Nineteen Attorneys from MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton, LLP Selected to The Best Lawyers in America® 2024

Erie, PA, August 17, 2023:  MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton, LLP is pleased to announce that 19 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton, LLP would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2024 The Best Lawyers in America list:

• Shaun B. Adrian - Trusts and Estates
• J. W. Alberstadt, Jr. - Real Estate Law
• James M. Antoun - Health Care Law
• Jenna Bickford - Real Estate Law
• W. Patrick Delaney - Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Construction
• John W. Draskovic - Litigation - Labor and Employment and Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
• Jennifer B. Hirneisen - Real Estate Law
• David E. Holland - Real Estate Law
• Mark J. Kuhar - Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Matthew W. McCullough - Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Daniel M. Miller - Employment Law - Management
• Kimberly A. Oakes - Family Law
• Nicholas R. Pagliari - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy, and Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
• Lisa Smith Presta - Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
• Mark J. Shaw - Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental
• Colleen R. Stumpf - Real Estate Law
• Roger H. Taft - Commercial Litigation and Employment Law - Management
• James B. Toohey - Real Estate Law
• Russell S. Warner - Environmental Law

Attorney Adrian, a senior partner at MacDonald Illig in the Firm’s Estates and Trusts Group, is recognized for his work in the area of estates and trusts planning and administration.  Mr. Adrian concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law and long-term care planning.  He has presented to professional and community groups on estate planning and probate, planning for families with special needs children, long-term care planning and planning for the elderly.

Attorney Alberstadt, Co-Chair of MacDonald Illig’s Banking and Real Estate Group, is recognized for his work in the area of real estate law.  Attorney Alberstadt concentrates his practice on residential and commercial real estate, economic development, and conventional and tax-exempt financing.  He provides legal services to individuals, business and non-profit entities, lending institutions, municipal authorities and economic development agencies.  Mr. Alberstadt is listed in the Bond Buyers Municipal Market Place Guide® as nationally recognized bond counsel.

Attorney Antoun, Chair of MacDonald Illig’s Health Care Group, is recognized for his work in the area of health care law.  Mr. Antoun advises hospitals, clinics, physicians, dentists and other health care providers on a wide variety of health law matters including physician and hospital agreements, physician employment contracts, physician compensation arrangements, group practice formation and governance, federal and state regulatory compliance, and peer review, credentialing, disciplinary and fair hearing matters.

Attorney Bickford, a partner at MacDonald Illig and Chair of the Real Estate and Banking Practice Group, is recognized for her work in the area of real estate law. Ms. Bickford represents clients in a variety of real estate matters including residential and commercial real estate transactions, title matters, and land use. She represents clients in commercial lending, municipal finance, and other types of financial transactions. She is also Chair of the Health Care Practice Group and counsels healthcare providers primarily on compliance matters and is a member of the Business Transactions Group.

Attorney Delaney is recognized for his work in the areas of commercial litigation and construction litigation.  He has spent his entire legal career litigating disputes in state and federal courts as well as arbitration tribunals.  His practice is concentrated in the area of commercial litigation, including such matters as contract claims, shareholder or partner disputes, construction claims, property damage claims, business torts, and Uniform Commercial Code disputes.  Mr. Delaney is a regular author on issues relating to business disputes and is frequently asked by other counsel to mediate or arbitrate those types of claims.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Attorney Draskovic, Chair of MacDonald Illig's Workers' Compensation Practice Group, is recognized for his work in the area of Workers' Compensation.  Also a member of the Firm's Litigation Practice Group and  Labor and Employment Practice Group, Mr. Draskovic represents individuals and businesses in a variety of matters including Workers' Compensation, employment and business-related claims.  He has twice served on the Board of Directors of the Erie County Bar Association and has served as the Chair of the Bar Association's  Workers' Compensation Section in 2011 and 2018.

Attorney Hirneisen is recognized for her work which is concentrated in the areas of real estate and banking, municipal law, and family law. Her real estate and banking practice includes real estate transactions,  tax sales, tax assessment appeals, quiet title actions and mortgage foreclosure litigation. Ms. Hirneisen serves as counsel for real estate-related municipal matters, including municipal liens, subdivision, and land development, and tax assessment matters. In addition, Attorney Hirneisen also handles a wide range of domestic matters including child custody, child support, spousal support, and divorce. She serves as the solicitor for the Erie County Land Bank and is an assistant solicitor for Millcreek Township.

Attorney Holland is the former chair and co-chair of MacDonald Illig's Real Estate Practice Group and is recognized for his work in the area of real estate law.  He has a broad practice including residential and commercial closings and leases.  He frequently litigates upset and judicial tax sales in the various counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is often involved in the Appellate Courts of Pennsylvania regarding appeals of tax sale cases.  Mr. Holland is a title insurance agent for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.

