Pittsburgh law firm Meyer, Unkovic & Scott today announced that Super Lawyers® has named 10 of its attorneys to the 2018 list of top attorneys in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list includes the following Meyer, Unkovic & Scott attorneys:
- Patricia L. Dodge (Business Litigation)
- Andrea Geraghty (Real Estate)
- Martin J. Hagan (Estate & Probate)
- Ronald L. Hicks, Jr. (Business Litigation)
- Richard G. Kotarba (Construction Litigation)
- James R. Mall (Construction Litigation)
- Mary C. McGinley (Business/Corporate)
- Chad I. Michaelson (Business Litigation)
- Russell J. Ober, Jr. (Business Litigation)
- David G. Oberdick (Intellectual Property Litigation)
Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters business rating service, evaluates outstanding lawyers across the nation using statewide surveys, independent research evaluations and peer reviews in more than 70 practice areas. The list features less than five percent of the lawyers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania each year.
Patricia L. Dodge is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and former managing partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott. As an experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Dodge focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, oil & gas disputes, and employment-related matters. She has tried lawsuits to verdict in both state and federal court and also represents her clients in domestic and international arbitrations. Ms. Dodge is frequently selected as a mediator in private disputes and in lawsuits pending in both federal and state court. She also serves as an arbitrator both privately and for the American Arbitration Association. She is President of the Board of Trustees of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. Ms. Dodge has earned a spot on the Super Lawyers® list for 14 consecutive years. She received her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law.
Andrea Geraghty has been a partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott since she joined the firm in 2012. She participates in the firm’s Real Estate & Lending, Construction Law & Litigation, and Corporate & Business Law groups. Ms. Geraghty advises clients through land acquisition, development, construction access and rights of way, and management of a variety of real estate endeavors. She has significant litigation experience in diverse real estate related matters including eminent domain, property tax assessment appeals, title and boundary disputes, real estate broker’s commissions, and leasing. Super Lawyers® has honored Andrea on its list for 14 consecutive years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law. She lives in Point Breeze.
Martin J. Hagan has been serving clients in the areas of estate planning and administration, estate and gift taxation, special needs trusts, elder law, and estate and trust litigation for over 35 years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a member of the Probate, Trust, and Real Property Sections of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations. He is a past chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association. Mr. Hagan earned his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame. For the past 15 years, he and his wife, Susan have served as foster parents for newborn infants through the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh. Hagan resides in Mt. Lebanon.
Ronald L. Hicks, Jr., a partner at the firm, is a business and oil & gas rights trial lawyer who, for over 30 years, has handled emergency, complex and appellate litigation and other business matters for a variety of clients, including LGBT+ business owners. He serves as chair of the firm’s Energy, Utilities & Mineral Rights practice group; co-chair of its Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group and as a member of the firm’s Diversity and Technology committees. Mr. Hicks also serves as co-chair of the U.S./Canada Litigation Group of Meritas. He is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and an elected member of the Board of Governors of the Allegheny County Bar Association. Super Lawyers® has honored him on its list 11 times since 2005. Mr. Hicks graduated from Pennsylvania State University and Wake Forest University School of Law. He resides in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood.
Richard G. Kotarba serves as senior counsel to Meyer, Unkovic & Scott and is former chair of the Construction Law & Litigation Group. Mr. Kotarba currently participates in the Construction Law & Litigation Group, Real Estate & Lending Group, and Creditors Rights & Bankruptcy Group. His construction experience has covered bid protests, review and negotiation of construction contracts, construction bonds and work-outs, federal and state government construction contracting, mechanic’s liens, and arbitration and litigation of construction claims – including claims relating to change orders, delays, acceleration, inefficiency and loss of productivity, home office overhead, job site overhead, differing site conditions, and defective specifications. In the real estate area, he has been involved in sales, acquisitions, and loan transactions, as well as the representation of clients in zoning cases, tax assessment appeals, eminent domain proceedings, and other real estate litigation. He has represented several nationally known title insurance companies and has been appointed by them to defend their insureds in title litigation. Mr. Kotarba is a past chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, a past chair of its Real Property Section and recipient of the St. Thomas More Award. Super Lawyers® has recognized Kotarba for 15 consecutive years and he has been included in Best Lawyers in America® for over 25 years. He graduated magna cum laude from John Carroll University and received a Presidential Scholarship to attend Boston College Law School where he was casenote editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. Kotarba resides in Sewickley with his wife Barbara.
