Ryan D. Elliott, Michael C. Murphy and Nikolas E. Tysiak recently joined the regional law firm Babst Calland as associates. They will conduct business from the Pittsburgh, PA, office. Mr. Elliott joins the Environmental Services and Energy & Natural Resources groups; Mr. Murphy joins the Environmental Services group and Mr. Tysiak joins the Energy & Natural Resources and Business Services groups.
Mr. Elliott assists clients on a wide variety of environmental matters including federal and state air, water and waste regulatory compliance, and permitting and issues arising in the development of the Marcellus and Utica shale. He also assists in litigation matters involving environmental liability. Mr. Elliott, who earned his J.D. from Capital University Law School in 2010, was formerly with Schumaker, Koop & Kendrick, LLP, in Columbus, OH. He is admitted to practice in Ohio.
Mr. Murphy concentrates his practice primarily on site remediation, solid and hazardous waste, and environmental issues arising in corporate and real estate transactions. He represents potentially responsible parties (PRPs) in all stages of Superfund cleanups, both under federal and state programs, including responding to information requests, negotiating consent orders and participating in PRP group allocations. Mr. Murphy also counsels clients on the potential benefits of participating in voluntary brownfield cleanup programs, management of solid and hazardous waste to comply with federal and state statutes and regulations and transactions on potential liabilities identified in Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, Regulatory Compliance Audits and Vapor Intrusion Assessments. Mr. Murphy, who earned his J.D. from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in 2006, was formerly with Phillips Lytle, LLP, in Buffalo, NY. He is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut.
Mr. Tysiak practices in the areas of energy and real estate law, with a primary focus on transactions and ownership involving oil and gas, where he has extensive experience identifying and curing novel real estate title issues in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. He has previously taken a lead position in generating and implementing creative solutions to novel, real estate-related issues. Mr. Tysiak also maintains a general real estate practice, with experience conducting foreclosure proceedings, drafting complex retail and commercial leasing agreements, drafting deeds and other documents necessary to effectuate property transactions, conducting real estate closings, researching and writing title insurance policies and overseeing curative measures to finalize property transactions. Mr. Tysiak, who earned his J.D. from Washington College of Law at American University in 2005, was formerly with Jackson Kelly, PLLC, in Wheeling, WV. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and is currently on the board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Young Professionals in Energy.
Briana J. Marino recently joined Babst Calland’s Charleston, WV, office as an associate in the Litigation Services group.
Ms. Marino focuses her practice in the areas of general litigation, employment litigation, Medicare Secondary Payer compliance and reporting issues and personal injury litigation. She has particular knowledge regarding applicable laws, regulations and administrative decisions governing Medicare Secondary Payer and Medicare, Medicaid and S-CHIP Extension Act of 2007 Section 111 Reporting issues. This developing area of the law affects all settlements, verdicts, awards and benefits of current and potential Medicare and other social program beneficiaries nationwide regardless, in the majority of cases, of type of claim or allegation raised by the litigant. Ms. Marino, who earned her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law in 2009, was formerly with Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso, PLLC, in Charleston, WV.
David Northrop joins Babst Calland as a shareholder in the Environmental Services group after spending nearly 40 years practicing law in Columbus, Ohio. His practice involves representing clients in their interactions with federal and state environmental regulatory agencies and includes client counseling and litigation. He has litigated on behalf of clients in administrative matters involving environmental permits and has defended clients in civil and criminal enforcement matters in federal and state court.
Mr. Northrop represents clients in matters involving air pollution, water pollution, solid waste, hazardous waste, and property contamination, including Superfund cases. He also counsels clients on the environmental aspects of transactions such as the acquisition or sale of businesses or property.
Mr. Northrop graduated from Allegheny College in 1970. He received his J.D., summa cum laude from The Ohio State University College of Law (now the Moritz College of Law) in 1972, and has practiced environmental law since 1973 in both the public sector and, since 1987, in private practice. His practice in the public sector was in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, representing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and other Ohio environmental regulatory agencies. Mr. Northrop practiced in the Environmental Enforcement Section for ten years, including four years of service as chief of the section. He also served for four years as deputy chief counsel to the attorney general.
Mr. Northrop is admitted to practice in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Ohio, the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of Kentucky, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.
Prominent Team of Energy, Environment and Litigation Attorneys Join Firm
Clay K. Keller, Richard J. Lolli, David E. Northrop Named Shareholders
The law firm of Babst Calland recently announced the continued expansion of its growing energy practice by opening its newest office in downtown Canton, OH, at the PNC Center.
The expansion of the Firm’s already well-established energy and natural resources practice is taking place at a time when many of the Firm’s existing energy clients participating in unconventional gas development are tapping Babst Calland’s multi-disciplinary practice group for its Marcellus and Utica shale experience and capabilities.
