Family Law

• Adoption
• Guardianship
  Adoptions, guardianships, claims of lack of capacity, will contests, claims of undue influence, breach of fiduciary claims, actions by and against executors or trustees.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  The Firm's criminal defense attorneys provide comprehensive legal services for individuals and businesses that are accused of serious economic crimes or are involved in criminal investigations, including representation in grand jury proceedings; plea bargain negotiations; trials of federal and state crimes; sentencings; and appeals. They practice in federal trial and appellate courts in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and other federal courts nationwide upon local admission. Their state practice encompasses all trial and appellate courts in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, and Allegheny County.
• Wrongful Death
• Fraud
  Represented banks in numerous check fraud cases where the bank was accused of not following proper check cashing procedures pursuant to Articles 3 and 4 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
• Homicide
  Steve began his career as a Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney where he was assigned to every trial unit including homicide before leaving for private practice with Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen. Steve was invited to join as a Fellow the Litigation Counsel of America, a highly select trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Steve is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association and has been a speaker at ELFA events on topics related to his practice in addition to speaking events for title insurers and construction executives.
• Money Laundering

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  The Firm's attorneys provide comprehensive legal services for privately-held businesses at every stage of growth, from startup through merger, acquisition, or sale. Our professionals strive to address every client’s legal needs with a businesslike focus on the bottom-line. We take great pride in giving clients proactive legal advice that helps avoid business disputes and regulatory issues, and in delivering top quality legal services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Our corporate law services include...
• Business Formation
  The Firm's SBA documentation practice group has an unparalleled depth of experience handling a broad variety of industries and businesses including, business and real estate acquisition or expansion, restructuring existing debt and equipment purchases. Our documentation skills in secured lending, real estate and equipment leasing are combined in most SBA loans, reflecting the variety of assets pledged. The group has extensive experience representing lenders and negotiating with business owners, institutional landlords, commercial tenants, franchisors and real estate developers in connection with negotiating and documenting loans specifically structured for real estate secured financing, working capital and business formation, single and multi-property acquisitions and dispositions, retail and commercial leasing and asset-based financing.
• Business Disputes
  Bob concentrates his practice in equipment leasing and finance, commercial collections, workouts, business law, joint ventures, partnerships, stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, and commercial real estate. He also serves a wide range of clients in areas such as mediations, ethics, and shareholder/partnership issues.
• Business Transactions
  Rick concentrates his practice in the area of equipment leasing and finance including commercial collections. He also provides guidance for other business transactions. Rick is a past chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Legal Committee and has been a speaker at several of the annual legal forums presented nationally by the Legal Committee for both in-house and outside counsel and has also been a speaker at several of ELFS’s Annual Conventions for senior executives of the ELFA member companies.
• Limited Liability Companies
  The Firm's corporate and real estate attorneys are experienced in representing clients with the breadth of all of the legal issues in the formation, operation and termination of business entities. We are solution driven and results oriented. The businesses may be sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations or limited liability companies. Our attorneys have handled the formation and filing of new enterprises, acquisition of existing businesses and sale or liquidation of businesses. They have formed limited liability companies (including single member LLC’s), corporations (including Sub Chapter S corporations, non profit corporations, Professional corporations and Benefit corporations), and Partnerships (including Family Limited Partnerships, general partnerships and limited partnerships). All formations and acquisitions are done with a strategic view to maximize shareholder benefit and minimize taxation.
• Intellectual Property
• Antitrust

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination
  Employment Law. In the employment law arena, the firm deals with day-to-day counseling of employers in all areas of employment law, from the creation of personnel policies to the investigation and litigation of race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, harassment, implied contract, wrongful discharge, and matters arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act and OSHA. The Firm handles some of the more unusual employment cases, such as whistleblower, retaliatory discharge, negligent hiring and negligent firing cases, and dealing with public “prevailing wage” issues. The Firm also advises educational institutions regarding compliance with the myriad of federal regulations such as the Clery Act.
• Employment Discrimination
  Employment Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, and Retaliation Claims by employees in all of Pennsylvania’s state and federal courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
• Employment Contract
  The Firm's attorneys have prepared all forms of agreements for the operation of businesses i.e., Articles of Incorporation or Formation, Shareholder Agreements, Operating Agreements, Buy-Sell Agreements, lease agreements, employment agreements, employee benefit plans (health plans, employee handbooks, pension plans and profit sharing plans) and financing arrangements.
• Employment Litigation
• Non-compete Agreement
• Severance Agreement
  Provides a full range of labor and employment law advice and training to private and public employer clients, including numerous municipal employers in Northampton, Lehigh and Monroe Counties. The subject matters encompass the full range of labor and employment law matters, including EEO matters, NLRB representation and ULP matters, wage and hour matters, FMLA and other leave matters, employee policies and manuals, OSHA and other safety matters, employee discipline and termination matters, employment and severance agreements, and non-compete and restrictive covenants.
• Sexual Harassment
  The Firm's experienced litigators represent corporate clients in a wide range of commercial cases in the federal and state court systems, from class actions to collections. They have successfully defended businesses and their officers and directors against complex claims including antitrust, breach of contract, construction defects, fraud, interference with contractual relations, violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, libel, product liability, sexual harassment, slander, and wrongful discharge. They have successfully represented plaintiffs in partnership dissolutions, enforcement of covenants not to compete, breaches of construction, bonding, confidentiality, and other contracts, corporate malfeasance, privacy violations, insurance coverage disputes, insurance bad faith, will contests, unlawful discrimination, and other claims.

