I grew up in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, as the oldest of ten kids.  I worked my way through the University of Pittsburgh, then worked as a carpenter for a number of years before starting law school.

At first, I engaged in a general practice of law, with an emphasis on litigation, especially business and construction litigation.   In 1997, after years of frustration in trying to get cases to settle sooner, I obtained a mediator certification, and wrote articles for two national publications about the settlement counsel technique.

In 1998, I learned about the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, and a different approach to helping clients achieve their lifelong goals.  Since then, my practice has focused on helping clients with their estate planning and business transition planning, while at the same time helping them avoiding costly and acrimonious disputes.