Bedford County Business Lawyers

I am a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of litigation experience. I represent individuals in matters involving personal injury litigation, estate planning and administration, real estate sales and development, domestic issues, and business litigation. During my professional career, I have had the opportunity to litigate in multiple state and federal courts, and have handled matters ranging from those merely about money and property, to those involving more vital issues such as civil rights, personal liberty, child welfare, and eldercare. At times, I have been disappointed with our admittedly flawed and cumbersome legal system, but more often I am...

Bob Gillespie is a second generation Plaintiff's lawyer +with a distinguished record of service to the public. He served eleven years in the Luzerne County District Attorneys Office, the last four as District Attorney. In 2007 and 2008, Pjiladelphia Magazine proclaimed him to be a "Super Lawyer"* an awrd only available to the top 5% of lawyers. He is also a "Million Dollar Advocate"* having obtained Million's of Dollars in Awards for his clients. Attorney Gillespie was recently named a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a society limited to 3,500 lawyers less then 1/2 % of those practicing...

Mr. Tupitza has been an attorney since 1976. His practice is primarily in the area of real estate and business law. He is experienced in oil and gas leases, title insurance matters, commercial/industrial real estate, residential real estate and farm issues. He handles transactions and litigation. He teaches numerous CLE courses including courses on the following topics: Boundary Law, Litigating Failure to Disclose Issues, Lien Priority, Lien Divestiture, Tax and Sheriff's Sales, Deeds, Trial Tactics, Title Insurance, Tax Issues Impacting Real Estate and more.

Mr. Walczak concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate governance, business transactions and finance, and creditors' rights.

Mr. Walczak acts in the capacity of general counsel for a number of business, non-profit and governmental organizations, providing legal advice on corporate, transactional and tax matters. Mr. Walczak is listed in the Bond Buyer Municipal Market Place Guide (commonly known as the municipal bond attorney's Red Book), and regularly provides tax advice and board counsel tax opinions with respect to tax-exempt financing transactions.

Mr. Walczak also represents creditors in complex creditor-debtor matters, including the negotiation of workout agreements and the representation of creditors...

Chris Erb is a corporate attorney focusing primarily on small and mid-sized international companies doing business in the United States, particularly in the areas of computer, internet, and privacy/data security law. Chris also assists with the structuring and formation of corporations, negotiation of contracts and agreements, and with the transfer of personnel to support the new US corporation. With his knowledge of European, particularly German, business practices and law, Chris can assist clients in understanding the similarities and differences between the European and US business environment, and with recognizing and avoiding the risks associated with the often litigious US market.

For...

Jenna Bickford is a partner in the Business Transactions Group of MacDonald Illig. She represents clients across a number of practice areas including Business Transactions, Real Estate, Government Services and Public Finance, and Health Care.

Ms. Bickford routinely represents business clients of all sizes with a variety of legal needs including business formation, contract matters, corporate and regulatory compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. She has also taught mergers and acquisitions as an adjunct instructor at Mercyhurst University.

As a member of the Real Estate Group, she regularly handles both residential and commercial real estate transactions and assists clients with title matters. She...

William R. Brown concentrates his practice in the areas of Business Transactions, Commercial Real Estate and Creditor Rights.

In the area of Business Transactions, Mr. Brown advises businesses and individuals with respect to formation and governance of business entities, commercial transactions, contract formation and interpretation, real estate acquisition, disposition and development and structuring of financial relationships.

Mr. Brown also represents commercial and institutional lenders with respect to secured lending, construction financing, syndicated loans and participations, letters of credit and tax-exempt financings. As counsel to major commercial banks, Mr. Brown is regularly involved in the negotiation, structure, documentation and closing of major real...

Jim Toohey is a partner at MacDonald Illig, where he represents and advises individuals, businesses and lenders in a wide variety of real estate and corporate matters, including residential, industrial, commercial and multi-unit transactions; commercial leasing; and commercial and residential lending. In addition to his representation of individual buyers and sellers of residential real estate, Jim has extensive experience in representing developers of real estate who acquire, finance, develop and operate industrial, office and retail projects. Jim also represents business owners in a variety of matters, commercial and real estate mortgage lenders in financing business and real estate loans, and...

Business litigation lawyer, Nik Zitev focuses his practice on complex commercial, business and international matters. His experience includes large scale business control disputes, fiduciary and director liability, arbitration, and international disputes involving individuals and corporations. Nik’s international background provides a foundation to quickly adapt to diverse teams and shifting circumstances to provide a broad and deep understanding of critical issues in resolving disputes and efficiently promoting client’s business interests.

Prior to joining High Swartz in November 2018, Nik represented clients as a litigation attorney at a prominent international law firm with offices in Philadelphia, Pa., and Moscow, Russia. Nik obtained his...

Scott Wallen is a partner at MacDonald Illig where he concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, corporate mergers and acquisitions, corporate formation, business succession planning, elder law, nonprofit corporations law and healthcare law. Mr. Wallen is also a Certified Public Accountant and routinely handles matters involving federal and state taxation issues including corporate and individual taxation and sales tax issues. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the American Academy of Attorney-CPAs (AAA-CPA). Mr. Wallen is affiliated with the Trusts & Estates and Business Transactions Practice Groups at...

Attorney Toohey's practice is concentrated in the areas of business and real estate law, and estate planning and administration. He was involved with the formation and initial operation of Spectrum Control, Inc., Lake Erie Institute of Rehabilitation and Growing Places, Inc. He has represented clients and been personally involved in the development of condominium projects and other real estate developments. He has also represented several municipalities and authorities. Attorney Toohey is deeply committed to civic causes and has served on the boards of several civic, educational, and religious institutions.

