Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner counsels and represents clients in a wide variety of legal practice areas, including:
CORPORATE LAW AND BUSINESS COUNSELING
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner counsels and represents a wide variety of business entities, including business corporations, limited liability corporations, non-profit organizations, limited liability partnerships, general partnerships and sole proprietorships. Our clients range from large regional corporations to small sole proprietorships. We provide a full spectrum of services to our business and corporate clients. Capitalizing on our years of experience, we counsel our clients on the best form of business entity based upon each client's unique set of goals and needs.
Our business and corporate law practice does not end with the creation of business entities. We enjoy a long-standing relationship with our business and corporate clients, providing counseling and legal representation in a variety of areas. Our professionals have experience assisting our business and corporate clients in all aspects of complex commercial transactions. Furthermore, our professionals routinely counsel business and corporate clients in numerous areas important to all business entities, including financing, taxation, bankruptcy, and labor and employment law. We take a results-based approach, working closely with the client to achieve the client's goals in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Back to Top
CREDITOR'S RIGHTS
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner counsels and represents clients with respect to creditor's rights issues, in the process protecting the client's interests in various commercial and consumer transactions. Legal counseling begins with taking the necessary steps to secure the client's interest in the transaction, including loan document preparation, contract negotiations, and perfection of security interests. In the event of default, we are prepared to take appropriate measures to protect our clients. Our professionals have extensive experience representing creditors in a variety of legal proceedings, including mortgage foreclosures, replevin actions, confessions of judgment, and breach of contract actions. Once a favorable judgment is obtained, our professionals employ effective and creative measures to execute judgment. Finally, in the event a debtor files for bankruptcy, we represent creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court protecting the client's interests.
Back to Top
HEALTH CARE AND HOSPITAL LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner counsels and represents a major south central Pennsylvania hospital. We counsel our client and its ancillary health care organizations in all aspects of hospital operations, including development of capital improvement programs, hospital financing, Medicare/Medicaid compliance and risk management. In 2001, we assisted our client in achieving accreditation from the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospital Organizations (JCAHO) which establishes industry-wide standards for hospital operations and services.
We also represent and counsel health care-related entities and organizations ranging from physician practice groups to emergency medical services organizations. Our professionals have the technical knowledge and practical experience to deal with the variety of issues which are unique to these organizations. Not only do we have the skills to assist in the development and creation of various health care-related organizations, but we also have the practical experience to counsel them in complying with the myriad of state and federal regulations so that they may deliver health care services in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Back to Top
REAL ESTATE AND LAND DEVELOPMENT LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner represents both buyers and sellers in residential, commercial and industrial real estate transactions. We have the technical knowledge and practical experience to represent our clients in all aspects of the acquisition, financing, sale, leasing and tax-free exchanges of real estate. We have helped develop some of the largest condominium and planned unit developments in central Pennsylvania. Furthermore, we have decades of experience representing clients in all aspects of land development, including obtaining permits, variances, rezoning and approvals from state and local government agencies.
In addition to our attorneys, Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner has on staff experienced paralegals who assist our real estate clients in a variety of ways, particularly in the sale and purchase of real property. Our attorneys and paralegals work aggressively to provide effective legal representation of both buyers and sellers in the sale of residential, commercial and industrial real estate. Furthermore, Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner provides in-house title insurance services through Assured Land Transfers, Inc.
Back to Top
LITIGATION
At Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner, we handle a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, real estate and eminent domain matters, and personal injury cases. We work closely with our clients throughout the entire litigation process. Our professionals employ a variety of options to amicably settle all disputes, including mediation and arbitration, in order to save time and expense. However, when necessary, we will provide aggressive representation in both state and federal courts to protect our clients' interests.
Back to Top
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
At Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner, we represent both individual and corporate clients before the various administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our administrative practice focuses primarily on representing injured employees before the Bureau of Workers' Compensation. However, our attorneys also have extensive experience in litigating before other administrative agencies and tribunals, including the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. Representation includes litigation before referees, as well as appeals taken to administrative boards of review and to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Our attorneys draw on years of experience before administrative agencies to provide professional legal services to our clients in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Back to Top
MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner has years of experience counseling and representing local governments and agencies. Our municipal clients include townships and boroughs, municipal authorities, zoning hearing boards, and regional police and fire departments. Given our years of experience, we have the technical knowledge and practical skills to counsel our municipal clients in the broad range of issues confronting municipalities, such as land use and development, municipal contracting, and labor and employment issues.
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner also has extensive experience representing public school districts. We work closely with boards of school directors, as well as administrators, to navigate through the vast landscape of state and federal laws and regulations affecting the administration of a public school district.
Back to Top
ESTATE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
Comprehensive estate planning provides peace of mind. At Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner, we counsel our clients in all aspects of estate planning. We work closely with our clients to develop an estate plan which will fulfill each person's goals and desires, while structuring the plan to take advantage of state and federal tax opportunities. We have experience designing wills, testamentary trusts, revocable and irrevocable living trusts, advanced directives for health care (living wills), and powers of attorney. By working closely with our clients, we give them the peace of mind that their wishes, and the needs of their loved ones, will be met in the future.
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner also provides comprehensive estate administration services. Our professionals and paralegals work closely with fiduciaries to guide them through the complex estate administration process, so that assets are distributed in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Back to Top
FAMILY LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner has professionals on staff who aggressively, yet compassionately, guide our clients through all aspects of family law. We counsel and represent clients through such difficult issues as divorce and separation, distribution of marital assets, and child custody. We also represent clients with respect to child support, spousal support and alimony . Our professionals work closely with our clients to provide these services in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Back to Top
INSURANCE LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner represents multiple large insurance companies in a variety of matters. Members of our insurance defense section have extensive trial experience in defending insurance companies' insureds in automobile, trucking, commercial, premises, products liability and professional negligence claims, as well as defending individuals, businesses and political subdivisions against civil rights claims. Our attorneys also have experience in pursuing alternative dispute resolution through arbitrations or mediation. It is our goal to provide the best defense possible for our clients in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner also has extensive experience in pursuing subrogation claims on behalf of insurance companies. Further, our attorneys have analyzed insurance coverage issues to provide opinions to insurance carriers, and our lawyers have pursued declaratory judgment actions to enforce an insurance company's rights under an insurance policy.
Back to Top
TRANSPORTATION LAW
Johnson, Duffie, Stewart & Weidner has extensive experience representing both large and small trucking companies in a wide array of matters unique to the transportation industry. Our lawyers defend commercial drivers as well as trucking companies in such matters ranging from major complex civil litigation to minor traffic citations. Our lawyers also have experience in employment and labor-related areas which can be an asset to any transportation related entity.
Back to Top
