Fairview Lawyers

Jay Alberstadt is a senior partner with MacDonald Illig. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, commercial and economic development ,and conventional and tax-exempt financing. He provides legal services to individuals, business entities, lending institutions, municipal authorities and development agencies. Mr. Alberstadt handles matters ranging from residential real estate transactions to detailed title and development issues. He also provides representation in commercial financings and tax-exempt municipal, industrial development and 501(c)(3) bond issues. He is co-chair of the Firm's real estate practice group and chair of the firm's marketing committee.

I represent individuals and families in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties in Pennsylvania. I focused on civil litigation helping victims navigate the legal process.

I have over 20 years-experience handling personal injury cases. I have personally been lead trial counsel in over 50 personal injury trials. I have been selected as a Top 10 Attorney for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys awarded to attorneys demonstrating exceptional and outstanding client service. I have been selected by Super Lawyers on several occasions and have been rated as “excellent” by Avvo a lawyer rating service.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS
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Matt is a lifelong Pennsylvania resident, having lived in Bucks, Centre, and Erie counties. As an undergraduate, he attended The Pennsylvania State University’s main campus, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Afterwards, he went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from The Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law, where he graduated in the top third of his class. While at Penn State Law, Matt was a member of the Rural Economic Development Clinic and was recognized as a Public Interest Advocate for providing free legal assistance to small businesses in rural...

Attorney Vilushis knows that a run-in with the law is often one of the worst days anyone could experience. That’s why he brings great understanding to his clients facing DUI or other criminal charges.

Vilushis cites his time as a law clerk with the Honorable Ernest J. DiSantis Jr. as a catalyst for his passion for law. He worked tirelessly as both an Assistant District Attorney and a First Deputy District Attorney, and is no stranger to the courtroom having personally tried over 60 jury trials.

Attorney Vilushis was honored as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers...

Michael P. Thomas is a Partner with MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP. He assists individuals, closely held companies, and larger entities on a wide variety of estate planning, estate and trust administration, wealth transfer, succession planning, tax, and business matters.

Mike routinely assists clients with the design and implementation of both basic and complex estate plans that focus on accomplishing the client's individual objectives and minimizing the related tax consequences. He works closely with individual and corporate fiduciaries throughout estate and trust administrations. Mike has experience advising clients on a wide variety of sophisticated business transactions, employee benefit plan matters,...

Jamie R. Schumacher is an Associate in the Litigation Department at MacDonald Illig where she concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, insurance defense, and municipal/ordinance enforcement. She is also a member of the firm's Commercial/General Litigation Practice Group, Labor & Employment Practice Group, Government Services Practice Group, Marketing Committee, and the Recruitment Committee. Ms. Schumacher is licensed to practice in all Pennsylvania state courts, the United States District Courts for the Western and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Schumacher is the former chair of the Young Lawyers Division...

Terry Jones is a trial lawyer who has spent his entire career representing both plaintiffs and defendants in significant personal injury cases and wrongful death actions. He has litigated hundreds of cases, including automobile liability, product liability, medical malpractice and premises liability matters, many of which have involved catastrophic personal injuries or deaths. Mr. Jones also has been involved in the defense of a number of class action cases. He enjoys a Martindale Hubbell rating of AV Preeminent, the highest available rating for professional competence and ethics.

Mr. Jones has completed the ADR training program in the U.S....

Attorney Kruszewski is a member of the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group. His practice involves the representation of corporate debtors, secured creditors and unsecured creditor committees in business reorganization proceedings. His practice also includes commercial loan work-outs, bankruptcy-related and commercial litigation, and general collection matters. He has also been approved as a mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Attorney Kruszewski has been named as a Rising Star in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine in each year of publication from 2008-2016. He is also an active member of both the Erie County Bar...

Since 1992, Tim George has pursued justice for accident victims and defended the freedom of people accused of DUI & other criminal offenses in Pennsylvania. Tim has an AV-Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale Hubbell and a 10/10 rating with Avvo.com based upon peer endorsements and more than 100 client 5 star reviews. Tim has been named to the SuperLawyers List in Pennsylvania every year since 2016. Tim is a founder of Purchase, George & Murpher, P.C. He is a former Erie County assistant district attorney and trial counsel (prosecutor) in the U.S. Army. In 2009, Tim deployed...

Patrick Delaney is a Senior Partner at MacDonald Illig. He concentrates his practice in the area of Commercial Litigation. During the course of his career, Mr. Delaney has litigated disputes in the federal and state courts throughout Pennsylvania and in various other jurisdictions. He has also handled numerous complex commercial disputes before arbitration tribunals, including panels convened through the American Arbitration Association and the International Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Delaney has years of experience handling contract disputes, including those involving professional services, the sale of goods, real estate sales, stock purchase agreements, commercial and industrial construction, and executive employment. He...

