- Criminal DefenseBob has extensive experience litigating shareholder and partner disputes, director and officer litigation, breach of contract, securities fraud, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, insurance coverage, accountant liability, criminal and civil tax litigation, and white collar criminal matters, in the state and federal courts and in arbitration.
- Wrongful DeathMr. Livingston successfully represented the operator of the former Mellon Arena seeking to recover damages incurred when the Celine Dion concert had to be postponed due to defective construction work. After extensive litigation, Mr. Livingston obtained a settlement of $1.65 million on behalf of a minority shareholder in a “squeeze out” action. On behalf of both insureds and insurers, Mr. Livingston has successfully handled numerous multimillion dollar insurance coverage disputes including CGL, D&O and Employment Practices policies. On behalf of an opt-out Plaintiff, Mr. Livingston settled a multi-million dollar antitrust claim for a major retailer against the leading credit and debit card companies. During trial, Mr. Livingston settled a multi-million dollar personal injury action involving serious injuries caused by a handicap access ramp that did not meet the applicable building code. Mr. Livingston recently successfully argued an appeal before the Supreme Court of Ohio in a wrongful death suit...
- FraudObtained a jury defense verdict on behalf of a public company and its directors and officers in a RICO/securities fraud class action in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- White Collar CrimesDan served as a Deputy Attorney General and head of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission from 1972 to 1974. Subsequently, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 1974 to 1979 and was appointed the Chief of the White Collar Crime Division. During his tenure in the United States Attorneys Office, he was recipient of the Department of Justice Outstanding Performance and Special Achievement Awards and received commendations from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a result of his successful prosecution of several sensitive, high-profile corruption cases.
- EmbezzlementA general partner since 1995, Bob specializes in commercial civil litigation and federal criminal defense. Bob joined the firm in 1990 after a four-year stint as an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice where he handled complex federal criminal prosecutions involving tax evasion, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, embezzlement, public corruption, and other federal white collar crimes. Bob earned his C.P.A. certification in 1982 while working for one of the largest international accounting firms where he participated in and led audits of banks, insurance companies, large manufacturers, and other companies.
- Corporate LawIn a major corporate governance dispute involving a robotics start-up, Mr. Livingston prevailed on a motion to dismiss and then successfully defended an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court.
- Business DisputesClients seek out Marcus & Shapira to handle high-stakes trials and arbitrations, important appeals, critical settlement negotiations, and all manner of litigation challenges. We represent a wide variety of clients that range from small companies and individually owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Whether we represent a plaintiff or a defendant, an individual or a major corporation, our litigators know how to cut to the heart of a dispute. We have a deep bench of experienced and dedicated trial lawyers, and our out-of-court advocacy and negotiating skills often resolve disputes before a lawsuit is filed.
- Business TransactionsMarcus & Shapira LLP’s tax practice focuses on tax-advantageous structuring of business transactions, negotiating, documenting and reporting such transactions, and tax litigation as needed to realize the intended tax consequences of such planning activities.
- Limited Liability CompaniesOur clients represent a wide range of business entities, from sole proprietors, general and limited partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies trusts, and joint ventures to multi-million-dollar public and private companies operating in the areas of manufacturing, banking, supermarket and general retail merchandising, wholesale distribution, medical and pharmaceutical sales and service, and real estate and natural resource operations and development, to name a few.
- Trade Secrets
- AntitrustOur attorneys specialize in multiple areas of antitrust law, advising clients in compliance and risk management and representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex, multi-district antitrust cases. We often challenge illegal monopolies and agreements between and among competitors to allocate markets, fix prices, or engage in vertical or horizontal conspiracies.
- Workers CompensationOur business department works closely with lawyers specializing in employment law, pension planning, workers compensation law, and commercial litigation to provide our clients with a full range of services to address all facets of their business operations.
- Wrongful TerminationJon has a broad litigation practice with an emphasis on complex business disputes in federal and state courts. He has successfully represented clients in matters involving commercial contract claims, business tort claims, insurance claims, wrongful termination of employment claims, and restrictive covenants. Jon has also prevailed on behalf of residents and corporations opposing large real estate developments.
- Employment LitigationMarcus & Shapira provides practical, sophisticated, and cost-effective advice on all aspects of labor and employment issues, to both unionized and non-unionized employers. Our labor and employment attorneys have represented some of the largest employers in Western Pennsylvania, along with many smaller and mid-sized companies, individuals, and trustees of employee benefit funds. Marcus & Shapira partners with clients to implement creative solutions and business-focused strategies. Our work on behalf of our clients includes...
- Sexual HarassmentPresenting seminars for management personnel on improving management skills, ADA issues, and preventing and managing sexual harassment claims.
- Real Estate LitigationOur practice concentrates on business litigation and disputes, antitrust and competition law, and labor and employment law. We also feature some of Pennsylvania’s most accomplished lawyers in real estate law, personal injury law, tax law, and more. Our approach appeals to clients who want to streamline disputes, eliminate unnecessary distractions, and focus on achieving their goals.
- Construction LitigationThe firm also successfully represented the operator of the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh against a steel erection company for defective construction. The firm also represents a major hotel developer in construction litigation arising out of hotel construction projects.
- Personal InjuryWe understand the legal landscape is changing. We just wonder what took so long. For more than 40 years, Marcus & Shapira has combined the efficiency and economy of a boutique law firm with the diverse practice and specialized expertise of the largest firms in the region. We can--and do--staff everything from the most complex antitrust cases to straightforward personal injury cases, and we do it with experienced attorneys who get right to the heart of the matter. We know our clients don't want a dozen lawyers when one or two will do.
- Disability Discrimination
- Estate PlanningIn the area of estate planning and administration, we draft wills and innumerable forms of lifetime transfers, custom tailored to the needs of the individual, including family limited partnerships, generation-skipping trusts and grantor-retained-interest and charitable-interest trusts.
- Wills
- TrustsMarcus & Shapira also offers full services of estate and trust administration for both large and small estates, from the initial opening of the estate to federal estate and state-inheritance-tax compliance to the final audit.
- BankruptcyMr. Livingston has considerable experience involving bankruptcy litigation. In 2015, Mr. Livingston successfully represented a major investor and bankruptcy plan sponsor against challenges to the plan which allowed the debtor technology start-up to emerge successfully from bankruptcy.
- Tax LawRobert M. Barnes, a litigation specialist, has long experience litigating civil and criminal tax matters, which is only one of the areas in which he applies expertise in handling witnesses and clients and making in-court oral and written presentations. Recently, Mr. Barnes collaborated with Mr. Halpern to attain the successful Appellate Court decision in Giant Eagle Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 822 F.3d 666 (3rd Cir. 2016).