Property Law

• Construction Litigation
  The Firm’s Construction Law practice handles matters from bidding to financing to final payment to regulatory issues. We understand not just about the law but about the industry as well. Our attorneys have served on the Boards of construction trade associations and regularly speak on construction topics.
• Real Estate Transactions
• Land Use and Zoning
  Our attorneys are attuned to the business transaction itself and are deal makers, not deal breakers. When the Borrower is not represented by commercial counsel, the Firm's attorneys are excellent at assisting the culmination of the transaction and aid the borrower’s counsel in understanding the nuances and interpretation of terms and conditions in loan documents. The same is true if the borrower elects to be unrepresented. First and foremost, the Firm is a business firm and its transactional attorneys are well versed in communicating the “deal”. Whether the issue is corporate formation and structure, Article 9 and a security interest, the impact of a potential bankruptcy, real estate or construction and land use issues or trust and estate implications, the Firm's transactional attorneys are well experienced in all aspects of these areas which helps close a deal.
• Property Damage
  Clients also call on us to defend them against property damage claims and consumer protection law such as Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection laws.

Health Law

• Disability Discrimination
  In the ”traditional” labor law area, Wally has been the management representative in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, unfair labor practices, mass-picketing and other injunctions, and union elections and decertifications. In the employment law context, Wally has handled hundreds of cases, including trials and appeals, involving such areas as race, sex, age and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, implied contract, wrongful discharge and matters arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as well as common law claims for retaliatory discharge. He has conducted much litigation in the enforcement of non-competition clauses. He has also been involved in some of the more unusual cases of individual employment litigation, such as “negligent hiring” and “negligent firing”, drug testing, invasion of privacy and defamation. He has advised clients on all areas of the employment relationship, including the creation of employee handbooks, confidentiality and non-competition agreements, hiring, counseling and firing, and advice to employers on remaining non-union.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  FWH&L’s Estates and Trusts Group makes every effort to provide the highest quality legal services in estate planning, administration of estates and trusts and Orphans’ Court litigation.
• Wills
  We also have years of experience in handling will and trusts disputes between family members or parties in interest that could result in litigation in the Orphans’ Court. Included in our expertise is the preparation of guardian petitions for an incapacitated person or minor.
• Trusts
  We have handled trust and estate matters from planning, administration and preparation to the filing of inheritance tax returns, gift tax returns and federal estate tax returns. We have designed Grantor Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Dynasty Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts and Qualified Personal Residence Trusts.
• Power of Attorney
  We strongly recommend your estate plans be comprehensive in nature. In addition, to your will, we prepare powers of attorney, trust documents, provide business succession planning and work with your financial advisors, if requested, to develop your plan that reflects your objectives and values. Our group maintains a reputation for being competent and trusted advisors to individuals and generations of families who need simple or complex estate and tax planning.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  The Firm has vast experience representing financial institutions including: banks, debt-buyers, mortgage processors and equipment lessors in litigation arising from loan workouts, foreclosures, delinquent loans and leases, bankruptcy and other related litigation matters involving Creditors’ Rights. The basis of any Creditors’ Rights matter and successfully litigating same depends upon the collateral, the perfection of the lender’s liens and priority over any other lien holders. Therefore, the very first piece of analysis that must be performed in a Creditors’ Rights litigation matter is an analysis of the collateral and perfection of the lender’s liens and its priority. If the lender’s liens are perfected, the next step in the analysis is examining the priority of the lender’s liens. Priority of liens is based upon the Uniform Commercial Code and Common Law. Bankruptcy can often impact lien priority as well.
• Tax Law
  The Firm's attorneys have represented municipal taxing authorities for more than 20 years. In these days when elected bodies see the gap between spending and revenue ever increasing, no one should be leaving money on the table. the Firm's attorneys assist municipal finance departments, auditors, and outside collectors with the interpretation, application, enforcement and collection of Business Privilege Taxes, Mercantile Taxes, Local Services Taxes, Amusement Taxes, and other Act 511 taxes, and ensure that taxes are collected uniformly and fairly. Our work ranges from serving as special tax counsel on discrete tax matters, to creating and implementing entirely new tax collection and enforcement programs. The Firm's attorneys have drafted and amended Business Tax Regulations for numerous local taxing authorities and in this way help their clients stay current, while also staying within the limitations of the Local Tax Reform Act.
• Debt Collection
  The Firm's depth of experience in litigation in connection with mortgage foreclosure, lender liability and title claims, involving both residential and commercial property, is second to none. Our lawyers have decades of experience prosecuting mortgage foreclosures, defending financial institutions in claims arising from mortgage foreclosures and in other lender liability actions and in both the prosecution and defense of title claims. Our expertise in these areas derives in part from our deep knowledge of the lending process, including our vast experience representing lenders in documenting loans, as well as all aspects of loan collection. Even before the “housing crisis” and certainly since then, the Firm has been successfully and efficiently handling the array of claims arising out of mortgage loans and other actions involving lender liability and actions to quiet title. We have a proven track record of achieving favorable results for our clients. We know in detail the legal issues and claims that arise, and have also handled countless cases involving claims under consumer protection laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act. Our outstanding bankruptcy, commercial litigation and transactional practice groups provide additional support to more complex cases.