Joshua R. Lorenz serves as General Counsel for the firm and Co-Chair of the Construction Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of construction, real estate, business/commercial, and tort defense, handling both transactional and litigation matters. He also serves as outside general counsel to multiple entities and frequently is retained to develop comprehensive risk management strategies for his clients.
Josh has appeared before multiple state, federal, and bankruptcy courts, as well as numerous arbitration panels and administrative bodies. In addition to counseling and assisting corporate, individual, and municipal clients as to their business needs, he regularly represents them in both the prosecution and defense of their legal disputes, including appellate matters. Josh also serves as a mediator and arbitrator.
Josh resides in Murrysville with his wife, Erin, and their two sons. In addition to staying active with soccer, they enjoy traveling and volunteering their time in the community, particularly fundraising to benefit those impacted by cancer and their families.
- Advising those in the construction, real estate, and business/commercial sectors regarding their contractual rights, duties, and obligations, which includes the negotiation, drafting, and litigation of complex written agreements.
- Providing unique insight regarding the challenges facing the construction and real estate industries, including project planning and management, mechanic’s lien exposure, liability, and warranty considerations.
- Serving as outside general counsel to multiple entities, advising on issues impacting their businesses.
- Counseling multiple large residential condominium and community associations on an ongoing basis on matters such as maintenance and construction, risk management, employment, voting issues, assessments, and collections.
- Representing clients in matters pending before various state and federal courts, mediators, single and panel arbitrators, and other dispute resolution proceedings.
- Serving as a mediator and arbitrator.
- Selected multiple times to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers© list
- Included multiple times in The Best Lawyers in America©
- Selected multiple times to the Pennsylvania Rising Stars© list
- Selected as one of Pennsylvania’s Lawyers on the Fast Track© for 2007
- Allegheny County Bar Association, Member
- Westmoreland Bar Association, Member
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Municipality of Murrysville Council, past President
- Municipality of Murrysville Planning Commission, (past member prior to being elected to Council)
- Murrysville Area Soccer Association, past President, past Vice President/Director of Coaching and Player Development, Board Member, and Coach
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- J.D., The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, 1999
- Woolsack Honors Society
- Order of Barristers
- B.A., Virginia Tech, 1996, magna cum laude
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Presented on Legalities of Small Business Management for the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence BizFit program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 24, 2023.
- Panelist on Supply Chain Disruptions and Construction Issues Affecting Shopping Centers at the ICSC+Law Symposium in Columbus, Ohio on March 2-3, 2023.
- “The Increasing Prevalence of Surety Bonds in Private Construction Projects,” The Legal Intelligencer. June 2, 2022.
- “Four Trends Construction Lawyers Can Expect to See in 2022,” The Legal Intelligencer. February 11, 2022.
- “Providing Guidance for Construction Clients Following the Fla. Building Collapse,” The Legal Intelligencer. September 2, 2021.
- “Adapting to Act 75 in the Construction Industry,” The Legal Intelligencer. May 17, 2021.
- “Seven Steps to Keep Construction Projects Moving in 2021,” The Legal Intelligencer. February 23, 2021.
- “6 Silver Linings to the 2020 Cloud of the Construction Industry,” The Legal Intelligencer. November 5, 2020.
- “How the Construction Industry Can Break out of COVID-19’s ‘Groundhog Day’,” The Legal Intelligencer. August 24, 2020.
- “3 Lessons to Share as the Construction Industry Returns to Work,” The Legal Intelligencer. June 4, 2020.
- “How to fit Modular Construction Into Your Projects,” The Legal Intelligencer. February 13, 2020.
- “As OT Rule Changes, Construction Employers Should Examine Job Descriptions,” The Legal Intelligencer. November 7, 2019.
- “Private Construction Businesses Could Have More Time to Adhere to New Accounting Standards on Leases,” MUS Blog. August 22, 2019.
- “Private Construction Businesses Could Have More Time to Follow New Lease Standards,” The Legal Intelligencer. August 2, 2019.
- “What to Consider As New Tech Enters the Construction Industry,” MUS Blog. June 4, 2019.
- “The Potential (and Potential Pitfalls) of Blockchain in the Construction Industry,” The Legal Intelligencer. May 31, 2019.
- “Construction Law Alert: A Checklist for Construction Professionals as Heavy Building Season Gets Underway,” MUS Blog. April 16, 2019.
- “Five Steps to Take Before Using Drones at a Construction Site,” The Legal Intelligencer. November 21, 2018.
- “Significant Changes to Pennsylvania’s CASPA Coming Soon,” The Legal Intelligencer. August 1, 2018.
- “All Builders’ Risk Insurance Policies Are Not Created Equal,” The Legal Intelligencer. June 7, 2018.
- Presented on Cybersecurity and the Construction Industry at Hartford Insurance’s Spring Construction event in Hartford, Connecticut on May 9, 2018.
- “How to Cope With Construction Industry Labor Shortages,” The Legal Intelligencer, January 29, 2018.
- “The Construction Industry and Medical Marijuana Use in Pennsylvania,” The Legal Intelligencer. November 30, 2017.
- “Construction Could Be the Next Target for Cyberthreats,” The Legal Intelligencer, August 22, 2017.
- “Navigating Changes to Pennsylvania’s Mechanics’ Lien Law,” The Legal Intelligencer, July 13, 2017.
- “Contractual Risk Management Tips for Construction Companies,” The Legal Intelligencer, July 7, 2017.
- “Energy Benchmarking Regs May Cause Shift to Performance-Based Contracts,” The Legal Intelligencer. November 30, 2016.
- “Mechanic’s Lien Waivers Place Burden on Contractors and Subcontractors,” The Legal Intelligencer, September 6, 2016.
- “Effective Risk Allocation Should Be Fair and Multifaceted,” The Legal Intelligencer, May 12, 2016.
- “Limiting Construction Project Owners’ Liability for Mechanics’ Liens,” The Legal Intelligencer, February 9, 2016.
- “Construction Pros Should Understand Lien Law Changes to Improve Chances of Payment,” Breaking Ground Magazine, September/October 2014.
- “Business Workshop: Union workers are not subcontractors,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 29, 2014.
- “Pennsylvania Construction Law: Getting Started, Getting Covered, Getting Paid,” the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Chapter 9, 2nd ed., May 1, 2014.
- “Valuation Litigation is on the Rise,” The Legal Intelligencer, March 2009.