Roger H. Taft is a trial lawyer at MacDonald Illig whose primary areas of practice are employment litigation, including employment discrimination and wrongful discharge cases, and complex commercial litigation.

In his litigation practice, Mr. Taft represents clients in federal and state courts throughout Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, as well as in federal courts throughout the United States.

Mr. Taft enjoys travel, golf, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Attorney Mikovch has over 25 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney. In his criminal defense practice, he represents individuals charged with crimes ranging from felonies, misdemeanors and summary charges. He has successfully defended clients in numerous jury trials with the end results being not guilty on all counts. Attorney Mikovch has represented clients against the Office of Children and Youth when people are wrongly accused of abuse and Indicated, and represents both plaintiffs and defendants in Protection from Abuse (PFA) hearings. He also represents individuals on state-issued license employment matters which may be affected...

The right experience matters. Finding the right criminal defense attorney isn’t an easy task or a decision to be taken lightly. You need to find an attorney who has the experience necessary to get you the best possible results. My experience is unique and significant.

In addition to considerable trial experience, I have also developed invaluable insight and professional relationships. Insight and professional relationships used, in many instances, to get results no other defense attorney can achieve. Remember, exceptional results require exceptional experience. Reach out for a free consultation to discuss why my unique experience makes Panighetti Law the right...

Shaun B. Adrian is a senior partner at MacDonald Illig and a member of the firm's Estates and Trusts Group. He works with individuals and families to establish estate plans tailored to the client's needs, personal goals and tax objectives during life and after death. Shaun concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, and elder law.

Shaun's practice includes the preparation of wills, trusts, trusts for children with special needs, durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney and living wills, estate tax planning, guardianship matters, elder law and long-term care planning. He is...

Mr. Joseph has practiced as a school solicitor for more than 35 years, providing a full range of education law services. In addition to serving as general solicitor for three area school districts, the local Intermediate Unit and numerous nonpublic school systems, he has experience in handling special education matters including mediation and litigation of special education and Section 504 due process hearings. He has also, over time, provided representation on behalf of every public school district in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties as special counsel for a variety of specific assignments.

Mr. Joseph has extensive experience in policy drafting, Family...

Alan Natalie is a private solo practice attorney practicing in Northwestern Pennsylvania since 1989, committed to protecting the rights of thousands of individuals and families in times of loss; concentrating in the areas of Personal Injury (automobile accidents, wrongful death claims, dog bite injuries, medical malpractice, property owner liability claims), Criminal Defense (DUI, DWI, all misdemeanors, all felonies), Estate Litigation (suits prosecuting or defending estate executors, trustees, and other fiduciaries), Estate Planning (wills, living wills, advanced directives, powers of attorney), and Estate Administration (probate or settlement of any size estate, insolvent estates, trusts). All matters include a free consultation....

Tim McNair is an attorney admitted to practice in 1981. He concentrates his practice in the field of litigation, representing people who have been injured physically, as in car crashes, at work, or financially through unfair and discriminatory job termination or refusal to hire. He also closes real estate and handles estate settlements.

Attorney McNair is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly, Association of Trial Lawyers of America), the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (formerly Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association), Pennsylvania and Erie County Bar Associations. He has served as the Chair of the PAAJ Workers Compensation Section, the Erie...

Attorney Jan Janin's practice involves the representation of debtors, secured creditors and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy. Particular emphasis is placed on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 debtors. His practice also involves extensive collection work on behalf of banks and credit unions. Michael's practice involves litigation in both state and federal courts of western Pennsylvania. Specifically, he is admitted to practice before all courts under the purview of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court...

Jeffrey Veitch, Esquire named a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine 2016-2021. Jeff has previously been honored with the distinction of being named a "Rising Star" by Law & Politics magazine on several occasions and has also been recognized by Law & Politics magazine in its "Who's Who in Criminal Defense & DUI/DWI Law" edition every year since 2007. Jeff has also achieved a 10/10 Superb rating from AVVO.COM, an independent attorney rating service and was also Selected as a "Top 100" Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers. Jeff has been the author of "Defending DUI's-A Defense Perspective",...

Jim Toohey is a partner at MacDonald Illig, where he represents and advises individuals, businesses and lenders in a wide variety of real estate and corporate matters, including residential, industrial, commercial and multi-unit transactions; commercial leasing; and commercial and residential lending. In addition to his representation of individual buyers and sellers of residential real estate, Jim has extensive experience in representing developers of real estate who acquire, finance, develop and operate industrial, office and retail projects. Jim also represents business owners in a variety of matters, commercial and real estate mortgage lenders in financing business and real estate loans, and...