The Firm was founded 26 years ago and has represented energy-related clients since its inception. The Firm’s multi-disciplinary practice addresses a wide range of issues affecting its energy clients, including environmental, business and transaction services, title, litigation, land use, construction and employment & labor. More than one-half of Babst Calland’s 105 lawyers currently are involved in servicing the Firm’s energy clients.
Joining Babst Calland as shareholders are attorneys Clay K. Keller and Richard J. Lolli. Mr. Keller joins the firm effective June 15, 2012, and Mr. Lolli begins on June 25, 2012. Both are admitted to practice law in the state of Ohio and are active in county and state bar associations as well as the Ohio Oil & Gas Association and Ohio Land Title Association, respectively. Mr. Lolli’s extensive background is in the area of Title/Land Use and Real Estate law. Mr. Keller is a litigator representing clients on a broad range of oil and gas matters.
Joining Mr. Keller and Mr. Lolli will be Ohio attorney David E. Northrop after spending nearly 40 years practicing law in Columbus, Ohio. He is known for his representation of clients in their interactions with federal and state environmental regulatory agencies.
“Babst Calland serves the energy industry with a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team of lawyers that is focused on the broad spectrum of federal, state and local issues impacting our clients. The significant growth of Marcellus and Utica shale development over the past year has created the need for geographic expansion so that we can provide that same level of service to our clients in West Virginia and Ohio,” said Chester R. Babst III, managing shareholder of Babst Calland.
“The addition of Clay Keller, Richard Lolli and David Northrop gives our firm a team with more than 80 years of experience in handling environmental, real estate, title and litigation matters in Ohio and allows us to serve our Ohio clients with attorneys who understand the local landscape,” added Babst.
Matthew L. Lambach and Travis B. Righter recently joined the regional law firm Babst Calland as associates. Mr. Lambach and Mr. Righter both join the Energy & Natural Resources and Business Services Groups.
Mr. Lambach counsels various energy, oil, gas and mineral-related clients on transaction matters as they relate to gas title issues and opinions. Mr. Lambach, who earned his J.D. from Duquesne University in 2011, was formerly with Peacock Keller & Ecker, LLP.
Mr. Righter advises clients in various matters involving natural resources and energy, with a focus on oil and gas title issues and opinions. Mr. Righter, who earned his J.D. from West Virginia University in 2010, was formerly with Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP. He is admitted to practice in West Virginia and is a member of the Northern Appalachian Landmans Association.
The law firm of Babst Calland today announced the addition of lawyer Anne C. Blankenship to the firm’s environmental and energy practices as a shareholder. Ms. Blankenship will be based in the firm’s Charleston, WV office.
During the past decade, Anne Blankenship has represented environmental, utility and energy and natural resources clients in West Virginia’s state and federal courts and before numerous environmental authorities and West Virginia’s Public Service Commission. Her experience spans advising clients on environmental issues, including air quality, water and waste management, as well as public utility regulation. Anne is also a registered lobbyist in West Virginia where she has focused on regulatory and statutory developments in the utility and environmental arena.
“Anne Blankenship is a significant addition to the Firm’s national environmental practice group,” said Chester R. Babst III, managing shareholder of Babst Calland. “We now have 20 lawyers who spend 100 percent of their time focused on environmental regulatory matters and, with the addition of Anne in West Virginia and Dave Northrop in Ohio, the Firm has environmental lawyers with years of experience working on environmental issues in the three key states for Marcellus and Utica shale development.”
Ms. Blankenship is admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. She is a member of the West Virginia State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Order of Barristers. Ms. Blankenship was named a West Virginia Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2009 and 2010. She received her J.D. degree from the Capital University Law School, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Biological Sciences from Marshall University.
The Louisiana Association of Self Insured Employers (LASIE) is proud to announce that Briana Marino of Babst Calland’s Charleston location earned the Certified Medicare Secondary Payer (CMSP) Certification. The CMSP program is a new credential in the insurance industry and designed to identify those professionals who work within the workers’ compensation and liability insurance industry and have demonstrated superior knowledge and skills in the field of Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance.
To earn this designation, candidates successfully complete a 36-hour course that includes an exam and case study. To maintain the CMSP certification, the practitioner must take 24 hours of continuing education every two years in the Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance field.
Dean A. Calland, a founding shareholder of Babst Calland in Pittsburgh, has been named for the third consecutive year as a 2012 International Who’s Who Legal choice in the Environment practice area. Mr. Calland’s international practice consists primarily of complex acquisitions and divestitures for multi-national chemical and manufacturing clients.
As the official research partner of the International Bar Association and the strategic research partner of the American Bar Association Section of International Law, Who’s Who Legal awards are based on interviews and surveys with General Counsel and environmental practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed and it is impossible to buy entry into this publication.
Michael Altvater is a new associate in Babst Calland’s Canton office and will join the firm’s Litigation Services group. His practice includes representing business owners and individuals in all phases of commercial litigation, employment law, oil and gas litigation, probate litigation, general litigation and other disputes involving title to real estate and mineral interests.
