Our Practice

         Dan has more than two decades of legal experience helping clients with their legal needs.  Dan focuses his practice on civil litigation, municipal law, construction law, commercial debt collection, real estate, and general corporate matters.  

      Representative litigation matters:

• Obtained significant judgment in construction case after common law arbitration hearing against contractor of newly constructed luxury home for structural defects and workmanship issues.

• Obtained jury verdict in security system subcontractor client's favor against general contractor in case requiring plaintiff to pierce the corporate veil of general contractor corporation and then establish personal liability of principal of corporation resulting in six figure Judgment for client.

• Obtained six figure settlement for homeowner clients against realtor and seller in a failure to disclose defects case on the day before jury selection for trial.

• Obtained dismissal of federal court case on summary judgment against employer client in a Family and Medical Leave Act case brought by former employee based on alleged discrimination in the termination of her employment.  The case involved a matter of first impression under the FMLA.  Case then affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit after plaintiff former employee appealed.

• Obtained a large settlement for international aggregate supplier client a short time before trial was to begin in a commercial lawsuit against contractor and surety involving allegations of nonpayment and forgery.

• Obtained a favorable settlement for international aggregate supplier client in a commercial lawsuit involving alleged defects in aggregate dredged from the Ohio River and expert witness analysis fo aggregate and concrete.

• Obtained favorable settlement for homeowner clients after extensive discovery and expert witness analysis in case concerning defects in newly constructed home.  

• Obtained favorable settlement in federal court case for husband and wife clients who each alleged that they were chosen for termination from their employment because of their respective disabilities.

• Obtained numerous settlements for large, three facility senior living community against

     Municipal Law Experience

          Dan is the current solicitor for the Ligonier Township Municipal Authority (water and sewage service) and for Ligonier Township.

          Dan also performed work for his previous employer for more than a dozen other municipal entities in Westmoreland County.

     Education

          Dan earned his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary, graduating magna cum laude in 1994 with a degree in history.  Dan then earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1997.  By virtue of Dan being in the top 15% of his first year law school class, Dan served as an Executive Editor of the law school's Journal of Law & Commerce.  

     Bar Admissions and Professional Affiliations

          Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania state courts and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  

          Member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Westmoreland Bar Association.  Member of Lawyers Abstract Company in Greensburg, a full service real estate settlement company owned by many of the lawyers of Westmoreland County. 

     Other Relevant Experience 

          After law school, Dan worked in a large corporate law firm in Pittsburgh for several years and also served a one-year federal judicial clerkship in Pittsburgh for the Honorable Gary L. Lancaster of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.  For the last approximately 17 years, Dan has been practicing in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

     Community Involvement

          Current board member of The Union Mission, a non-profit organization providing shelter and services for the homeless.  Current board member of the Westmoreland County Food Bank.  Current board member of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Past board member of the Chestnut Ridge chapter of the American Red Cross.  Dan has also been a volunteer with the Big Bothers/Big Sisters program's "lunch buddy" program for the last nine years (and counting) as Dan has lunch and goes to recess once a week with a child in the program at the elementary school down the street from Dan's office.