Delaware Lawyers Serving Your Real Estate, Civil Litigation, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Business Law Needs

Practical knowledge.   Community involvement.  Experienced counsel.

Sergovic & Carmean, P.A. is a full service law firm that strives for excellence in the legal services it provides as well as customer service.  The Sergovic & Carmean family includes attorneys, John A. Sergovic, Jr., Shannon D. Carmean and Leslie Case DiPietro, real estate paralegal Joan Tyndall and our amazing legal staff.  We offer a variety of legal services, including real estate closings, land use, estate planning, estate administration, debt collection, landlord/tenant disputes, civil litigation and business entity formation.

With respect to real estate closings and estate matters, we are literally willing to travel the extra mile, meeting with clients at their realtor's or lender’s office, or at their home or assisted living facility, if necessary.  We are dedicated to client service and just results.  We invite you to call or e-mail us after you review our credentials below:

John A. Sergovic, Jr.

John is an attorney with more than 36 years of experience with real property, civil litigation and corporate law. John is a skilled trial lawyer who handles a majority of the firm’s civil litigation. He has been licensed to practice in Maryland since 1973 and in Delaware since 1974. John earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University in 1970 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland in 1973. He is currently a member of the Sussex County Bar Association and the Delaware Bar Association. John strives for ever-higher levels of professional excellence.

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Shannon D. Carmean

Shannon handles a majority of the firm's real estate and land use matters, as well as debt collection matters.  In the office, she is affectionately referred to as the traveling lawyer since she is constantly on the move to handle closings and other litigated matters.  Shannon has been a member of the Delaware Bar since 2003.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ursinus College in 1999 and her law degree from Villanova University School of Law in 2003.  Shannon was recently recognized in the November 2010 issue of Delaware Today as one of Delaware’s Top Lawyers.

During law school, Shannon served as a law clerk for her now partner, John A. Sergovic, Jr., at Sergovic & Ellis, P.A. focusing primarily on civil litigation related to real property disputes.  After graduating from law school in 2003, Shannon served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable E. Scott Bradley at the Superior Court of the State of Delaware in and for Sussex County.  In 2004, Shannon entered into a private practice and joined John A. Sergovic, Jr. as an associate attorney at Sergovic & Ellis.  In 2007, John and Shannon formed Sergovic & Carmean, P.A.

Shannon is a member of the Sussex County Bar Association, the Delaware Bar Association, the American Bar Association and is an affiliate member of the Sussex County Women’s Council of Realtors.  Shannon presently serves as the Secretary of the Terry-Carey American Inn of Court.   Shannon also serves as attorney guardian ad litem for children in foster care through the Office of the Child Advocate and has received certification as an Educational Surrogate Parent.  She is currently a member of Bayshore Community Church.

Born and raised in Cape May, New Jersey, Shannon currently lives in Georgetown, Delaware.  In her free time, Shannon enjoys jogging, spending time with family and friends, playing with her four pugs and participating in outdoor activities.

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Leslie Case DiPietro

Leslie concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, 1031 exchanges, adult guardianship matters and business law.   She has been a member of the Delaware Bar and the Maryland Bar since 2005.  Prior to becoming a partner with Sergovic & Carmean, P.A. (2009), Leslie worked as an associate for the firm (2008), and previously, as an associate for the firm of Sergovic & Ellis, P.A. (2006-2008).  Before entering private practice, Leslie clerked for The Honorable Rosemary Betts Beauregard and The Honorable Kenneth S. Clark in the Court of Common Pleas in and for Sussex County (2004-2006).

Leslie earned her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Maryland at College Park (2000) and obtained her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida (2004).  She received a Certificate in Estate Planning from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010).  In law school, Leslie competed in several Moot Court competitions, earning accolades with her teammates for “Best Brief” at the 2004 Duberstein Moot Court Competition in New York, New York, and she received the Victor O. Wehle Trial Advocacy Award in 2004.  She presently serves as the Secretary of the Sussex County Bar Association, and she is an active member of both the Southern Delaware Estate Planning Council and Grace United Methodist Church of Millsboro, Delaware, Inc.   Leslie serves as a guardian ad litem for children in Delaware foster care through the Office of the Child Advocate.

Leslie serves as counsel to the Court Appointed Special Advocate program in Sussex County.

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Joan Tyndall, Real Estate Paralegal

Joan was born and raised in Sussex County Delaware.  She grew up in Long Neck, before marrying and moving to Georgetown, the County Seat, for 25 years.  Joan now resides in Milton with her husband and daughter.  A graduate of Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, she studied at Delaware Technical and Community College before beginning her career in the legal field at the Law Firm of Tunnell & Raysor in 1976.  During this time, she began working with John Sergovic in the real estate department.  In 1988, Joan followed Mr. Sergovic to John A. Sergovic, Jr. P.A. as his real estate paralegal and has continued with the firm, now known as Sergovic & Carmean, P.A., for a thirty-five year career in real estate.

