Abigail M. Reecer recently joined Babst Calland as an associate in the Energy and Natural Resources Group and Pipeline and HazMat Safety Practice. Ms. Reecer represents client in pipeline safety matters before the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), state agencies, and federal courts.
Prior to joining Babst Calland, Ms. Reecer was an associate with Hollingsworth LLP. She is a 2021 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.
Babst Calland has been recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®, ranked by Best Lawyers®, nationally in 8 practice areas and regionally in 31 practice areas:
Firms included in the 2024 Best Law Firms® list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be considered for this milestone achievement, at least one lawyer in the law firm must be recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
Achieving a tiered ranking in Best Law Firms® on a national and/or metropolitan scale signals a unique credibility within the industry. The transparent, collaborative research process employs qualitative and quantitative data from peer and client reviews that is supported by proprietary algorithmic technology to produce a tiered system of industry-led rankings of the top 4% of the industry.
Receiving a tier designation represents an elite status, integrity and reputation that law firms earn among other leading firms and lawyers. The 2024 edition of Best Law Firms® includes rankings in 75 national practice areas and 127 metropolitan-based practice areas. Additionally, one “Law Firm of the Year” was named in each nationally ranked practice area.
Click here to view Babst Calland’s profile.
Babst Calland today announced the opening of its office in Harrisburg, Pa., and the addition of two experienced litigation attorneys, Michael Libuser and Stefanie Pitcavage Mekilo.
Led by Shareholder Casey Alan Coyle, who joined the firm in August 2022, the Harrisburg office provides legal counsel for local, regional, and national businesses, industry sectors, and trade associations with focused practices in litigation, energy and natural resources, environmental, and legislative and regulatory affairs, among others.
The Harrisburg team of attorneys offers deep litigation experience in matters pending before state and federal appellate courts, with a particular emphasis on appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. They also represent clients in disputes pending before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and state trial courts throughout Central Pennsylvania and matters brought before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court as part of its original jurisdiction.
“It is an exciting time for Michael and Stefanie to join Babst Calland and open a new office in Harrisburg,” said Mr. Coyle. “The Harrisburg office is uniquely poised to offer its clients the best of both worlds—pairing the service and pricing of a litigation boutique with the deep-bench expertise and resources of a law firm with more than 35 years of experience serving clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide.”
Mr. Libuser represents clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts, with a particular emphasis on cases before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Yvette Kane, Senior United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he drafted opinions for the Third and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals and handled a wide range of district court matters involving complex civil litigation, commercial contracts, administrative law, trade secrets, and various statutory claims. Before that, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Karoline Mehalchick, Chief United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and previously served as the Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Jeanette Rodriguez-Morick, an Acting Supreme Court Justice and Judge of the New York State Court of Claims.
Mr. Libuser earned his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2012. He graduated with honors from Stony Brook University in 2006.
Ms. Mekilo is a civil litigator who concentrates her practice in state and federal trial courts, with particular emphasis on cases before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Mekilo draws on more than a decade of trial-court experience in the federal judiciary to guide clients through all aspects of the litigation process. She focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes involving theft of trade secrets; breach of noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements and other restrictive covenants; breach of fiduciary duties, tortious interference, and related business tort claims; labor and employment; and emergency injunction litigation. Ms. Mekilo also has experience in antitrust, environmental, securities, trademark infringement, product liability, class action, and multidistrict litigation. Prior to joining Babst Calland, Ms. Mekilo served as a judicial law clerk in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for 12 years—first as a term law clerk to Judge John E. Jones III, then as the managing law clerk to Judge Christopher C. Conner.
Ms. Mekilo received her J.D. from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2011, graduating summa cum laude at the top of her class. She earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Ms. Mekilo is an active member of the greater Harrisburg community. She currently serves as Secretary of the Middle District Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, as well as Vice President and President-Elect of the Junior Board of the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.
Commenting on these moves and the opening of the Harrisburg office, Managing Shareholder Donald C. Bluedorn II said, “We are very pleased to welcome this fine team of attorneys to Babst Calland and are thrilled to open a new office in Harrisburg to work collaboratively across our other offices to serve the needs of existing and new clients in the region.”
Former transportation executive and veteran regulatory and environmental attorney, James C. Chen, has joined Babst Calland as a Shareholder in the Emerging Technologies practice in the law firm’s growing Washington, D.C. office.
Mr. Chen brings his deep experience in strategic planning and managing legal, policy and regulatory affairs for public and private companies with a focus on emerging technologies in the transportation sector, particularly electrification and sustainable energy.
“A revolution is occurring in the transportation and energy industries – from how we generate and store energy to power various modes of transportation to how those modes are operated with autonomous and artificial intelligence systems to the way we source, process and recycle the minerals needed to enable those modes,” said Mr. Chen. “Moreover, the challenge facing this revolution is not just figuring out how to best power new transportation technology, it’s also about how to best operate the factories that manufacture them.”
For the past decade, in his executive leadership roles for several new transportation technology companies, Mr. Chen was instrumental in the commercialization of modern electric vehicles and the way they are distributed and sold. Most recently, he was Vice President of Public Policy & Chief Regulatory Counsel for Rivian Automotive, LLC and previously, was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Deputy General Counsel at Tesla, Inc.
“We are delighted that Jim Chen is now a part of our firm and our Washington, D.C. office,” said Babst Calland Managing Shareholder Donald C. Bluedorn II. “Jim is a great person, and he has an outstanding reputation and track record as a leader in the electric transportation and sustainable energy space. His industry experience and focused approach to providing strategic and creative solutions utilizing new technologies will be a tremendous resource for our clients.”
