Home - Labovitz Law Group

Strength & Empathy

We offer the experience and sophistication of a large law firm combined with the responsiveness, reliability and personalized attention of a smaller firm.

Litigation

We are ready to fight for you. We represent individuals and small to mid-size business clients in a wide range of civil and commercial litigation matters. We handle everything from landlord-tenant disputes before local district justices, to neighbors squabbling over property lines, to a business owner grappling with a breach-of-contract lawsuit that could cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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Litigation Services

Hands-On Counseling: We recognize that the legal system is complex and that personal and commercial legal disputes can be stressful and intimidating. We make things easier for our clients with our personalized, hands-on approach. Our goal is to resolve legal problems in a practical, cost-effective manner. We critically analyze the legal issues at hand and confer with our clients to develop a customized game plan. We take an incremental approach. We go over legal options and costs available to you each step of the way. We make you feel at ease. Yes, it is possible to be liked by our clients and feared by our adversaries.
Getting Results Before Trial: Most cases settle before going to trial. We efficiently manage and resolve conflicts involving individuals and business owners. We get results with our demand letters and settlement negotiations with opposing counsel. We take part in mediations and in arbitration hearings, including proceedings involving the American Arbitration Association.
Fighting for You in Court: When we must do battle, we represent plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts in Western Pennsylvania. We appear regularly before district justices in local communities, arbitration panels made up of attorneys, and judges and juries in courthouses in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Butler, Beaver and Washington counties and beyond.
Contract Disputes: We closely analyze the terms of your contract and we provide effective legal representation to individuals and business owners to resolve contract disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and/or litigating in court.
Representing Individuals: Our bread-and-butter legal matters include representing individuals facing stressful and difficult disputes with contractors over defective work, with sellers who fail to disclose water infiltration and other defects in their homes, and with their neighbors over boundary line disputes. These disputes often involve breach of contract claims, tort claims, and violations of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, and other statutes.
Business Torts: Many disputes in business involve tort claims including fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference. As a small business owner myself, I relate to you and your legal disputes with business partners, clients and vendors. We have considerable experience with “corporate divorces” when business partners split up.
Defamation: I am a former reporter who has represented plaintiffs in defamation and invasion-of-privacy claims and other First Amendment matters for about 30 years. For 17 years, I taught a media law class at Point Park University.
Debt Collection: Our firm assists businesses in recovering debts. We use all aspects of the legal system, from drafting demand letters and complaints to enforcing court-awarded judgments. For example, we serve as outside counsel for a Pennsylvania equipment leasing company and perform the company’s debt collection work.
Construction Disputes: We represent contractors whose clients have failed to pay, contractor-subcontractor disputes, and homeowners bringing claims against contractors for defective and unworkmanlike home remodeling projects. Our work in this area includes mechanics’ lien claims.

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HOA Law

We provide tailored legal support for homeowners associations, condominium associations, and for homeowners at odds with their associations. We represent developers, and association boards in connection with drafting and amending governing documents, enforcing covenants, and collecting unpaid assessments.

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HOA Law Services

Association Governance: We get into the weeds with the HOA and condominium boards that we represent, along with their property management firms. We provide hands-on advice when it comes to running associations. We are frequently called upon to draft and amend governing documents, including declarations, bylaws, and rules and regulations. Legal issues that we tackle include the fiduciary duties of these volunteer boards, developers transferring control to elected boards, reviewing vendor contracts, and running annual and special meetings.
Avoiding Litigation: We work closely and proactively with our clients in an effort to avoid surprises and protracted litigation. We get to know the board members and residents who we represent. We often meet with boards on location in their meeting rooms and clubhouses. We counsel board members on such thorny issues as when to settle disputes and when to go to court.
HOA and Condo Litigation: When necessary, we litigate on behalf of our HOA and condominium clients. Board members, property managers and unit owners trust us to represent them in court, and in mediation and arbitration proceedings. Our litigation engagements include collecting unpaid assessments, fees and fines in magisterial district court, and enforcing covenants and rules in courts of common pleas.

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Business Law

We mind your business. We are equipped to assist small and mid-size businesses every step of the way through their lifecycle from starting up to day-to-day operations to succession planning. Our business law services include entity formation, contract drafting, regulatory compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. I am a business owner myself.

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Business Law Services

Business Formation: We want you to get it right from the beginning. Forming a business is more than just filing paperwork with the Pennsylvania Department of State. We recommend and structure the right entity for you and your company, taking into account your needs and objectives. As part of entity formation, we confer with you, prepare and file certificates of organization, and obtain tax identification numbers for your business. We also assist you with corporate governance, including the drafting of customized operating agreements, articles of incorporation and bylaws. We make business owners aware of issues they should discuss with their CPAs and insurance agents.
Ongoing Legal Advice to Business Owners: Think of us as your go-to, outside general counsel for emerging and established businesses across a myriad of industries. I draw upon my years of practice and my own experiences as a small business owner to advise you on a variety of corporate, transactional, employment, policy, operational and compliance issues. How do you handle a difficult employee who violates company policies? What should be included in a severance agreement with a departing employee? How should an independent contractor be treated compared to an employee? These are some of the legal issues that we tackle.
Drafting Customized Legal Documents: We review and draft legal documents that include contracts, leases and employee handbooks. We do more than download forms from the web. We prepare customized documents to address your needs, such as employment agreements and non-compete agreements with your employees, independent contractor agreements, and non-disclosure agreements and other specialized commercial contracts that you may need for operating your business. Moreover, as you grow, we can help you add partners and transfer shares and membership interest in the company to others.
Buying and Selling Businesses: Our firm assists clients with acquiring and selling small and mid-size businesses. These transactions take the form of both the sale of company assets and the sale of ownership shares (stock) and membership interests in the company itself. We focus on the details of these transactions to minimize issues that may arise at closing.