Mr. Altvater graduated from Wright State University in 2002, earning a B.A. in Journalism. He is a 2008 graduate of the University of Canton School of Law, where he served as the President of the Moot Court Honor Society and participated in the Jessup International Moot Court team. During law school, Mr. Altvater was a judicial extern for the Honorable Elinore Marsh Stormer of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. He went on to serve as Judge Stormer’s Judicial Attorney following law school and before entering private practice.
Mr. Altvater is admitted in Ohio and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He is a member of the Canton and Ohio State Bar Associations.
Since graduating law school, Mr. Altvater continues to serve as a coach for the University of Canton School of Law’s National Child Welfare and Adoption Law moot court teams. In addition, he serves as the Continuing Legal Education chair for the Canton Bar Association’s New Lawyer section and volunteers his time to the OPEN-M legal clinic in Canton.
He joins Babst Calland attorneys Clay K. Keller and Richard J. Lolli. Mr. Lolli’s extensive background is in the area of title/land use and real estate law and Mr. Keller is a seasoned litigator representing clients in general commercial litigation matters and on a broad range of matters unique to the oil and gas industry.
Ohio attorney David E. Northrop also works with Babst Calland attorneys in the Canton office serving clients on Ohio matters. Mr. Northrop is known for his representation of clients in their interactions with federal and state environmental regulatory agencies.
Babst Calland opened its Canton office to provide a coordinated, multi-disciplinary level of service to its clients in Ohio staffed by attorneys who understand the local landscape.
Alyssa Golfieri and Ashley Passero Join the Firm
PITTSBURGH, PA, December 5, 2012 – Alyssa E. Golfieri and Ashley R. Passero recently joined the law firm Babst Calland as associates. They will conduct business from the Pittsburgh, PA office. Ms. Golfieri joins the Public Sector Services group and Ms. Passero joins the Litigation Services group.
Ms. Golfieri’s practice primarily focuses on municipal and land use issues. She is a 2012 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law. While at Duquesne, Ms. Golfieri actively participated in the Urban Development Clinic where she earned a Distinction in Clinical Work in 2012 and gained experience in preparing property tax assessment appeals, drafting deeds, resolving tangled title issues, and combating blighted and abandoned properties in the surrounding community.
Ms. Passero focuses her practice on general civil litigation. She is a 2012 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Leonard Fornella, an attorney in Babst Calland’s Litigation group, was recently elected as President of the Board of Trustees of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter. His practice focuses primarily in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, labor and employment law and general commercial litigation on behalf of corporations and other business entities.
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. It was founded in 1967 and the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter offices located 300 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite # 401, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235.
PITTSBURGH, January 17, 2012 – Babst Calland, one of the region’s leading law firms, recently named Sara M. Antol, Christopher S. Channel, Stephen L. Korbel and Timothy A. Schoonover shareholders in the firm.
Ms. Antol is a member of the firm’s Business Services group. Her practice areas include mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; business planning and structuring; routine and complex commercial contracts in, among other areas, technology and telecommunications; development and licensing arrangements; teaming, distribution, reseller and original equipment manufacturer relationships; public company securities compliance; executive compensation programs and employment and non-competition agreements; and general business counseling. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Antol served as general counsel of Tollgrade Communications, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based, publicly traded telecommunications equipment and software supplier. Ms. Antol is a 1990 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Mr. Channel is a member of the firm’s Litigation Services group. His practice includes commercial and intellectual property litigation. He has represented numerous individuals and corporations in cases involving covenants not to compete and trade secrets. Mr. Channel has also represented corporations, artists and photographers in intellectual property matters involving copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. He has defended numerous products liability, premises liability and negligence claims on behalf of hospitals, a wood products manufacturer and industrial equipment manufacturers. Mr. Channel has experience with a number of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms including arbitration, mediation and use of neutral evaluator. He is a 2002 graduate of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary.
Mr. Korbel is a member of the firm’s Employment & Labor Services and the Land Use & Public Sector Services groups. He counsels public and private employers in all aspects of the employment relationship, from hiring through termination. Mr. Korbel advises clients on employment discrimination issues and rights, workplace harassment, disability accommodation, Family & Medical Leave Act compliance, employee handbooks, workplace investigations, disciplinary action, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, and waivers and releases. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Mr. Schoonover, who is based in the firm’s State College office, is a member of the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources, Litigation and Land Use & Public Sector Services groups. He has practiced law in the Centre County region since 1997 in both private practice and the corporate setting. Mr. Schoonover has significant experience with Marcellus shale related issues, including contract matters and land use litigation issues. His practice also includes the areas of real estate, corporate/business law, municipal law, litigation, estate planning and estate administration. Mr. Schoonover is a 1995 graduate of the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law.