Pittsburgh law firm Meyer, Unkovic & Scott today announced that Super Lawyers named 11 of its attorneys to the 2017 list of top attorneys in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list included the following Meyer, Unkovic & Scott attorneys:
- Patricia L. Dodge (Business Litigation)
- Andrea Geraghty (Real Estate)
- Martin J. Hagan (Estate Planning & 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)
- W. Grant Scott (Real Estate)
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 the managing partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott. An experienced trial lawyer, Patti focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, oil and 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. 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 and serves as a hearing officer for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board. Dodge has earned a spot on the Super Lawyers list for 13 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 Construction Law & Litigation, Corporate & Business Law, Oil & Gas Law and Real Estate & Lending groups. 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 Geraghty on its list for 13 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 more than 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. Hagan earned his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame. For the past 15 years, Hagan and his wife, Susan, who reside in Mt. Lebanon have served as foster parents for newborn infants through the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh.
Ronald L. Hicks, Jr., a partner at the firm, is a business and oil and gas rights trial lawyer who for the past 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 co-chair of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group and as chair of its Energy, Utilities & Mineral Rights practice group. Hicks also serves as a member of the firm’s Diversity and Technology committees. 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 Group. 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. Super Lawyers has recognized Kotarba for 14 consecutive years. He graduated magna cum laude from John Carroll University and received a Presidential Scholarship to attend Boston College Law School. He is a resident of Sewickley.
James R. Mall has been a practicing lawyer at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott for the past 36 years and is currently a partner at the firm and chair of the Construction Law Group. Mall is also a member of the Business Litigation and Energy groups. He focuses his practice in construction and commercial litigation, land use and zoning. He 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. In addition, he has been appointed to mediate commercial disputes by courts and litigants. Mall serves as solicitor to the Hampton Township Zoning Hearing Board. He is currently chair of the Finance Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association and serves on the Civil Litigation Section Council, Investment Committee and Audit Committee. 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 Business Litigation Group and Tort Litigation 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. She 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. 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. McGinley graduated from Pennsylvania State University and the Duquesne University School of Law. She resides in Squirrel Hill.
Chad I. Michaelson is a member of the firm’s management committee and has been a partner since 2009. He also participates in the Business Litigation and Construction Law & Litigation groups. With more than 16 years of experience resolving complex business disputes, he litigates cases in state and federal courts across the country, and before domestic and international arbitration tribunals. In addition to his general construction practice, Michaelson stays current on the law of building code administration and enforcement, and he regularly represents building code officials in litigation and administrative proceedings. He also has an interest in green building and chairs the firm’s Sustainable Development Group. Michaelson serves on the Mt. Lebanon Board of Appeals. 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. possesses more than 41 years of experience as an attorney and is currently partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott and former chair of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. His practice is concentrated on the litigation of business and commercial disputes and the defense of product liability claims. From 1973 to 1975 Mr. Ober served as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was responsible for the prosecution of hundreds of criminal cases. Ober is a fellow of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. He has served on its board of governors and as chair of the Federal Practice Committee and Nominating Committee. He is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Defense Research Institute. Ober received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He resides in Mt. Lebanon with his wife Sandi.
David G. Oberdick is of counsel to the firm and a member of the Intellectual Property, Corporate & Business Law, and Business Litigation Groups and has a diverse client base that bridges 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 and 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 member 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.
W. Grant Scott, II is a partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott and chair of the firm’s Real Estate & Lending Group. He counsels clients on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of sophisticated real estate transactions, including the acquisition, sale and disposition of real properties. Scott is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia, and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and the Duquesne University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate. Scott and his wife Cindy live in Sewickley.