Attorney Kuhar, a partner at MacDonald Illig, is recognized for his work in the areas of employment law and labor and employment litigation.  Mr. Kuhar is an experienced, responsive attorney who has focused on labor and employment law and litigation his entire career.  He assists employers in establishing and maintaining employment policies, conducting workplace investigations, negotiating employment contracts and severance agreements, conducting engagement surveys, training supervisors and other employees, and negotiating collective bargaining agreements with unions on behalf of employers.  Mr. Kuhar’s practice includes the litigation of employment claims.  He also mediates claims between private parties.

Attorney McCullough is recognized for his work in the area of labor and employment litigation.  Mr. McCullough handles complex, multi-party employment and commercial litigation, including class and collective actions, breach of contract matters, shareholder and fiduciary disputes, and the defense of all types of employment-related claims.  He regularly appears in federal and state court, before state and federal administrative agencies, and in arbitration tribunals.

Attorney Miller is a Partner and Group Leader of the MacDonald Illig Labor/Employment Group.  His practice consists primarily of representing businesses, governmental entities and non-profits in the areas of employee relations, employment discrimination, collective bargaining, labor relations, unemployment compensation, and wage and hour matters.  Mr. Miller's practice includes the handling of administrative proceedings before various government administrative agencies.  Mr. Miller's practice and experience affords him the ability to provide efficient and effective advice to and representation of clients to minimize legal risks before they occur.  He also assists clients in defending claims that cannot be avoided.  He is a frequent speaker on labor and employment issues.

Attorney Oakes, Chair of MacDonald Illig’s Family Law Department, is recognized for her work in that area of law including divorce, alimony and spousal support,  child support, adoption, child custody, and visitation, domestic violence, paternity, as well as prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.  Attorney Oakes handles cases via litigation and collaboratively. She is a trained mediator.

Attorney Pagliari, Chair of MacDonald Illig's Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group, is recognized for his work in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.  Attorney 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.

Attorney Presta, Chair of MacDonald Illig's Litigation Department, is recognized for her work in the area of Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants.  Ms. Presta handles complex, multi-party litigation, including malpractice cases, breach of contract matters, and the defense of employment claims.  She regularly appears in federal and state court, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration tribunals. By appointment of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Ms. Presta serves on the statewide, 12-member Supreme Court Rules of Evidence Committee. She also serves on the Lawyers Advisory Committee of the Judicial Council of the Third Judicial Circuit by appointment of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Presta is a Past President of the Erie County Bar Association and a frequent speaker on issues of substantive law and trial practice.

Attorney Shaw, formerly Chair of MacDonald Illig's Environmental Practice Group, is recognized for his work in Environmental Law, including environmental litigation, Act 2, compliance, and permitting matters.  Attorney Shaw is a 2-term member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Environmental and Energy Law Section Council, and currently serves as Treasurer.  Attorney Shaw also handles complex commercial litigation cases in the federal and state courts and serves as Solicitor of Millcreek Township. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Attorney Stumpf is a transactional attorney whose practice focuses on trust and estate planning and administration as well as the representation of for-profit and non-profit business entities. In developing plans for estates of all sizes, Attorney Stumpf provides experience to her clients in the areas of asset protection, long-term care planning, and special needs planning. She also guides her business clients through the lifecycle of their businesses from formation to general counsel, and eventually, succession planning to future generations.

Attorney Taft, past Chair of MacDonald Illig's Labor and Employment Practice Group, is recognized for his work in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Employment Law - Management.  As an Of Counsel attorney at MacDonald Illig, Mr. Taft concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and employment litigation and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  Mr. Taft is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and also is admitted to the bars of several federal trial and appellate courts.

Attorney Toohey, a partner at MacDonald Illig, is recognized for his work in the area of real estate law.  Mr. Toohey represents and advises individuals, businesses and developers in a wide variety of real estate, oil and gas, and corporate matters.  He also has extensive experience in representing commercial and real estate lenders in business and real estate loans.

Attorney Warner, is the founder of the law firm's Environmental Law Practice Group, and is recognized for his work in the area of environmental law. His practice includes representation of businesses, economic development organizations, real estate developers, financial institutions and municipal entities regarding environmental and business matters. Mr. Warner has also served as the President of the Erie County Bar Association.

About Best Lawyers in America®

Best Lawyers in America® is a referral guide to the top attorneys in America and is published by Woodard/White, Inc. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. More than 116,000 industry-leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and we have received more than 17 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world.

Legal Advice Disclaimer: The information presented on this website serves solely as general guidance and should not be construed as legal advice by MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP as a replacement for seeking personalized legal counsel from a qualified attorney. MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP does not assume liability for the accuracy or reliability of content hosted on any third-party websites accessible through links provided on this site.