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Our Team

Whether you’re facing a complex legal dispute, navigating business challenges, or managing HOA issues, our experienced attorneys are here to fight for you.

Bill Labovitz

Attorney, Founder

wlabovitz@labolawgroup.com 412-533-3249

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Ethan Thoma

Paralegal

ethoma@labolawgroup.com 412-533-3258

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Bill Labovitz

Attorney, Founder

wlabovitz@labolawgroup.com 412-533-3249

Bill Labovitz is a veteran civil litigator and business attorney who represents individuals and businesses in Western Pennsylvania. Bill practices in the areas of commercial litigation, civil litigation, business law, construction litigation, defamation law, and real estate/HOA law.

Bill has represented his clients in the prosecution and defense of a wide array of litigation matters, including breach of contract, collection cases, fraud claims and other business torts, construction disputes, and adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court. He has represented individuals, companies of all sizes, and planned communities in state and federal court, before environmental administrative agencies, and in mediations and arbitrations before FINRA and the American Arbitration Association.

In addition to his role as a litigator, Bill counsels clients on business matters such as the formation of business entities, reviews of commercial contracts, and reviews of employment agreements, including non-competition agreements. Bill also has represented developers, condominium associations and homeowner associations in connection with drafting and amending governing documents such as declarations and bylaws; enforcing covenants, rules, and regulations; and collecting unpaid fees and assessments.
Bill is the immediate past chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Council. In connection with his work on the council, he has organized a number of educational programs for attorneys in Allegheny County.

Bill has published a number of articles, including: co-author of the Pennsylvania portion of Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC) 50-State Survey, Media Privacy and Related Law, 1997-2000; co-author of “Attorney-Client Privilege in Individual Bankruptcy Cases…An Emerging Oxymoron?” Commercial Law Journal, Fall 1999; and “Innovation Over Regulation: Newspapers to Self-Police Racks in Pittsburgh,” Media Law Update, March 1999.

Bill and his wife, Helaine, are “empty nesters” living in Robinson Township. Bill serves as the president of the board of directors of the homeowners association where he resides.

Previously, Bill, his wife and three children lived in Mt. Lebanon, where he was active in the community. Bill served as chairman of the Lebo Cup recreational soccer program for about 500 children in grades K-12. He served as vice president of the Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association and received the organization’s President’s Award in recognition of his leadership skills and work. In addition, Bill is a former board member and president of Tufts University Lawyers Association.

Recently, Bill temporarily stepped down as an adjunct professor at Point Park University in order to devote more time to his law practice. Bill taught a media law course at Point Park for 17 years. He previously taught at Robert Morris University and at the University of Pittsburgh.

In his free time, Bill enjoys running, weightlifting, social media, and spending time with his family.

Before becoming an attorney, Bill was a reporter for The Daily Item in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Follow him on LinkedIn.

Education

B.A., cum laude, History, Tufts University

J.D., magna cum laude, Boston University School of Law

Admission

U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania

U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit and Sixth Circuit

Contact Bill

Ethan Thoma

Paralegal

ethoma@labolawgroup.com 412-533-3258

Ethan Thoma is a paralegal at Labovitz Law Group where he assists attorneys with research, drafting documents and case management. Ethan is a lifelong resident of Elizabeth Township in southern Allegheny County. He graduated summa cum laude from Robert Morris University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at Robert Morris, Ethan was an active member of the university’s esports organization where he served as social media coordinator and a team captain.

Outside of work, Ethan enjoys traveling, playing video games, getting lost in reading fiction, and running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns with his friends.

Contact Ethan

Bill is very concise and clear.

There's something about communicating with you which is decidedly free of bullsh*t I appreciate very much. Somehow magically you seem to always be able to understand what I'm saying. And you appreciate my sense of humor.

Jim A. • Litigation Client

Bill is very quick on his feet. It’s like going up against Darth Vader. We are overmatched.

Opposing Party in Civil Lawsuit • D.C.

I was very impressed with both [Bill Labovitz's] knowledge and experience of HOAs and familiarity with our documents.

R.M. • HOA Client

Thanks, Bill, for all your help.

If anyone I know needs a business attorney, I will refer you! But I must admit, you work way too hard.

B.T. • Business Law Client

I have used Bill in 2 cases dealing with employee issues.

I found Bill to be very professional and straight forward. He was quick with call backs and answered all my questions. I highly recommend Bill.

Anonymous • Litigation Client

Thank you Bill! I don't know what I would do without you!

A.G. • Litigation Client

We were fortunate enough to meet and retain Bill Labovitz for our legal matter.

Bill is knowledgeable and looks out for the best interest of his clients. Bill can be fiery when "going to battle" for his clients yet remain empathetic to his client's situation. Most importantly Bill is realistic and helps maintain objectivity when guiding clients through decisions that need made during a legal matter. Would highly recommend Bill and the team.

M.H. • Litigation Client

I have to reiterate our appreciation of your support and thoughtfulness in helping us bring this to conclusion. It was a pleasure working with you!

J.H. • HOA Client

We Don’t Want You to Wait

Whether you're facing a civil or commercial legal dispute, navigating business challenges, or managing HOA issues, we know that you do not want to wait. When you contact us by phone, text or email, we will get back to you within 1 business day.