Initiative in Practice.®
For every client. Every day.
Founded in 1880, we serve individuals and businesses.
We’ve transformed the way we practice law to meet the technological and social requirements of the day.
ABOUT US

MacElree Harvey 145 Years Of Experience
With roots that reach back to 1880, MacElree Harvey uses the traditional values of professionalism and excellence as the foundation for the firm’s identity. Our attorneys are encouraged to build on these traditional values through Initiative – creative problem-solving, proactive planning, and strategic positioning.

Initiative in Practice® . For Every Client. Every Day.
Our 45+ attorneys and their staff are dedicated to providing clients with superior representation and are committed to achieving the best outcomes. We serve individuals and businesses in the Pennsylvania and Delaware area with our expertise in various areas of the law.

Client Focused Law Firm
We believe that we’re only as good as the reputation of our clients—which is why we work diligently to ensure our clients come first. We never hesitate to put our reputation on the line to ensure they get as much out of the relationship as we do.
NEWS & INSIGHTS
Employment Law Update November 2025
The CROWN Act: What Pennsylvania Employers Should Know
MacElree Harvey Earns National and Regional Recognition in 2026 Best Law Firms® Rankings
Nine MacElree Harvey Attorneys Recognized in Delaware Today’s Top Lawyers 2025
Employment Law Update October 2025
Partner Brian L. Nagle Represents West Chester University in 10-Year Campus Master Plan Presentation
Employment Law Update September 2025
MacElree Harvey Partner Joseph A. Bellinghieri Honored with 2025 Door Opener Award

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
My situation was horrible and spiraling all in a negative direction. In a big moment for myself, I decided to switch attorney & law firms. Lance rationally moved things in a direction that fairly got things done. He is calm, professional & spot on. If he is being baited towards confrontation he dilutes the scenario from escalating rationally & respectfully. All very important elements towards helping the topic or issue staying on point and reasonably litigated. Lance is the professionals of professionals. His sincerity to reaching fair results for the children’s behalf is exemplary. We as a family are still a family cause of Lance Nelson.
Several years after a divorce, new issues prompted me to seek counsel about child custody concerns. No longer confident in the divorce lawyer’s practice, a recommendation led me to Lance Nelson. I truly cannot say enough good things about Lance. He is patient, pragmatic, professional, accessible. Exceptional communication and clear integrity. He laid out the options at every stage, with practical advice regarding the most logical next steps. It never needed to go to court — we were able to manage the situation well enough long enough, the kids aged out before needing more serious legal intervention. In addition to Lance, everyone I have interacted with in the office is equally competent and caring. I would not hesitate to recommend Lance specifically or the practice as a whole.
I hired Lance to represent me in my divorce after a bad experience with another lawyer. Lance was not only extremely professional but more importantly, he is very familiar with the law, sets reasonable expectations which ended up saving time, effort and money for me. I didn’t waste time and money disputing issues with my ex-husband that I wouldn’t have won. His preparation was second to none, which was critical when arguing in court. I would highly recommend Lance to anyone who is navigating through a divorce as his knowledge and preparation are critical for getting his clients a fair settlement.
When my tiny company was sued by a massive global corporation as I was trying to protect my rights under their contract, I have to admit that I was horrified. Although I knew that I had a real case and solid claim against this vendor to my company, I was dwarfed by their juggernaut legal team and seemingly bottomless legal budget. Mr. Louis was referred to me by my local attorney (the suit was in Pennsylvania and I’m in a very small town in Iowa) and within ten minutes of our initial phone conversation, my anxiety of the enormity of this situation began to fade. He carefully listened to my story and asked me very relevant questions and by the end of the conversation was able to show me that not only did I have a solid defense against their claim, but that I also wielded a substantial counterclaim. We immediately began to build our case to defend and counter and after a few months of carefully executing his recommended process, we settled outside of court for a very reasonable amount. Had my company lost the case, we would have been bankrupted. Instead, he and his expert teammates focused on keeping the opposition on their heels. For round after round, my attorney fought an amazing fight, and I was so pleased to see this corporate giant so often on the ropes. His letters were so carefully composed and structured, my confidence increased each time I read them. I shuddered at the prospect of being on the receiving end of them, as a matter of fact! And, the way he asserted our legal dominance kept the diligent pressure on the other team – ultimately bringing forth a very reasonable settlement. Pure professionalism, legal expertise, and brilliant battleground strategy were my allies every step of the way. When I sat in the room with Michael Louis, I was the 800-pound gorilla. The other guys didn’t stand a chance, and I know that they now wish they had never brought the suit against me. I never want to be sued again. But, if I am, I would be lucky to have Mr. Louis or an attorney like him on my side.
From the beginning of the initial contact with John, he has been more than understanding, caring, kind and thoughtful of the situation that we have endured now approaching two years to get our security deposit returned. John went above and beyond with us to ensure that we were treated with respect and closed our case with a positive outcome. If you need an attorney, I highly recommend to call John without a doubt. Thank you John for everything you did for us to finally have a resolution!













































