Services
I focus my practice to seven principal areas: (1) general business, transactions and contracts; (2) real estate transactions including leasing; (3) Wills, trusts, Probate and Elder Law; (4) serving religious institutions in providing contract support for clergy and executive staff and addressing governance and operation concerns; (5) technology, e-Commerce contracts and transaactions; (6) entertainment Law with emphasis on video production; and (7) litigation.
I regularly engage in assisting growing, closely-held businesses realize their vision for the future in selecting the form of business entity, finance and investments, mergers and acquisitions, employment and distributorship agreements, joint ventures, technology licensing, and other methods of exploiting intellectual property rights. All services are regularly provided for corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies. In addition, I regularly engage in assisting individuals and small closely held corporations in business contracts, acquisitions, business negotiations and pension and profit sharing plans.
I regularly counsel emerging companies and middle-market businesses. As a practitioner providing legal services to both business and providing litigation support I take a business approach to the practice of law, helping my clients design and implement strategies and organizational structures that promote growth, flexibility and creativity.
Ancillary to my general business practice, I also act as “general counsel” to small and medium sized businesses and public-private nonprofits, and private schools, who rely daily on my legal and operational advice.
I have broad experience in business formation, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures, as well as negotiation and preparation of employment agreements, and operating, shareholders’ and partnership agreements. I also provide advice regarding capital formation, with background handling private placements and public offerings for companies subject to the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
I regularly counsel a variety of start-up and emerging companies, particularly technology-oriented businesses, regarding the planning, financing and operation and governance of their businesses.
My client base casts across many industries, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, food and beverage, health care, financial and professional services, retail, franchising, construction, and information technology and communications
I counsel these clients on a broad range of issues, including business organizations and joint ventures, financing and investment, mergers and acquisitions, banking, insurance, contract matters, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and executive management.
I represent individual homeowners, real estate agents, brokers, homeowner and condominium associates, as well as investors and developers and builders. My law practice places an emphasis on both residential and commercial real estate concerns. I have experience in real estate evaluation, inspections and assessments, zoning, land planning and development, municipal government law and other related real estate matters. My practice includes not only negotiations and construction disputes, but also transactional work for the acquisition and sale of real estate, and commercial leasing.
I devote a significant amount of my practice to advising clients in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable giving and closely held businesses .
For over 35 years I have assisted clients in estate and tax planning for individual clients, the representatives of individual and corporate fiduciaries, and the administration of estates and trusts. In addressing such concerns I draft revocable and irrevocable trusts, provide business succession planning, premarital planning, charitable gift planning and all aspects of estate administration and probate procedures.
I also regularly represent nonprofit organizations in a wide range of personal, tax and administrative matters, including advising charitable organizations in connection with their deferred giving programs.
I represent both estates and claimants pertaining to estate accounting, administration and asset distribution.
I have experience in a full range of estate planning documents, including charitable remainder trusts, QTIP Trusts, generation skipping trusts, short-term revocable trusts, insurance trusts and special needs trusts.
Feel free to check out my Information page for further information on Wills & Trusts
Probate refers to the process where the state recognizes the executor or administrator as the estate’s official representative. When someone dies, ownership of all assets in that person’s name now pass to someone else. The Probate process provides the rules and oversight of that process. Getting the state’s recognition of the Will is the initial step. If there is no Will, then the process begins with the selection of the person who will serve as the estate’s Administrator. If the petitions for probate are accepted, the executor or administrator receives paperwork recognizing their authority. Probate has begun.
I am regularly called upon to assist clients in closing out and settling estates in as efficient and expeditious manner as possible. I am flexible and can provide assistance either in addressing a single issue impacting probate, or in undertaking the entire process of estate administration.
Probate often includes, and am experienced with: submitting with the Register of Wills a Will for recognition and commencement of the probate process; preparing and filing an Inventory; collecting assets, assuring all applicable tax returns are prepared and timely filed; selling real estate and business; settling creditor claims; working with problem heirs and obtaining documentation confirming the release of liability of the executor for actions taken on behalf of the estate.
I represent clients in defending and challenging the validity of Wills and Trusts. Typically, these disputes involve a challenge or contest the validity of a Will or Trust as a result of many factors, including, but not limited to – improper execution, undue influence, forgery, fraud, and lack of testamentary capacity. Sometimes , claims are made that a given Will was superseded by a later, valid Will.
I devote a significant amount of my practice to representing producers, directors and video production companies for both commercial and industrial video production. Legal services include Master License Agreements and Syndication Participation Agreements.I am general counsel to several production companies who are developers of television productions presently syndicated throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
I maintain an active practice in representing ministers of all faiths, cantors, executive directors and heads of religious schools and directors of religious-oriented summer camps. My services include negotiation and drafting of employment contracts for ministers, cantors, executive and religious school directors, and heads of religious day schools. I also provide extensive legal representation services int he daily operation and administration of religious institutions while providing counsel regarding lay leadership and governance.
Institutions of Faith often find that their appointed/elected solicitors are congregational members with little or no real experience with the legal concerns pertaining to board structure, bylaws, elections, membership requirements, minutes, and business meetings. Typically these matters are addressed in an inattentive manner or deflected altogether.
I have provided institutions of all faiths with guidance to resolve issues and to be proactive in effectively addressing these concerns.
As a simple example, the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, and the corresponding “stay-at-home” directives issued by most states, have put institutions of faith of all sizes and settings in a difficult position when it comes to worship services—as well as the convening of board and membership meetings.
I regularly provide, pastors, board chairs, and board members with expert and experienced counsel with step-by-step guidance regarding how to conduct virtual congregational and business meetings that are legally valid, protecting and preserving any votes or decisions ultimately made.
Of no less consequence, institutions of faith systematically find themselves in situations where contracting with pastors, rabbis, cantors and executive staff requires appropriate and experienced legal counsel. More and more, pastors, rabbis, cantors, soloists, principal musicians, organists, executive directors , and educational directors bring to the negotiating table their own independent legal counsel to address terms and conditions for employment, and to anticipate terms for well-defined parameters of duties and performance obligations while also addressing the uncomfortable terms for future termination, disability or death.
I regularly am called upon to identify, address, negotiate and conclude contract terms for both by prospective employees and institutions of faith. I bring to the table experience, demonstrated creativity and an openness at arriving upon mutually agreeable terms and conditions which meet the best interests of all interested parties.
I am experienced in representing institutions of faith together with individual clergy, rabbis, cantors, and educational directors (among others) on a national level spanning approximately the last 35 years.
I regularly assist clients in negotiating multi-party technology and IP transactions, including acquisitions and collaborations, service and subscription agreements, software and platform-as-a service agreements, domain name registration and monitoring and hosting agreements and has prepared or negotiated agreements to memorialize deal terms.
I maintain an active litigation department representing clients in both county and federal courts at trial and on appeals. My county practice includes all counties in and around the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area – Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Bucks and Philadelphia. I am admitted to practice in all State and Federal Courts in Pennsylvania, and am a member of the American and Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.
Committed To Helping Our Clients Succeed
Other Practice Areas
Contract Law
Employment Law
Entity Formation
Construction & Engineering
Health Care
ECommerce
Corporate Formation