Gaponenko, Tetyana V.

Roy DeCaro has tried more than 200 jury trials during his legal career, first as a prosecutor and now as a plaintiff's attorney. He has achieved on behalf of his clients over a dozen verdicts in excess of $1,000,000.00. As a prosecutor, he persuaded juries to convict murderers, drug dealers, motorcycle gang members, organized crime figures, corrupt police officers and corrupt public officials. As a plaintiff's trial lawyer, Roy has represented those who have been seriously injured or killed by others' negligence, including those injured due to medical error, unsafe products, or negligent drivers.

Roy was part of the Raynes McCarty team that represented the family of David Schultz who had been murdered by John Du Pont. He represented the widows of the helicopter pilots who were killed in the mid-air collision with the plane carrying Sen. John Heinz. He assisted Arthur Raynes in representing the estate of Jessica Savitch. He tried to a $10,250,000 verdict the case of a man paralyzed in a swimming pool accident. The verdict triggered major safety improvements throughout the above ground swimming pool industry.  He has settled on behalf of clients multiple cases involving trucking accidents causing fatalities with all resulting in significant settlements.

Mr. DeCaro graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University in 1971; he was that school’s Rhodes Scholar nominee and a member of the Honors Program. He graduated Villanova Law School in 1974, having been admitted to the Order of the Coif and served as the Articles Editor for the Villanova Law Review.

After graduating from law school, Mr. DeCaro worked for two years in the litigation department of the Washington, D.C., law firm Hogan and Hartson. In 1976, Mr. DeCaro was selected to serve as an Assistant District Attorney and Special Prosecutor for the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office. He then became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before joining the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. While at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office with Edward Rendell, Mr. DeCaro was Deputy for Investigations. He was named “Best Prosecutor” by Philadelphia Magazine in 1986. As a prosecutor, he convicted, among others, murderers, drug dealers, motorcycle gang members, organized crime figures, corrupt police officers, and corrupt public officials. He served also as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania legislative committee appointed to investigate discriminatory practices against minority Pennsylvania state troopers.

Mr. DeCaro has been involved in many Bar activities and has served on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is a Past President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a nationally recognized organization of distinguished trial attorneys. He is also a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. The latter organization consists of 500 lawyers worldwide who are known among their peers for possessing exemplary trial skills and maintaining excellence in character and integrity. For the past few years, Mr. DeCaro has been named a “Super Lawyer” in Philadelphia Magazine, and has been ranked as one of the top 10 lawyers in Pennsylvania. Mr. DeCaro was selected by his peers for inclusion in "Best Lawyers in America". Most recently, he was named by “Lawdragon” Magazine as one of the 500 best plaintiff lawyers in the United States. According to “Lawdragon,” among the factors utilized in the selection are “extensive research by a staff of award winning journalists who interview thousands of lawyers nationwide and a survey of lawyers and clients who nominate and vote for their peers online.”

Mr. DeCaro served on a panel appointed by Governor Ed Rendell to help correct systemic problems in the Philadelphia Police Department and most recently he has been appointed to a Blue Ribbon Commission to investigate systemic failings in the Philadelphia Criminal Justice System.

Mr. DeCaro often is chosen by his peers from both the plaintiff and defense side to act as a mediator and/or arbitrator to resolve complex cases.

Mr. DeCaro has written and lectured extensively in the area of criminal and tort law, and served as an adjunct professor at Widener University’s graduate school.