ANDREA GERAGHTY AND KEVIN MCKEEGAN NAMED 2018 BEST LAWYERS “LAWYER OF THE YEAR”

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP is pleased to announce that Andrea Geraghty was recently recognized by Best Lawyers®  as the 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Real Estate in the Pittsburgh area and Kevin F. McKeegan was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Land Use and Zoning in the Pittsburgh area.

Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.

In addition to the “2018 Lawyer of the Year” award, Andrea Geraghty was recognized in 2015 as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law.  She is also listed in the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

• Real Estate Law
• Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Geraghty received her J.D. from Duquesne University and B.A. from Indiana University. She currently resides in Point Breeze. Geraghty is a native of Claridge and graduated from Penn High School (now Penn-Trafford).

Kevin F. McKeegan also received “Lawyer of the Year” awards in 2012, 2015 and 2017 in the area of Land Use and Zoning. In 2013 he received the award in the area of Litigation – Land Use and Zoning.  He is also listed in the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

• Real Estate Law
• Land Use and Zoning Law

McKeegan received his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and B.A. from Dickinson College. He currently resides in the Fox Chapel area.

CLIENT UPDATE: REVISED I-9 FORMS MUST BE USED STARTING 9/18/2017

Earlier this year we reported that the Office of Management and Budget approved a revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which employers were to begin using in January.

Further revisions to the new form were announced on July 17, and go into effect on September 18, 2017, at which point all previous versions of the Form I-9 will be invalid. Details about the additional revisions and the updated I-9 forms are available at: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/whats-new.

As a reminder, all employers have an obligation to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all newly-hired employees through the completion of the Employment Eligibility and Verification Form I-9. The Form I-9 contains the signature of the employer and the employee, and it records the relevant data from the documents that the employer inspected to confirm the employee’s authorization to work in the United States. It is important that the employer clearly identify the reviewed documents and their identification numbers. It is not necessary to retain copies of these documents. Employers are required to maintain for inspection the original Form I-9 for all current employees. In the case of former employees, retention of Form I-9 is required for a period of at least three years from the date of hire or for one year after the employment relationship terminates, whichever is longer.

The U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security through its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau (ICE) are the government agencies with authority to audit I-9 compliance. ICE is committed to increased work-site enforcement, particularly in cases of low skill and high turnover industries. Employers should regularly audit their I-9 procedures, compliance, and recordkeeping, as well as establish a protocol at the “front desk” to identity persons responsible to deal with government inquiry; Employers should also be sure that all policies and protocols relating to recordkeeping and government compliance are current and understood by key employees.

For more information about the new I-9 forms, or any other Immigration Law matter, please contact Elaina Smiley, Joel Pfeffer or Gary Sanderson.

This material is for informational purposes only. It is not and should not be solely relied on as legal advice in dealing with any specific situation.

JUSTIN LEONELLI NAMED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF NEW CENTURY CAREERS

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott attorney Justin Leonelli was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of New Century Careers, a non-profit workforce development organization for the manufacturing industry in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Leonelli is an associate in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. He focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes, often handling matters involving the energy, manufacturing, insurance, and construction industries.

Prior to joining Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, Leonelli served as an extern for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania under now-Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice, David N. Wecht. He also devoted a substantial amount of time working under Allegheny County Council alongside the Government Review Commission in conducting a comprehensive analysis of Pittsburgh’s local rules and regulations.

Leonelli earned a J.D. and B.A. from Duquesne University. He currently resides in a northern suburb of Pittsburgh.

MUS WELCOMES NEW ASSOCIATE BRANDON A. BETTS

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott recently welcomed Brandon A. Betts as an associate in the firm’s Employment Law & Employee Benefits and Private Clients Practice Groups.

Betts focuses his practice on the representation of multiemployer and single employer employee benefit plans. He assists with plan design, drafting and compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, Betts helps the Employee Benefits group to provide advice for pension and retirement plans, profit-sharing plans, health and welfare plans and apprenticeship programs. He also works in the firm’s Private Clients group where he provides estate planning and administration counsel.

Prior to joining Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, Betts served as a law clerk for Justice David N. Wecht of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Betts earned a J.D. from Duquesne University, and B.A. in history from Penn State University, with minors in business and Italian. He currently resides in the Regent Square neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

MUS PARTNER TONY J. THOMPSON TO BE A FEATURED MODERATOR AT PENNSYLVANIA BAR ASSOCIATION’S MINORITY AND WOMEN LAWYERS’ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FORUM

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott Partner Tony J. Thompson will be a featured moderator at the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s (PBA) upcoming Minority and Women Lawyers’ Business Development Forum, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 28 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh.

The all-day forum includes an impressive list of high-profile attorneys and representatives of local corporations who will discuss strategies to overcome challenges faced by minority and women attorneys, while providing marketing tools beneficial for all attorneys. Registration information is available online through the PBA’s web site.

Thompson is an emerging business and trial attorney. He has counseled clients on a host of business matters and provided representation in a variety of business disputes, including cases involving breach of contract, trade secrets, intellectual property, products liability defense and complex commercial litigation.