Bernard Walter has been licensed to practice law since 1978 — over 40 years! He's an estate planning and estate administration attorney and a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for attorneys who have won jury verdicts of more than $1 million. He's listed in Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers AV with the highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards.

The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation awarded attorney Walter its Pro Bono Publico Certificate of Achievement. He founded and is the co-chairman of the Elder Law Committee of the Luzerne County Bar Association. He also founded the...

For more than 25 years, I have represented individuals and business of all sizes in a wide spectrum of business, commercial litigation and intellectual property matters. I now concentrate my practice on copyright, trademark and computer/Internet law with a focus on assisting entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses, particularly in the technology sector. I also represent individuals in the entertainment and publishing industry. In addition to my legal practice, I operate a software company, Essentia Software Corporation, which publishes a popular payroll software application for household employers.

Kimberly L. Russell is a principal of the firm and a member of the Commercial Litigation and Employment Departments. She devotes a significant part of her practice to real estate and construction litigation.

Early in Ms. Russell's career, she observed that the justice system favored employees, leaving business owners - particularly small and mid-sized companies - to be extremely vulnerable to employee-related claims. She has dedicated her practice to defending employers through litigation and as an employee education consultant, providing the advice and training necessary to help employers meet regulations and minimize the potential for such disputes in the first place....

After finishing law school, Geoff began his career with the U.S. Department of Justice at the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys. He later worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in both New Orleans and Philadelphia for several years. In Philadelphia, he played a significant role as the lead trial lawyer in a notable international fraud case in the Special Prosecutions Division. During his time in New Orleans, Geoff was actively involved in a grand jury investigation related to a major organized crime case and served as the lead trial lawyer in the prosecution of an international drug cartel. Following his...

Co-Founder, Shareholder and Department leader of major suburban-Philadelphia law firm with emphasis on skilled and passionate representation, client responsiveness and productivity, community involvement and dedication to high standards of ethical conduct. I have personally represented individuals and non-profit organizations, government and businesses that range in size and complexity from closely held to Fortune 500, in business and real estate transactions, land use entitlements, environmental and regulatory approvals and litigation.

Adjunct Professor of Law, Real Estate Transactions, Temple University Beasley School of Law

Education

LLM, Taxation, Temple University School of Law, 1986

JD, Temple University School...

Ms. Lippy focuses her practice on Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation. She has successfully tried numerous cases before a Judge and Jury. She has a love and passion for the law that she puts to use in the courtroom and prides herself in her ability to relate to clients and jurors alike. She was born and raised locally and attended the Norristown Area High School. She was a member of the Schreyer Honors Program at the Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated in 2000 with a major in Speech Communication and a minor in German. ...

Alexandre Turner is a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He dedicated the first seven years of his legal career to representing low-income defendants accused of criminal offenses, first at the Miami-Dade Office of the Public Defender, and subsequently at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Mr. Turner has tried hundreds of criminal matters before judges and juries. He has obtained favorable results in numerous serious cases, including matters where his clients were charged with firearm possession, arson, and attempted murder. Prior to opening his own practice, Mr. Turner was employed by the law firm Ballard Spahr...

I specalize in immigration and Social Security Disability work, and am also available to assist with general practice matters. You can learn more about my practice by visiting my website, www.cruddenlegal.com.

Mr. Ormsby is the Chairman of the firm’s corporate department and as such serves as counsel to a variety of entities and businesses ranging from regional financial institutions to non-profit corporations and from sole proprietorships to multi-national corporations. He is co-founder of Building a Bridge to Uganda, a 501(c)(3) organization serving the spiritual and physical need of people in Ibanda, Uganda, East Africa. Over the years, Mr. Ormsby has developed the firm’s commercial/transactional practice into a multi- lawyer commercial department with extensive experience and capabilities in a variety of areas including employment law, intellectual property, real estate, commercial...

Eric Rayz, Esquire is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Temple University. As an undergraduate, Mr. Rayz was a recipient of the H. Thomas and Dorothy Willits Hallowell Scholarship and the Temple University President's Scholar Award. Mr. Rayz obtained his Juris Doctorate from the James E. Beasley School of Law of Temple University, where he was a staff member and editor of the Temple International and Comparative Law Journal. Mr. Rayz served a two-year term as a Staff Attorney for Justice Sandra Schultz Newman of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and co-authored an...

Attorney/partner at Weir Greenblatt Pierce LLP, f/k/a Weir & Partners LLP since 2002 Chancellor-elect, Philadelphia Bar Association, 2022 Co-chair, ABA Litigation Section's Commercial & Business Litigation Committee, since 2019 Haverford College Villanova School of Law

Howard C. Pressman is a principal of the firm and has concentrated his practice in the area of Civil Litigation for over 25 years representing both individuals and companies as both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of matters. Mr. Pressman’s areas of practice also include Wills and Estates and Creditor’s Rights. Mr. Pressman is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated from Widener University with a B.A. (Magna Cum Laude 1981) and Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1984)....

The O'Meara Law Firm, PC's estate planning goals for their clients is to make the process as easy as possible. Hearing a client's family say that their loved one "took care of everything" and "made it so easy us to deal with their death", those words are music to our ears. Unlike other words, such as "estate planning", "legacy", and "probate", which are foreign to most of us, these words tell me that their loved one took the time to plan ahead, and with an experienced Estate Planning Attorney, put plans in place that took the burden off their loved...