Area of Emphasis
Len Fornella is a shareholder in the Litigation Services Group of Babst Calland. 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. A significant and substantial part of Mr. Fornella’s practice involves the handling of a wide variety of matters arising under the admiralty and maritime laws of the United States. Included within that practice are the defense of claims by seamen under the Jones Act, the defense of claims under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the handling of maritime property and casualty claims, seizure claims, as well as limitation of liability actions. Mr. Fornella also handles marine regulatory and administrative matters.
Mr. Fornella’s practice in the labor and employment area has included, among other things, grievance and arbitration proceedings, NLRB matters, strike-related advice and litigation, representation elections, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation proceedings, MSHA matters, breach of employment contract claims, discrimination claims and ERISA litigation. He has also negotiated collective bargaining agreements for employers, both in the private and public sectors. In this regard, Mr. Fornella has acted as the chief labor negotiator for the South Fayette Township School District since 1984, with respect to both the professional and non-professional bargaining agreements.
Mr. Fornella has also devoted a portion of his practice to the representation of business entities in general and commercial litigation. In that regard, he has defended major corporations in on-going asbestos litigation over the years. Mr. Fornella has also handled a variety of other types of commercial and miscellaneous litigation, including breach of contract claims, commercial arbitration matters, mine subsidence claims, property damage claims, trespass claims, real estate claims and personal injury claims.
Background
Mr. Fornella graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1975, where he earned a B.S., with highest distinction, and was a member of the Honors Accounting Program. In 1978, he earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for Torts.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Fornella is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth and Sixth Circuits, the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania, the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia and the Eastern District of Kentucky. He is a member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Federal Bar Associations, as well as the Maritime Law Association. Mr. Fornella has been consistently recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s top lawyers, according to an annual survey published in Philadelphia magazine.
Since 1980 Mr. Fornella has served as a member of the Board of School Directors of the South Fayette Township School District, where he has served as President and has held other offices and committee chairs. Mr. Fornella also serves on the South Fayette Township Board of Standards. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America – Western Pennsylvania Chapter in 2004, and will serve as Chairman of the Board beginning in 2012. From 2000 to 2004 he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the local British – American Business Council and the Pittsburgh Maritime Club.