For seven years, Joan was on the adjunct faculty staff of Delaware Technical & Community College teaching the administrative side of a course in Real Property law.

Joan is an affiliate member and maintains the website for the Sussex County Women’s Council of Realtors.  She is the Treasurer & Website Chair for the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and is also a Board Member of the Historic Georgetown Association.  In addition, Joan volunteers with the Sussex County Return Day Committee.  In 2010, Joan was named the Georgetown Chamber Volunteer of the Year.

Joan enjoys volunteering with local non-profits, working in her yard and spending time with her family, especially her husband of 35 years Lloyd “Sonny” Tyndall and her grandson, Austin.

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Marianna O’Neal, Assistant Real Estate Coordinator

Born and raised in Sussex County, Marianna left for Washington, DC after graduating from Delaware Technical and Community College, at Georgetown, Delaware, in 1980 for a career with the U.S. Federal Government.  Twenty years later, after extensive administrative and operations experience both in the U.S. and abroad, Marianna returned to Sussex County and began her next phase in life working with Mr. John A. Sergovic’s office, Sergovic & Ellis, PA as a receptionist and real estate assistant.  After four years, she then moved to another local law firm working as a real estate assistant only to return to Sergovic & Carmean, PA in 2008 as a part-time employee in the real estate department.

Marianna enjoys spending her free time with her family, reading, and playing the piano.

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Debbie Gibbs, Assistant Real Estate Coordinator/Legal Assistant

Debbie works for us part time, assisting in both the real estate and litigation departments.  She has worked as a legal assistant for various law firms in Sussex County since 1989, when she moved to the area from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Debbie resides in Lewes with her husband, Rob.  They have two children, ages 25 and 26.  She spends much of her extra time caring for her 87 year old father.  Her favorite past-time is taking a book and her dog, Eddy, to the beach for the day.

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Christine (Chris) Lewis, Legal Assistant

Chris is a native of Sussex County Delaware, residing in Bridgeville with her husband Bob, their family and Belle.  Chris is a graduate of Seaford Senior High School.  She attended Delaware Technical and Community College before working at the law firm of Tunnell & Raysor, P.A. in Georgetown, Delaware as a file clerk.  In 1989, Chris was hired by John A. Sergovic, Jr. P.A. as an Administrative Assistant in the litigation department and today continues to work for John A. Sergovic, Jr.

Chris is the Secretary of the Woodbridge Music Boosters and is very active in her Church, Union United Methodist Church in Bridgeville, Delaware.  In her spare time she and her husband enjoy camping and spending time outdoors.

 

Jen Farissier, Legal Assistant

Jen is a Sussex County native who graduated from Sussex Central High School in 2001 and from Delaware Technical and Community College, magna cum laude, in 2005.  She began working at Sergovic & Ellis, P.A. in 2004 while still attending college full-time and joined Sergovic & Carmean, P.A. in 2007.  Jen is legal assistant to Shannon D. Carmean and Leslie Case DiPietro.

In her free time, Jen enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  She loves being outside and participating in outdoor activities including kayaking, softball, and anything to do with the beach.

 

Marsha Partyka, Bookkeeper

Marsha was born and raised in Seaford Delaware. She is a graduate of Seaford Senior High School. She also obtained a General Business Studies Diploma from Delaware Technical and Community College. She was employed by a local furniture store for twelve years as the office manager and worked for four years as the Secretary/Treasurer for a local building and loan. She began her career in the legal field in 2004 as a real estate coordinator for a local law firm. She joined our firm as our bookkeeper in 2011.

Marsha currently resides in Georgetown with her husband and two children. For fun she enjoys camping, horseback riding, reading, crocheting, and caring for her numerous dogs and horses.

 

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Michelle Mumford, Title Searcher

Michelle is a Delaware native and graduated from Wesley College in 1980 with an A.A. in Paralegal Studies.  She has worked for various law firms throughout the state and worked for Kent County Planning for 10 years.  Michelle joined John A. Sergovic, Jr. in August of 2006 as a title searcher.

Michelle resides in the Rehoboth Beach area with a longtime friend and her two pets, Ruby and Pumpkin.

 

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Ginger Henriksen, Receptionist

Ginger was born and raised in Lewes, Delaware.  She is a 1979 graduate of Cape Henlopen High School.  After graduating, she enrolled in the administrative secretarial program at Delaware Technical and Community College wherein she graduated in the class of 1981.  She worked as a legal secretary until 2000.  At that time, she tried a new adventure in opening and operating a men’s clothing store in downtown Lewes.  After closing that store in 2004, she took some time off and in January 2011, she joined our law firm as a receptionist.   She has been married to her husband, Jack, for almost 25 years.  They have one son, John, who recently married.

Ginger enjoys spending time with her family, entertaining, going to the beach, fishing, bird hunting, and shooting sporting clays.

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