Attorney Burroughs is primarily a civil litigator whose principal area of concentration is environmental law. He undertakes representation of parties in civil cases in the Pennsylvania state and federal courts. He is also involved in administrative proceedings, in particular those which deal with environmental law. He is also significantly involved in the counseling of individuals and companies regarding environmental compliance and remediation of environmental problems.

Attorney Burroughs has represented clients in toxic tort, products liability, personal injury and related cases. Additionally, he has an expanding practice in the fields of municipal law and municipal authority law. His clients include individual municipalities,...

John Fessler has been a civil litigator for more than 25 years. His practice is concentrated primarily in the areas of insurance defense, commercial litigation and personal injury. John has represented insurance carriers in a variety of cases over the years, including those involving automobile policies, commercial general liability policies and homeowner policies.

Attorney Fessler also has an extensive real estate practice, providing counsel to buyers, sellers and lending institutions, as well as regularly participating in Sheriff Sales.

He is AV Preeminent peer-review rated,* the highest rating, through Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Fessler was awarded the 2007 President's Award from the Erie County Bar...

Attorney Stumpf develops estate plans for her clients and competently assists in the administration of estates of all sizes. She also provides expertise in the areas of trust administration, asset protection, elder law and guardianship issues. Attorney Stumpf's business law practice includes entity formation for both for-profit and non-profit organizations, structural questions, general counsel and the development of succession plans. Additionally, she assists in the representation of several school districts, an intermediate unit and multiple private schools.

Attorney Stumpf received her undergraduate degree from Grove City College in 2003 and her Juris Doctor from the Penn State - The Dickinson School...

For 30 years, "Jack" Mehler has helped public and private companies, banks, developers, non-profit corporations and individuals in a wide range of legal matters. Jack concentrates in the areas of general business matters, real estate, banking, and financial transactions.

Jack also represents taxpayer-clients and developers in real estate tax assessment (value) appeals, and tax exemption cases throughout western Pennsylvania on many different types of properties as diverse as marinas, waterfront shipping facilities, hospitals, shopping centers and malls, industrial plants, truck terminals and warehouses, commercial and professional office buildings, corporate headquarters, hotels, and senior living facilities.

Jack has written numerous articles and is...

Born and raised in Erie, Adam went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Clarion University, where he graduated summa cum laude. After college, he went on to earn his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown, West Virginia. While in law school, Adam was a zealous advocate in West Virginia University’s Clinical Law Program and West Virginia University’s Immigration Clinic, where he fought for immigrants’ rights. Adam has focused his practice on Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Social Security Disability law. Adam has earned a great deal...

Mr. Walczak concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate governance, business transactions and finance, and creditors' rights.

Mr. Walczak acts in the capacity of general counsel for a number of business, non-profit and governmental organizations, providing legal advice on corporate, transactional and tax matters. Mr. Walczak is listed in the Bond Buyer Municipal Market Place Guide (commonly known as the municipal bond attorney's Red Book), and regularly provides tax advice and board counsel tax opinions with respect to tax-exempt financing transactions.

Mr. Walczak also represents creditors in complex creditor-debtor matters, including the negotiation of workout agreements and the representation of creditors...

Since he started his law practice in 1997, Attorney Melaragno has worked with individuals who were injured, through no fault of their own, in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, tractor trailer accidents, slips and falls and a variety of other circumstances. Attorney Melaragno and his partners have tried or settled cases with a success rate of over 99%, recovering more than $3.2 Million for their injured clients in the last 4 years alone.


Attorney Melaragno was selected to serve on the Panel for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees for the Western District of Pennsylvania on February 6, 2004 and from that...

Attorney Snavely’s civil litigation practice includes the defense of healthcare providers in professional negligence and licensure actions; the representation of both defendants and plaintiffs in premises liability, auto accident, product liability, and construction actions; and the representation of plaintiffs and defendants in other civil litigation matters.

Attorney Snavely also represents and provides advice to healthcare providers on a variety of matters, including employment contracts, credentialing, peer review, end of life issues, medical records, risk management, controlled substances and nonprofit corporation law.

Attorney Snavely is admitted to all Pennsylvania courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the...

Mr. Pagliari's practice is concentrated in the areas of corporate restructuring and bankruptcy, bankruptcy related litigation and collection matters. He primarily represents corporate debtors, secured creditors, chapter 7 and chapter 11 trustees, and other entities involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Attorney Pagliari is also an approved mediator in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Pagliari graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History in 1998. In 2001, he graduated from The University of Dayton School of Law,...

Ms. Stefanovski devotes her practice entirely to litigation. She has experience in the specific areas of insurance defense, personal injury defense and premises liability.