FRANK KOSIR, JR. ELECTED CHAIR OF ACBA’S REAL PROPERTY SECTION

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott announced today that attorney Frank Kosir, Jr. was recently elected as chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s (ACBA) Real Property Section for a 12-month term.

The ACBA’s Real Property Section includes attorneys whose practices involve all aspects of real estate and real estate development law. Among its many functions, the section engages in cooperative efforts with the Greater Pittsburgh Board of Realtors and other organizations in areas of mutual interest, including the creation of standard forms of agreements for real estate transactions, as well as studying and reporting on proposed industry legislation.

Kosir has significant civil litigation and general practice experience in all areas of real property law. Prior to becoming an attorney, he acquired extensive experience in all facets of real estate development, sales, construction and leasing through his family’s home construction company, which has operated for more than 55 years.  His knowledge of the construction, planning and business aspects of the real estate industry provide him with a unique understanding that he utilizes in assisting clients.

Additionally, Kosir writes a monthly real estate case law update for the ACBA as well as a quarterly real estate update column in The Legal Intelligencer, and frequently lectures at Continuing Legal Education programs.

Kosir resides in Peters Township with his wife and two daughters.

Thornburg resident is new president of Allegheny County Bar Foundation

Patricia L. Dodge of Thornburg is the new president of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Ms. Dodge, a managing partner at Meyer Unkovic & Scott, has been a commercial litigator in the Pittsburgh region for over 35 years. Her term as president runs from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019. …

Please click here to read the complete article, which was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Immigration Law Client Update: E-3 Visas Exclusive to Australian Citizens

The E-3 visa is a special visa category available exclusively to the citizens of Australia.  The initial period of stay under the E-3 category visa is two years. E-3 visas are eligible for an unlimited number of two year extensions, provided that the individual is able to demonstrate that s/he does not intend to remain in the United States on a permanent basis. The spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an E-3 recipient are also granted E-3 classifications, called "E-3D" for "dependent." Spouses, but not children, are entitled to work authorization in the United States.

An E-3 visa holder may work either full or part time. To be eligible for an E-3 Visa, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

1. The individual is an Australian citizen; 
2. S/he possesses a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the field of employment;
3. S/he is seeking to enter the United States pursuant to an offer of employment; and 
4. The employment position qualifies as a "specialty occupation." 

A "specialty occupation" is one that requires:

1. Theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge; and
2. The attainment of a bachelor's or higher degree in a specific specialty as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.

To qualify, an E-3 employer must submit a Labor Condition Application (LCA) that attests that it will pay the employee at least the employer's "actual" wage (the wage and benefits paid by the employer to U.S. employees) and the "prevailing" wage (the wage paid to U.S. employees in the local area) for that occupational classification.

A maximum of 10,500 E-3 visas can be issued annually. Any unused E-3 visas are forfeited and do not carry over to the next fiscal year. As long as the applicant has worked and continues to work for the employer who submitted the original LCA, E-3 renewals are not counted against the annual numerical limit. Spouses and children of E-3 principals do not count toward the annual numerical limit.

For more information about E-3 visas or any other Immigration Law matter, please contact Joel Pfeffer, Elaina Smiley, or Gary Sanderson. Contact information is listed below. (*The authors thank Danielle Scalise, Summer Associate, for her research and assistance on this Client Update.)

This material is for informational purposes only.  It is not and should not be solely relied on as legal advice in dealing with any specific situation.

Maxwell Briskman Stanfield Selected To Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s New Leadership Council.

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott attorney Maxwell Briskman Stanfield was recently selected to serve on the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s New Leadership Council.

The New Leadership Council was formed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to assist in educational programming and audience development. It serves to foster new audiences for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and creates opportunities for continued engagement with existing audiences.

Stanfield is a member of the firm’s Corporate & Business Law and Real Estate & Lending groups. His experience covers a broad range of corporate, financial and commercial real estate transactions.

He assists clients with mergers, acquisitions, sales, purchases, leases, commercial real estate, lending and general corporate matters. In addition, he has experience with a wide variety of matters in the hospitality industry, including the drafting, negotiation and review of agreements relating to hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and country clubs.

Stanfield earned his J.D. from Southwestern Law School and B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College.

2017 “Rising Stars” List Recognizes Five MUS Attorneys

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott today announced that Super Lawyers has named five of its attorneys to the 2017 list of “Rising Stars” in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list included the following Meyer, Unkovic & Scott attorneys:

• Nicholas J. Bell (Business Litigation)
• Antoinette C. Oliver (Business Litigation)
• Brandon B. Rothey (Construction Litigation)
• Tony J. Thompson (Business Litigation)
• Jason Yarbrough (Construction Litigation)

Read more.

Labor Board Ruling On Referees

On July 11, the National Labor Relations Board ruled by a 2-1 margin that lacrosse referees in Western Pennsylvania are employees of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and can therefore unionize. Lance Woods looks at the impact of the ruling in this article.