John Gagliano

John J. Gagliano joined The Wolk Law Firm in September, 2008 as a law clerk after a successful internship for the Honorable John R. Padova of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Curriculum Vitae
John earned his J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in 2010 and is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In addition, John is admitted to practice in several other jurisdictions pro hac vice.

Before law school, John attended Villanova University on a full Navy R.O.T.C. scholarship. John received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova in 1998 and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy upon graduation.

He reported to U.S. Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida in June, 1998. John was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) in May, 2000 and he received his Naval Aviator’s “Wings of Gold” that same month after successfully completing his first 10 arrested landings on board the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65). In the tradition of carrier aviation, Naval Aviators are given call signs; John was affectionately given the call sign “Gags” - a play on his last name which he still answers to on occasion.
One week after 9/11, John deployed to Afghanistan on board USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) and flew more than 80 combat missions over Afghanistan with Carrier Air Wing ONE in the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was awarded the “Air Medal” 4 times for his combat flying over Afghanistan. After his return from Afghanistan, John was promoted to Lieutenant in May, 2002. He deployed to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico in support of counter-narcotics operations in October, 2002.

John deployed to Iraq in September, 2003 with Carrier Air Wing ONE on board USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65). At the completion of his Iraq deployment, John was selected to be a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) Instructor Pilot and served as a flight instructor for 3 years in Norfolk, Virginia. John earned the Navy Commendation Medal for his performance as a flight instructor.

At the completion of his flight instructor tour, John left Active Duty to attend law school as a civilian and he joined the Naval Reserve. As a Reservist, John was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in October, 2008. As a pilot John has logged over two thousand flight hours, over one hundred combat missions to Afghanistan and Iraq, and hundreds of carrier arrested landings. While in the Navy, John held numerous leadership positions. Significantly, as the FRS Aircraft Division Officer, he led a division of over 180 maintenance professionals maintaining a fleet of more than a dozen aircraft.

Because of his background, John has been a natural fit at The Wolk Law Firm. As a law clerk, John was responsible for supervising wreckage inspections, interacting with clients and drafting motions, especially complex Daubert motions that deal with the technical and legal intricacies of aviation expert witnesses. John has worked closely with our firm’s piloting experts, including test pilots, and has orchestrated flight and ground tests that help us better understand aircraft and aviation product limitations.

John’s impressive work continues now that he is an attorney. His aviation and leadership experience have given him the compassion and understanding to interact with clients during their time in need.