Services
Litigation
My bread and butter is commercial litigation, usually on behalf of small and mid-size businesses throughout Pennsylvania, primarily Western PA. I've litigated dozens of business disputes and other kinds of civil cases in federal and state courts before juries, judges, and arbitrators. I've represented both plaintiffs and defendants in breach of contract cases, shareholder and business owner disputes, real estate disputes, trade secret cases, and employment discrimination cases, just to name a few. You can check out the details on some of my representative cases here.
But, let's face it--litigation can be frustrating. It's time-consuming, expensive, and at the end of the day, litigants put the fate of their case in the hands of strangers--jurors, judges, or arbitrators who have no personal stake in the outcome. A lot of times, even the "winning" party gets less than they want or deserve. Litigation can be a bittersweet--and sometimes just a bitter--experience. Many come away from the experience thinking, there's got to be a better way.
There usually is a better way than litigation--if you plan ahead. So over time, to help clients achieve better and more cost-effective results, my litigation practice--and my practice in general--has shifted to focus on litigation avoidance.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
As part of my focus on litigation avoidance, I provide a full range of alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation and arbitration services, for a wide range of civil disputes.
In April 2023, I completed a 40-hour mediation certification training program offered by The Conflict Lab--whose program I can't recommend enough, for lawyers (even those not interested in providing ADR services) and non-lawyers alike. It was by far the best legal training/CLE program in which I've participated.
Corporate and Commercial Transactions
I help business owners jump through the hoops that come with corporate and commercial transactions to ensure they are best protected from the threat of a lawsuit. There is no magic bullet or get out of jail free card, but there are certain steps business owners should take to minimize the risk of litigation. This includes things like corporate formation, structure, and compliance, the sale and purchase of a business or its assets, contract preparation and review, and workplace policies, procedures, and training.
Employment Law
Until AI takes over and replaces us all, employers will inevitably face employment issues. As with everything else I do, my focus is first on ensuring companies are protecting themselves from legal liability. Things like written, clear, and legally compliant employee handbooks and policies and procedures go a long way, as do workplace non-discrimination training sessions. Again, there's no way to completely eliminate the risk of a lawsuit, but being proactive is much better than being reactive.
And if you do find yourself on the wrong end of an employment-related lawsuit, or if you need to protect your important interests by bringing a lawsuit, I've represented employers and employees alike in a wide variety of employment-related disputes. This includes claims brought under the alphabet soup of discrimination laws (think ADA, FMLA, Title VII, PHRA), trade secret cases, and restrictive covenant suits (think non-compete and non-solicitation clauses).