Babst Calland Names Junker, McKernan, Miller and Staley Shareholders
PITTSBURGH, PA January 22, 2016 – Babst Calland recently named Robert Max Junker, Scott K. McKernan, James D. Miller and Krista-Ann M. Staley shareholders in the Firm.
Max Junker, a member of the Firm’s Public Sector Group, has served as a municipal and school district solicitor for several years, and he is currently the Solicitor for the Borough of Franklin Park and the Borough of Bell Acres. Mr. Junker counsels and represents the Firm’s municipal clients on general municipal issues including tax assessment appeals, municipal taxation, public bidding, Sunshine Act, the Right-to-Know Law, the State Ethics Act, general land use and zoning matters, code enforcement, as well as Act 111 and Act 195 interest arbitrations and grievance arbitrations.
Mr. Junker is a 2005 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law.
Scott McKernan, a member of the Firm’s Energy & Natural Resources and Mineral Title groups, focuses his practice primarily on counseling various clients on matters involving natural resources and energy law with an emphasis on transactional matters related to the acquisition and development of oil and gas leases and rendering oil and gas title opinions. He provides services regarding oil and gas leasing, oil and gas title issues and opinions and due diligence projects for various transactions, including those involving the acquisition and divestiture of assets consisting of oil and gas fees and leasehold interests. He also counsels clients in matters involving seismic data acquisition and licensing, as well as matters involving transactions of subsurface rights, including oil and gas rights.
Mr. McKernan is a 2007 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law.
Jim Miller, a member of the Firm’s Litigation and Construction groups, focuses his practice primarily on commercial litigation and construction law. He has represented clients ranging from publicly-traded corporations to individuals in a variety of construction and business litigation cases in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and West Virginia. Mr. Miller’s commercial litigation experience includes handling claims concerning breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder disputes, non-compete agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, and cyber-squatting, as well as more standard business claims such as breach of contract.
Mr. Miller routinely advises companies in the construction and energy industries, including contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and project owners, with issues related to contract drafting, project management, dispute resolution and general business consultation. He has experience prosecuting and defending a wide range of construction-related claims arising from private, state and federal projects, including claims involving project delay, acceleration, inefficiencies, non-payment and retainage withholding (including statutory prompt payment damages, as well as bond and mechanics’ lien claims), design and specification defects, quantum meruit/unjust enrichment, active interference by the owner or contractor, and Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code relating to the sale and lease of goods.
Mr. Miller is a 2008 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law.
Krista-Ann Staley, a member of the Firm’s Public Sector and Energy & Natural Resources groups, focuses her practice primarily on municipal law, with an emphasis on land use and land development issues. She represents boroughs, townships, municipal authorities, zoning hearing boards, individuals and private entities in the Pittsburgh area. Ms. Staley advises these clients when revising or enacting land use regulations and when considering land use applications. She also assists with issues pertaining to state and local roadway regulations, record requests filed under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, and public meeting requirements under the Sunshine Act.
In addition, Krista-Ann counsels and represents private landowners and businesses in matters relating to governmental entities, such as analyzing municipal ordinances and applying for and obtaining various land use approvals. She also assists private sector clients with filing Right-to-Know requests and appeals related to these filings. She works often with energy industry clients, including drilling and midstream companies, with a particular emphasis on the land use and roadway use issues related to the development of the Marcellus Shale throughout Pennsylvania.
Ms. Staley is a 2007 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.