Fox Rothschild congratulates Ian M. Comisky, who received the Pennsylvania Bar Association Criminal Justice Section’s 2026 Beacon of Liberty Award, which recognizes an outstanding criminal defense attorney who has diligently, passionately and effectively represents clients charged with a criminal offense.

The honoree’s career reflects both the responsibilities of an impassioned advocate for a client and an officer of the court while striving to improve the criminal justice system.

For more than 50 years, Comisky has represented corporations and individuals in civil and criminal tax litigation, white collar criminal defense, and complex corporate and commercial disputes. Ranked by Chambers USA for Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations in Pennsylvania, Comisky advises clients on federal, state and local income and sales tax charges, antitrust matters, bribery schemes including those under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), money laundering cases, tax issues arising out of securities violations and more.

Recently, Comisky notably led the successful appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, persuading the court to vacate a 20‑month sentence imposed on Nicholas Lucidonio, co-owner of South Philadelphia’s iconic Tony Luke’s (now Tony and Nick’s Steaks), after demonstrating that a rarely used federal sentencing enhancement was improperly applied. In a precedential ruling, the Court agreed with Comisky’s argument that the government failed to meet its burden, clarifying the correct interpretation of the guideline and securing his client a new sentencing hearing. The decision reinforces fairness and precision in federal sentencing and limits the overextension of punitive enhancements.

Comisky is co-author of the three-volume treatise Tax Fraud and Evasion, a respected resource for practitioners and scholars navigating complex criminal tax, money laundering and constitutional issues. He was also an adjunct professor at Temple University Law School and is currently an adjunct at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law teaching a course in money laundering.

Comisky serves on the boards of the Citizens Crime Commission of the Delaware Valley, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Abramson Senior Care of JFCA and the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts. He is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, among other organizations.