James R. Mall has been a practicing lawyer at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott for the past 38 years and is currently a partner at the firm and chair of the Construction Law & Litigation Group. He focuses his practice in construction and commercial litigation, land use, and zoning. Mr. Mall has a broad range of experience in prosecuting and defending construction-related disputes before state and federal courts, arbitration panels, and mediators. He has been appointed as an arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association to resolve complex construction and commercial cases. Mr. Mall is certified as a LEED Green Associate by the U.S. Green Building Council. He is an elected fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. Mr.Mall also serves as solicitor to the Hampton Township Zoning Hearing Board. He was recently elected to a second term as Treasurer of the Allegheny County Bar Association and currently chairs both the Finance and the Investment Committees of the Bar Association. Mr. Mall holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor, all from the University of Notre Dame. He is a resident of Hampton Township.
Mary C. McGinley is a partner of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott and member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. She has represented a broad range of corporations in a variety of matters, including closely held corporations in shareholder disputes and leading manufacturers in contractual disputes. Ms. McGinley has also represented individuals in estate litigation matters before the Orphans’ Court and in employment restrictive covenant disputes in both state and federal court. She has obtained favorable results for clients in jury and non-jury trials. Ms. McGinley has served on the Allegheny County Bar Foundation’s board of trustees. Currently, she co-chairs the Attorneys Against Hunger Campaign, which is sponsored by the Allegheny County Bar Foundation and benefits local hunger agencies. Ms. McGinley is also a Trustee of Carlow University. McGinley graduated from Pennsylvania State University and the Duquesne University School of Law. She resides in Squirrel Hill.
Chad I. Michaelson represents clients in a wide range of commercial litigation, with a special focus on complex construction matters. He joined the firm in 2002 and became a partner in 2009. Mr. Michaelson currently chairs the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group and is a member of its management committee. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University and a Juris Doctor from the Emory University School of Law. Michaelson currently lives in Mt. Lebanon with his wife, Kara, and their children, Jacob and Meadow.
Russell J. Ober, Jr. has more than 44 years of experience as a trial lawyer. He is a current partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott and former chair of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Mr. Ober’s practice is concentrated on the litigation of business and commercial disputes and the defense of product liability claims. He has represented clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States. From 1973 to 1975, Ober served as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was responsible for the prosecution of hundreds of criminal cases. He is a fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and has served on its board of governors and as chair of both the Federal Practice and Nominating Committees. He is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Ober has served in numerous leadership positions in the Allegheny County Bar Association. For many years he was a member of the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is a longtime member of the Discovery Committee of the Section for Litigation of the American Bar Association. Mr. Ober received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He resides in Mt. Lebanon with his wife Sandi.
David G. Oberdick is co-chair of the firm’s MUSolutions Group. He is of counsel to the firm and a member of the Intellectual Property, Corporate & Business Law, and Litigation & Dispute Resolution groups and has a diverse client base bridging these practice areas. Mr. Oberdick’s business litigation experience includes cases involving issues of intellectual property, such as infringement and misappropriation litigation, restrictive covenants, licensing disputes, injunction proceedings and related breach of contract issues. Over the last 25 plus years, he has also counseled and litigated significant claims for clients in other complex commercial matters, such as insurance coverage, oil & gas, breach of contract, municipal law/zoning and business disputes, as well as alternative dispute resolution. He is a faculty advisor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Intellectual Property Moot Court and president of the Avonworth School District Board. He received his Bachelor of Arts and his Juris Doctor from University of Pittsburgh, graduating magna cum laude both times. He resides in Ohio Township and has served on the Ohio Township Planning Commission.
