Best Lawyers Near You in West Chester, Pennsylvania

As head of the Business Law Department at Gawthrop Greenwood, Michael F. Merlie concentrates his practice in the areas of finance, secured transactions (including creditors’ rights), mergers, acquisitions, admiralty/maritime law, real estate law and startup businesses. Representing institutional, corporate and entrepreneurial clients in a wide variety of business matters, his experience includes negotiating and documenting mergers, acquisitions and real estate transactions. He has also ...

Margaret A. Joy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Margaret A., who practices law in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Margaret A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joseph E. Mayk is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Financial Services Regulation Law. Joseph E., who practices law in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Theodore J. Murphy - Ted has been involved with Immigration matters since 1993. He is currently the founder and managing attorney of the Murphy Law Firm in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Ted is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Chester County, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations. He was an adjunct professor at The Beasley School of Law, Temple University. He is a frequent lecturer on immigration matters. Ted has been on the faculty at th...

Named “Lawyer of the Year 2022” by Best Lawyers in America ® and chair of Gawthrop Greenwood’s management committee, Stacey L. Fuller practices in the areas of Municipal Law, Land Use Law, Education Law, and Special Education Law. Stacey represents municipalities, townships, boroughs, planning commissions, zoning hearing boards and other governmental entities, as well as individual developers and residents, on issues such as zoning and other land development matters. She...

Walter P. Eells is a partner in the firm’s West Chester office. With over 30 years of litigation experience, he concentrates his practice in the Family and Orphans’ Courts, offering focused and timely advice to clients involving adoptions, guardianships, divorce, custody, support, pre- and postnuptial agreements, and all related litigation and mediation. He previously served as the Chairperson appointed by the Chester County Court of Common Pleas to review and revise the Local Fam...

Named “Female Business Leader of the Year” by the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, Sandra L. Knapp is a member of the Business Department at Gawthrop Greenwood and practices in the fields of Business Law, Commercial Transactions, Admiralty/Maritime Law, Real Estate Law, and Banking and Finance. She represents clients in a broad range of transactional and general corporate matters, including asset-based lending transactions, mergers and acquisitions, marine finance ...

Stephen J. Olsen is a member of Gawthrop Greenwood’s Trusts & Estates Department, practicing in the areas of Estate, Trust Administration, Estate Planning Taxation, and Business Transactions. He is also one of the few Pennsylvania attorneys in private practice with a wide breadth of experience supporting the legal needs of medical marijuana operators. Recently Stephen’s Cannabis Law practice has expanded to provide support to medical marijuana permittees in operation after Pen...

Patrick M. McKenna has extensive experience representing numerous municipalities, zoning hearing boards, municipal authorities, and planning commissions in Chester and Delaware Counties. In addition, he advises and guides private land owners and developers through complex commercial land development matters, from acquisition and planning, through the permitting and land development phases. He has represented clients on matters including townhome developments, senior care homes, national fast-...

Robert C. Jefferson, IV is a senior associate attorney at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC who focuses his practice on municipal government law, as well as land use, land development and zoning. A former Assistant District Attorney, Jefferson spent six years at the Chester County D.A.’s Office prosecuting 19 jury trials and more than 20 bench trials for criminal cases ranging from felonies to misdemeanors. His career in public service, along with experience navigating the adversarial court system...

Real estate and business attorney Michael V. Naseef joined Gawthrop Greenwood as a partner in 2024, less than a year after the law firm became one of the largest to support homeowners associations (HOAs), planned communities, condominium associations and cooperatives across Pennsylvania in the residential and commercial arena. With more than 24 years of experience practicing in real estate and business law, Michael has represented developers, builders and investors in residential and commerci...

Kristen Bennett is passionate about the law and enjoys helping her clients navigate potentially confusing areas of estate planning, as well as estate and trust administration, with care, understanding and compassion. She keeps abreast of the ever-changing laws that affect her clients so that she can give them the most up-to-date information possible. Practicing in the firm’s Greater Wilmington, Delaware office, Kristen also provides counsel on taxation and tax planning for individuals a...