In addition to managing his own private practice, Mr. Chen previously held other corporate executive positions and was a prominent Washington D.C. attorney in environmental and natural resources law for two different law firms. During his private firm sector tenure of nearly 15 years, he represented a number of established automobile and truck manufacturers, as well as various industry suppliers on environmental and safety regulatory and policy issues affecting the transportation sector. He started his career as an attorney-advisor in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Regulatory Enforcement.
James Chen is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Case Western University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Christopher S. Etheredge recently joined Babst Calland as an associate in the Litigation Group. Mr. Etheredge has a wealth of experience representing clients in a wide variety of high-stakes litigation and appellate matters involving state and local governments, elected and appointed government officials, complex energy and business litigation, class actions, product and premises liability, medical malpractice, and criminal defense. Recently, he served as counsel to the West Virginia House of Delegates during consecutive legislative sessions, where he drafted and presented legislation to the House Committees on Judiciary, Government Organization, Workforce Development, and Technology and Infrastructure, and regularly counseled House leadership during floor sessions.
Prior to joining Babst Calland, Mr. Etheredge was an associate with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. He is a 2020 graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Babst Calland today published its 13th annual energy industry report: The 2023 Babst Calland Report – Legal & Regulatory Perspectives for the Energy Industry. The Report provides insights on some of the most critical issues facing the industry.
This edition of The Babst Calland Report also features a special video briefing from U.S. Senator Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, who is at the forefront on federal energy policy.
Joseph K. Reinhart, shareholder and co-chair of Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, said, “The U.S. energy sector remains as dynamic as ever. New energy policies and legislation are changing the regulatory landscape and affecting all parts of the energy value chain. It is more important than ever for energy executives and their counsel to stay on top of federal, state, and local regulatory developments, legal risks, and the related business implications.”
This year’s Report highlights various challenges and opportunities in the energy sector, including:
To request a copy of The 2023 Babst Calland Report, click here.
The Babst Calland Report is provided for informational purposes for our clients and friends and does not constitute legal advice.
Facilitated by Babst Calland’s marketing team with the Pittsburgh Chapter of Legal Marketing Association (LMA), Executive Director Ena Lebel and Communications Director Megan Edwards of the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC) presented a training on implicit bias theory and research and why it matters in the legal profession. More than 70 attendees from LMA’s Northeast Region participated in the training with real life scenarios including tools for how to recognize and interrupt such biases personally and professionally in the workplace.
Babst Calland Managing Shareholder Donald C. Bluedorn II recently was honored by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police with the “Recognition of Excellence” Award. The Bureau recognized Mr. Bluedorn for his work in volunteering to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to active duty City police officers. Mr. Bluedorn also serves as a member of the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association’s Board of Governors.
Pictured: Donald Bluedorn with City of Pittsburgh Police Officers
Babst Calland is pleased to announce that five lawyers were selected as 2024 Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Charleston, W. Va. (by BL Rankings). Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant.
Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Those named to the 2024 Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” include:
James V. Corbelli – Litigation – Environmental in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Blaine A. Lucas, Municipal Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kevin J. Garber – Natural Resources Law in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Steven B. Silverman – Information Technology Law in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Christopher “Kip” Power – Mining Law in Charleston, W.Va.
View the award recipients here.
In addition, 37 Babst Calland lawyers were selected for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® (by BL Rankings), the most respected peer-reviewed publications in the legal profession:
View the award recipients here.
18 Babst Calland lawyers were also named to the 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America which recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States:
View the award recipients here.
Best Lawyers undergoes an authentication process, and inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® is based solely on peer review and is divided by geographic region and practice areas. The list has published for more than three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 65 countries.
Attorney David White has been recognized by Business Today among the Top 10 Powerhouse Construction Lawyers Redefining Pennsylvania’s Legal Landscape in 2023. To reach the full article, click here.
Attorney Timothy Miller has been recognized by Business Today among the Top 10 Influential Energy & Natural Resources Lawyers in West Virginia. Click here to view the full article.
Babst Calland has been ranked 354 among the largest 400 U.S. Law Firms. The Law360 400 features the largest U.S.-based law firms and international firms with a U.S. component as measured by domestic attorney headcount.
Shareholder Mychal Schulz was named “Attorney of the Year” by the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia (DTCWV) at its 41st Annual Meeting on June 19, 2023. DTCWV provides a cohesive network of West Virginia attorneys who defend individuals and corporations in civil litigation. Formed in 1981, DTCWV currently has a membership of more than 500 attorneys.
The Chambers USA guide and legal rankings cover practice areas in all 50 states, Washington, DC and at nationwide level and identifies the best practice groups and lawyers working across the US legal market.
Pennsylvania – Environment
Chester R. Babst III
Donald C. Bluedorn II
Dean A. Calland
Kevin J. Garber
Lindsay P. Howard
Pennsylvania – Construction
Marc J. Felezzola
David E. White
Pennsylvania – Litigation: Mediators
Mark D. Shepard
West Virginia – Environment
Christopher B. “Kip” Power
Robert M. Stonestreet
West Virginia – Litigation: General Commercial
Timothy M. Miller
West Virginia – Energy & Natural Resources
Timothy M. Miller
Robert M. Stonestreet
District of Columbia – Environment
Sloane Anders Wildman
Babst Calland is pleased to announce that 15 attorneys were selected to the 2023 Pennsylvania and West Virginia Super Lawyers and the 2023 Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania Rising Stars lists, published by Thomson Reuters. Only a few attorneys from each state are selected to receive the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars designation for any given year. The multi-factor selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations, as well as professional achievement in legal practice. Those selected include:
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
West Virginia Super Lawyers
Pennsylvania Rising Stars
Washington, D.C. Rising Stars