MacElree Harvey, Ltd.

Initiative in Practice

Banking & Finance Litigation

Brian J. Forgue

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Brian J. Forgue

Partner – Family Law

Brian is a Partner in the Firm’s family law practice group. He represents clients in a broad range of family law matters including divorce, pre and post marital agreements, custody, support, and adoption. Brian also advises clients on a variety of legal issues including real estate litigation, contract, and business disputes.

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Brian is a Partner in the Firm’s family law practice group. He represents clients in a broad range of family law matters including divorce, pre and post marital agreements, custody, support, and adoption. Brian also advises clients on a variety of legal issues including real estate litigation, contract, and business disputes.  For his work since joining MacElree Harvey, Brian has consistently been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Rising Star and a Main Line Today Top Lawyer.

Active in the community, Brian is a graduate of Leadership Chester County, a program that trains and prepares community leaders to serve on the Board of Directors for non-profit organizations.  Brian serves on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit organization, the Youth Mentoring Partnership, which helps serve under-privileged youth through sports and physical fitness programs.  Brian also serves on the Business Improvement District (“BID) Board for downtown West Chester and serves on the Committee to Restore Rail Service to West Chester.

In his free time, Brian enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and competing in triathlons.

Notable Representations

  • Successful negotiation of credit card debt settlements for less than the balance owed.
  • Successful defense of client sued by contractor despite contractor’s deficient remodeling of the home.
  • Successful representation of Homeowners Association in court for homeowners’ failure to pay fees owed.
  • Obtained favorable disposition for a commercial client with third-party and insurance company for payment of contract price and attorneys’ fees.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for a home-buying client where seller failed to disclose dangerous conditions prior to sale.
  • A successful outcome for a client in residential dispute for the return of personal property.

Memberships

  • Chester County Bar Association,  Young Lawyers Division
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, Emerging Leaders Committee, Member

Community Involvement

  • Kennett High School, Coach Mock Trial
  • Leadership Chester County, a program of United Way of Chester County, Class of 2017
  • Youth Mentoring Partnership, Board of Directors

Speaking Engagements

  • November 2018: What to Do and Not to Do as you Enter a Business Dispute

Videos

When to Contact Me
My Proudest Moment as an Attorney
My Most Interesting Case
Preparing for Litigation Case
Working at MacElree Harvey
Advice for Aspiring Attorney
Best Part of Being An Attorney
Outside of Work
Most Interesting Case

PRACTICE AREAS

OFFICES

ADMISSIONS

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

EDUCATION

  • The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, Juris Doctor
  • The Pennsylvania State University, Crime, Law, and Justice

ARTICLES

IN THE NEWS

AWARDS

Brian J. Forgue, Avvo Clients Choice Award 2019
Brian J. Forgue, 2019 Pennsylvania Rising Star
Brian J. Forgue
Top-Lawyer-2019-MLT

John F. McKenna

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John F. McKenna

Partner – Trust and Estate Administration and Litigation and Mediation

John heads the firm’s Trust and Estate Litigation Group. He represents clients in all estate and trust matters, complex guardianships, will contests, trust termination and modifications, corporate disputes, contract interpretation, real estate disputes, consumer protection,  and broker liability litigation.

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John heads the firm’s Trust and Estate Litigation Group. He represents clients in all estate and trust matters, complex guardianships, will contests, trust termination and modifications, corporate disputes, contract interpretation, real estate disputes, consumer protection,  and broker liability litigation.

John has also expanded his practice to include private mediation. He has been appointed a Special Master by the Court to hear discovery issues and partition matters. John has also been appointed by the Court to be a receiver for some corporations, as well as an administrator of estates involved in litigation.

John has an AV Preeminent Rating in Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, the highest legal ability, and ethical standards rating. He has been consistently selected to the Main Line Today Top Lawyers lists. John was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Trusts and Estates Litigation.

Notable Representations

  • Successfully mediated a dispute between the litigants in an estate matter involving several million dollars in property and assets.
  • Successful in obtaining a guardian for a retired gentleman who had over $4,000,000 in assets.
  • Successfully replaced a corporate trustee for a church whose Elders were seeking substitution due to questionable financial dealings by the initial corporate trustee.
  • Obtained a judgment for reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and treble damages for a victim of broker fraud, unfair trade practices and unsuitable investments.
  • Successfully represented large Trust Companies in seeking trust modifications in trusts totaling more than $10,000,000.

