Michael T. Korns

Area of Emphasis

Michael Korns is Senior Counsel in the Public Sector and Energy and Natural Resources groups of Babst Calland.  Mr. Korns has wide experience with issues related to land use and advises both public sector bodies and private developers on issues related to municipal permitting, planning, subdivision and land use, and zoning.  He has significant experience litigating zoning and land use cases and has successfully argued zoning and land use matters in the Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.  He regularly appears in front of zoning hearing boards, planning commissions, and governing boards on behalf of private developers and impacted property owners.

Mr. Korns has served as a solicitor for municipalities, school districts, zoning hearing boards, and municipal authorities; he comes to Babst Calland as the current solicitor for multiple public bodies. Mr. Korns counsels and represents the Firm’s municipal clients on general municipal issues, including tax assessment appeals, municipal taxation, public bidding, Sunshine Act, the Right-to-Know Law, the State Ethics Act, general land use and zoning matters, and code enforcement.  He also advises the Firm’s energy clients on issues related to land use, permitting, zoning, and code compliance.

Background

He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003.  He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2006, where he served as an Articles Editor for the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Michael lives in Murrysville with his wife, Jamie, and three sons.  He is a parishioner at Holy Family Catholic Church.

Memberships and Affiliations

Mr. Korns was admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania in 2006 and the District of Columbia in 2007.  He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Korns is a member of the Westmoreland County Bar Association and is a member of the Association’s Municipal Practice Group and the Bar Planning Committee and was elected to serve on the Building Committee in 2021.  He is also a member of the Allegheny County and Pennsylvania Bar associations. He serves as a board member and pro bono attorney for the Kiski Valley Habitat for Humanity and was recognized by the District Court for the District of Columbia for his contributions to pro bono work.

Publications/Presentations

Mr. Korns speaks and writes often about municipal land use and zoning issues.  He has contributed articles and presentations on a variety of topics to groups such as the Westmoreland County Association of Township Supervisors, the Local Government Academy, the Allegheny County League of Municipalities, the Steel River Council of Government, the Pennsylvania School Board Association, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, and others.  Some of his recent his publications and presentations include: