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
Caroline Donato Named 2026 VISTA Today NextGen Superstar
MacElree Harvey Attorney Carolina Heinle Featured in Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Women in Law”
Employment Law Update March 2026
Attorney Tim Rayne Reaches 500-Video Milestone on YouTube
The #1 Reason Properties Go to Tax Sale Even When Owners Think Taxes Are Paid
Employment Law Update February 2026
MacElree Harvey CEO Michelle Foster Appointed to Board of the Chester County Bar Foundation
Application of Privilege in the Era of Generative AI

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Mary has been an absolute blessing. Due to a custody dispute, I ended up needing a criminal attorney. Not all attorneys are created equally, and Mary truly devoted her soul to my case. After two poor experiences, I started to believe all attorneys were the same until I hired Mary. She is communicative, extremely knowledgeable, forward thinking, and most of all, she always took the time to help me understand every part of the process. There was always full transparency. Despite being a fairly new attorney, she is wise beyond her years. She was persistent yet tactful with the police and the district attorney’s office, and she let them know she was going to fight for me. I am beyond grateful. I don’t know where I would be if not for her.
I was in a pickle for sure! I was fighting my 2nd DUI with in 10 years. So I was definitely out of luck for trying something and basically just taking the punishment of what the system could give me. At the start, we were just trying to keep the damage to a minimum. I had come to the acceptance of what I was supposed to receive. However, unlike other Lawyers, Caroline looked into what it looked like 2 or 3 more times at my case where it should have been just a quick dollar she could make on a simple case. She was able to find something that took me from the highest level to the lowest. She not only saved me 10 days in jail, 75 days house arrest and 60 hours of community service but also saved me what could have been thousands of dollars I would have had to pay to the courts. If you are looking at this to see if you should hire Caroline…….don’t hesitate and do it. She is worth every penny! Her communication is awesome!! (Shout out to her asst. Donna!) She sends every letter in a PDF for you to have a copy of and with every single thing she does she will let you know what is going on the entire time. It’s amazing and I literally can’t thank her enough for how much she saved me but also what effort she put into my (simple) case. Thanks, Caroline!!!!!
Caroline helped me out with a dire situation, without going into too much detail Caroline won me the case with her very high-level skill set that she brings as lawyer, these skills are but not limited to, her attentiveness during trials, her competitive attitude, genuine care for client and of course her very clear clean and well organized notes that she brings with her everywhere, on top of all this she always responds in a timely manner although she prefers emails for documentation purposes she will text and keep in touch with client at all times to make the trial process seem very seamless and make an already stressful situation as simple as possible!
I highly recommend her to anyone whos looking to find a reliable trustworthy compassionate and strong lawyer who will not back down from any challenge and always has a plan of action in the very unpredictable legal world of our judicial system!
Recently, I was represented by a shining star of the legal profession. Her name is Caroline Donato and she works for the firm of MacElree Harvey. In her presentation of my case, she took a voluminous case and wrote a brief that was clear and concise. During her presentation before the Commonwealth Court of PA, which was supposed to be 10 minutes, the judges were attentive and asked poignant questions. She never stumbled and had total command of the facts. They allowed her a generous amount of time to present her brief and in addition gave her more than ample time to rebut the opposition. Her courtroom presence I would describe as humbly respectful of the judges and confident in her case. Her confidence level was high because of the dedication she applied to the preparation of my case. The judges were in return respectful and receptive to her pleadings. This youthful legal eagle has the important attributes that make a great litigator. MacElree Harvey should be extremely grateful that she is part of their firm.
I was referred to Peter Kratsa through a friend who had amazing things to say about him. After speaking with him the first time, I knew why my friend thought so highly of him. You could tell, even on the phone, how much he cared about his clients & the outcomes of the cases he takes on. I felt like I finally had someone on my side who I could trust. Peter and his staff are always available to speak, promptly & they explain things in the clearest of ways so you fully understand your options. I am so pleased with working with him and I would recommend him to anyone needing legal assistance.
After encountering an issue with adopting our dog, we didn’t really know where we would ever find help and support. After having John recommended to us by a family friend, we knew immediately we were going to get the help we needed. John took our story very seriously, he was compassionate and right away began to identify solutions for us. Through his well spoken and confident demeanor, John explained each part of the legal process in terms we grasped easily. He educated us, upheld our values and held consistent professional communication throughout the process. His high expectations for his clients coupled with his legal expertise allowed us to have a smooth case. Thanks to John’s hard work and dedication, we are more than pleased with the outcome of our suit and highly recommend John to everyone we know. Thank you John for advocating for us – you changed our lives!














































