University Of Dayton School Of Law. Prior to working with the Toczydlowski Law Office, Attorney Sebastianelli was a law clerk to the Honorable Chester T. Harhut of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County. Thereafter, Attorney Sebastianelli became an associate attorney with the Law Office of Robert D. Mariani where she handled various types of cases, including, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, social security disability, wills, estates, real estate, discrimination and union contract negotiations and arbitrations for eighteen years.
Upon Attorney Mariani’s appointment to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Attorney Sebastianelli was hired as an associate with the Toczydlowski Law Office and also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Tina Polachek Gartley of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County for more than two years. Since working with the Toczydlowski Law Office, Attorney Sebastianelli continues to handle various cases, including workers’ compensation, personal injury, and social security disability. Attorney Sebastianelli is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Lackawanna County Bar Association.
William ("Bill") Aquilino
William (“Bill”) Aquilino has lived in Northeastern and Eastern Pennsylvania since 1996, when he married his wife, Loreen in Bethlehem. He is a 1991 graduate with honors of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, and then attended Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, graduating in 1994 with honors. During his law school years, Bill served as an intern for the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources in Harrisburg, in addition to Summer clerkships with The Honorable C. Joseph Rehkamp and The Honorable Keith B. Quigley of the Juniata and Mifflin Counties Court of Common Pleas. After graduating from law school, Bill started his legal career as a law clerk for The Honorable Shad Connelly of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.
Ready to start his legal practice, Bill and his wife relocated to the Hazleton, and then Scranton area where he practiced insurance defense, medical malpractice, and personal injury law. In addition, Bill worked for Prudential Financial, serving as a relationship and account manager for over $500,000,000 in average assets for clients such as The University of Vermont, The International Brotherhood of Asbestos Workers, and Cummins Deisel. During this time he obtained certification by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) by passing the Series 6 and 26 examinations, allowing him to perform the critical functions of an investment company and variable contract products representative, including sales of mutual funds and variable annuities. He was also certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance, after examination, as a Life and Health Insurance producer. During this time, Bill continued his education and obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Scranton, followed by a Master’s Degree in Human Resources by the same institution, where he was named Outstanding Graduate Student for that year. With the added skills and credentials in Human Resources, Bill started Checkmate Consulting, a full-service business consulting company providing human resources, business compliance, and dispute mediation services. Checkmate’s clients include Tobyhanna Army Depot, Quality Collision, and Green Machine Lawn Care.
Bill sat for both available board examinations for human resources professionals and is a Senior Certified Professional by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP) and a Senior Certified Professional by the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR). He is also certified by examination in Ethical Leadership by the National Accounting Standards Board (NASBA). Bill now teaches the national board certification course for the Society of Human Resources Management, thereby assisting others in learning the extensive material and successfully sitting for board certification.
Believing that education is a lifelong pursuit, Bill assists others in reaching their educational goals. He is an adjunct professor at the Pennsylvania State University-Scranton Campus, teaching courses in the following subjects: The Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business; Entrepreneurship; and, Negotiation Skills for Business. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Human Resources and Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration program respectively at the University of Scranton. Bill is also a member of the adjunct faculty at Cambridge College, where he teaches Master’s and Doctorate level courses in ethics, and at the Florida campus of Ana G. Mendez University, the largest university in Puerto Rico.
During the Covid pandemic, Bill joined Toczydlowski Law Office to work closer to home, and provide personal “hands-on” advice to the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania who face often unique legal dilemmas. Although Bill has been Assistant General Counsel of Benco Dental, a $750,000,000 dental supply company, he prefers working with local businesses and neighbors who feel adrift in the legal waters after being charged with a crime, probating the estate of a loved one, or facing a divorce, guardianship, or custody dispute. Bill uses his vast business education and experience to assist local companies with corporate litigation.
Charitable Pursuits and Family
Bill’s charitable pursuits include board-level support of the Victim’s Resource Center, which is the largest provider of support services for women and children who have been the victims of domestic violence and other crimes. He has been a board member since 2014, and recently finished his second term as President of the Board of Directors. He is the owner and trainer of Endless Mountain’s Winter Moon (“Luna”), certified as a Therapy Dog by Therapy Dogs International. With Luna, he visits elderly care facilities, hospitals, and schools to provide a brief distraction to those suffering from mental, emotional, and physical challenges with the happiness that only a Labrador Retriever can provide. Recent visits include Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Valley View School District, and Elon Gardens.
Bill lives in Archbald with his wife, two daughters, yellow Lab, and an Icelandic Sheepdog named Loki. They are hosting three red slider turtles who were previously scheduled to be euthanized, and are now part of an invasive species study through the Department of Chemical Biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. The Aquilino’s spend their free time hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, and trying to convince their dogs to get out of the pool.
Alyssa Warhola
Alyssa Warhola is a proud graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School where she earned her Juris Doctorate degree in 2023. Shortly after her law school graduation, she sat for the Pennsylvania Bar Examination and was recently sworn into the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Lackawanna County Bar. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Pennsylvania.
Warhola is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School, class of 2016. In 2020, she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from West Chester University of PA in accounting and white-collar crime. This is where she was inspired to pursue a career in the legal field.
Throughout her time at law school, TozLaw valued her work as a legal intern. She was also a legal intern for the Honorable Tina Polachek Gartley of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County. In November 2023, shortly after passing the Pennsylvania Bar Examination, she began working with TozLaw as an associate attorney handling a wide variety of cases.
Areas of Practice and Outside of Work:
Attorney Alyssa N. Warhola’s main interest areas are Family Law, Elder Law, and Guardianship matters. However, she also assists her colleagues in handling a wide variety of cases including Estate Planning and Litigation, Criminal Law, Civil Litigation, and Personal Injury.
Alyssa is a resident of Lackawanna County. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and being outdoors with her dogs, Dixie and June.