Memberships

  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Probate Section
  • Chester County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Civil Litigation Section, Business Law Section, Probate and Estates Section, Elder Law Section
  • Chester County Estate Planning Council, Past President
  • John E. Stively American Inn of Court, Charter Member and Master Level Member

Community Involvement

  • Chester County Bar Association, Pro Bono Committee Chairman, 2005 – Present
  • Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, Board President, 2009 – 2010
  • Chester County Community Foundation, Board Member, 2018 – Present
  • Chester County Art Association, Past President, 2007 – 2009
  • DNB First Bank Wealth Management, Advisory Board
  • West Goshen Lions Club, President, 1997-1998
  • American Cancer Society, Chester County Chapter

Videos

Why Did You Become a Lawyer?
What is a Will Contest?
What Was Your Most Interesting Case?
Proudest Moment as an Attorney
What Do You Do Outside of Practicing the Law?
My Estate Law Practice
Proudest Moment As An Attorney
My First Job

PRACTICE AREAS

OFFICES

ADMISSIONS

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey

EDUCATION

  • Temple University School of Law
  • Farleigh Dickinson University
    Psychology

ARTICLES

IN THE NEWS

AWARDS

  • The Best Lawyers in America©2020, Trusts and Estates Litigation
  • Main Line Today, Top Lawyer
  • Martindale-Hubbel, AV Preeminent Rating
  • Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, Louis J. Goffman Award, 2018
John McKenna - Best Lawyers 2020
Martindale-Hubbell Ratings 2019
Top-Lawyer-2019-MLT
Top Lawyers 2018-MLT
MLT-Top-Lawyer-logo 2017
MLT-Top-Lawyer-2016
John_F_McKenna-DK-300
AVVO rating

Leo M. Gibbons

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Leo M. Gibbons

Partner – Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Litigation

Leo M. Gibbons is a partner in MacElree Harvey’s Banking and Finance practice. Licensed in Pennsylvania, Leo advises financial institutions, businesses, individuals and owners of commercial real estate on creditors’ rights, loan enforcement, loan workouts, complex business disputes, bank litigation and secured transaction litigation, collection actions, foreclosure proceedings and landlord/tenant disputes.

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Prior to joining MacElree Harvey in 1999, Leo served as a judicial clerk for two judges: the first a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Charles R. Alexander of the Court of Common Pleas of Clarion County, Pennsylvania and the second as chief judicial clerk for the Honorable James R. Cavanaugh of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. These responsibilities provided Leo with experience and insight into the judicial decision-making process, which has helped him to better serve his clients.

Notable Representations

  • Represented landlord in a case where the tenant defaulted on a commercial lease. Recovered possession of the leased property for the landlord and a substantial portion of the unpaid back rent.
  • Defended client sued as a guarantor of a business loan by filing a petition to strike and/or open the judgment. Matter resolved after commencement of litigation at a substantial discount of the amount owed on the guaranty.
  • Debt workout/restructuring for a client in the construction industry who defaulted on obligations to lenders and suppliers due to the slumping real estate market. Assisted the client in re-working certain loans and obligations and delaying others so that he could remain in business.
  • Defaulting borrower filed bankruptcy on the eve of the execution on borrower’s real estate by the client. Obtained retroactive relief from the automatic stay on client’s behalf to allow the execution to proceed.
  • Represented a client in an investigation and litigation proceeding involving embezzlement and fraud by company employees. Successfully pursued former employees and obtained substantial recovery of stolen funds.
  • Client was sued by a bankruptcy trustee for payments made to it on the eve of the debtor’s bankruptcy. Resolved the matter with no payment to the bankruptcy trustee based on value given by client and the monies received by client were in the ordinary course of business.

Memberships

  • Chester County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Business Networking International

Previous Memberships

  • Chester County Bar Association, Bankruptcy Insolvency Section Chair

Community Involvement

  • Westtown-Goshen Rotary Club, President 2010-2011

Community Involvement

  • West Chester Area Day Care Center, Past President
  • Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, Board Member

Videos

Finding Balance
Running With The Ball
The Importance Of Family

PRACTICE AREAS

OFFICES

ADMISSIONS

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

EDUCATION

  • University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • University of Pittsburgh
    Political Science

ARTICLES

IN THE NEWS

AWARDS

Top-Lawyer-2019-MLT
Top Lawyers 2018-MLT
MLT-Top-Lawyer-logo 2017
MLT-Top-Lawyer-2016
SuburbanLife_AwesomeAttorneys-logo-MH

LEGAL SERVICES

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Centreville, DE

5721 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19807
302-654-4454
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Hockessin, DE

724 Yorklyn Rd #100
Hockessin, DE 19707
302-239-3700
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Kennett Square, PA

209 East State Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-3180
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West Chester, PA

17 West Miner Street
West Chester, PA 19382
610-436-0100
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