<![CDATA[Leonard, PLLC]]>http://leonardfirm.com/Ghost 0.11Wed, 05 Feb 2025 23:21:44 GMT60<![CDATA[Roy E. Leonard Elected to Membership in the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County]]>Roy E. Leonard, founder of Leonard, PLLC, has been elected to the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. The Academy was created in the late 1950's by a number of distinguished lawyers who actively tried civil matters in state and federal courts in Allegheny County. The Academy was designated

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/roy-e-leonard-elected-to-membership-in-the-academy-of-trial-lawyers-of-allegheny-county/a3c33c07-4d3f-42e8-8acd-312ec1c54c05Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:10:00 GMTRoy E. Leonard, founder of Leonard, PLLC, has been elected to the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. The Academy was created in the late 1950's by a number of distinguished lawyers who actively tried civil matters in state and federal courts in Allegheny County. The Academy was designated to include both plaintiff's and defendant's attorneys in generally balanced proportions who demonstrated and promoted not only exceptional trial advocacy, but also mutual respect, an independent judiciary, and integrity in judicial administration. Since its inception, membership in the Academy of Trial Lawyers has been invitation only, subject to peer review, and is presently limited to 250 active members.

]]><![CDATA[Roy Leonard to Present on TrialPad for Litigators]]>The firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be a presenter in a skills training program on using the TrialPad app at arbitrations, hearings and trial. Attendees will learn how to download exhibits from a computer or the cloud to an iPad and display those exhibits on to

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/roy-leonard-to-present-on-trialpad-for-litigators/d142c424-9664-4985-a861-e0bcb34fc028Mon, 04 Mar 2019 21:26:24 GMTThe firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be a presenter in a skills training program on using the TrialPad app at arbitrations, hearings and trial. Attendees will learn how to download exhibits from a computer or the cloud to an iPad and display those exhibits on to a projection screen or monitor in the courtroom or other presentation setting. The program will also teach attendees how to label, call out and annotate exhibits and connect an iPad to a courtroom audio/visual system by a wired or wireless connection.

The program is sponsored by the Allegheny County Bar Association Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee and will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at the Koppers Building, E. Graham Room, 436 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

]]><![CDATA[Roy Leonard to be a Presenter for Pennsylvania’s Bridge the Gap Program]]>The firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be a presenter for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania CLE Board’s Bridge the Gap program. Bridge the Gap is a program designed to assist recent law school graduates as they make the transition from student to practitioner. The program

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/roy-leonard-to-be-a-presenter-for-pennsylvanias-bridge-the-gap-program/25cb4fc0-a8b8-4485-9dc3-796b8dea7ebcMon, 04 Feb 2019 21:24:00 GMTThe firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be a presenter for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania CLE Board’s Bridge the Gap program. Bridge the Gap is a program designed to assist recent law school graduates as they make the transition from student to practitioner. The program focuses on several areas including Communications, Fiduciary Requirements, Ethical Practice Management, the Disciplinary System, Outreach Programs and more. Newly admitted lawyers are required to complete this training by their first CLE compliance deadline.

The Allegheny County Bar Association, an accredited provider, is presenting the program which will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at the Koppers Building Conference Center, E.P. Mellon Room, 436 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

]]><![CDATA[Successful Settlement Achieved in Class Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Former Shareholders of Communications Service Provider]]>The Leonard firm is pleased to announce that on December 11, 2018, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania entered a final order approving a class action settlement on behalf of plaintiffs - former minority shareholders of American Broadband, Inc. d/b/a United Network Services,

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/successful-settlement-achieved-in-class-action-lawsuit-on-behalf-of-former-shareholders-of-communications-service-provider/3e5c5778-fc02-4556-a2bf-38898d9e5295Tue, 01 Jan 2019 21:25:00 GMTThe Leonard firm is pleased to announce that on December 11, 2018, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania entered a final order approving a class action settlement on behalf of plaintiffs - former minority shareholders of American Broadband, Inc. d/b/a United Network Services, Inc. (“UNSi”) who owned shares of UNSI, whose shares were cancelled through a 1-for-4,000,000 reverse stock split, and who subsequently did not purchase new shares pursuant to UNSI’s Confidential Offering Memorandum. Plaintiffs alleged breach of fiduciary duty and related claims against former directors, officers, insiders and/or interested and controlling shareholders of UNSi.

The settlement achieved a remarkable return of nearly 50% of the maximum possible losses incurred by the Class. Attorneys Roy E. Leonard, Scott M. Hare and Robert B. Stein represented plaintiffs. The case is titled Adam C. Kassab, et al. v. Francis D John, et al., Civil Action No. 2:16-cv-00613.

]]><![CDATA[Leonard Scores Jury Verdict in Favor of Oil & Gas Midstream Services Company]]>In a jury trial before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, involving contract and quasi-contract liability issues relating to excavation work on a midstream oil & gas project in eastern Ohio, Roy Leonard successfully obtained a unanimous verdict in favor of TEK Construction Services, LLC

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/leonard-scores-jury-verdict-in-favor-of-oil-gas-midstream-services-company/9e5a4537-5e35-4ea2-800b-8d14dfa1cb0bSat, 01 Sep 2018 05:00:15 GMTIn a jury trial before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, involving contract and quasi-contract liability issues relating to excavation work on a midstream oil & gas project in eastern Ohio, Roy Leonard successfully obtained a unanimous verdict in favor of TEK Construction Services, LLC against Defendant Pioneer Pipe, Inc.
On January 31, 2018, the jury awarded all damages incurred by TEK Construction Services for additional work that it performed on the project as directed by Pioneer Pipe and made necessary by project delays. On August 27, 2018, the Court denied Defendant’s Motion for Judgment as a Matter of law and/or Motion for New Trial. The case is titled TEK Construction Services, LLC v. Pioneer Pipe, Inc., Civil Action No. 2:16-cv-664.

]]><![CDATA[Roy Leonard to Moderate Panel Discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Legal Practice]]>The firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will moderate a panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Legal Practice sponsored by the Allegheny County Bar Association Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee. Panelists Professors Kevin D. Ashley and Michael Madison of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Kevin

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/roy-leonard-to-moderate-panel-discussion-on-artificial-intelligence-and-legal-practice/06edcf42-44df-46d4-8722-5148a31faa99Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:19:56 GMTThe firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will moderate a panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Legal Practice sponsored by the Allegheny County Bar Association Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee. Panelists Professors Kevin D. Ashley and Michael Madison of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Kevin Miller, CEO of LegalSifter will discuss how Artificial Intelligence is transforming the legal profession and how these advancements can lead to greater efficiency, productivity and profitability. The program focuses on new developments in legal text analytics as applied to e-discovery and predictive coding; automated contract review and due diligence analysis; and litigation support. These developments will be illustrated with new commercial and research tools. The program will also address practical considerations, including law firm strategy regarding AI, sourcing strategies and considerations in choosing AI tools. This program will be held from noon to 2:00 p.m. on February 15, 2018, at the Koppers Building, E. P. Mellon Room, 436 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

]]><![CDATA[Leonard Partner to Present at the 20th Annual Employment Law Institute - West]]>The firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be presenting on the topic of Ethics of the Cloud: Technology Competence and Safeguarding Client Confidentiality at the 20th Annual Employment Law Institute - West, sponsored by the PBI, November 17-18, 2016, The presentation will cover current issues in lawyers’

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/leonard-partner-to-present-at-the-20th-annual-employment-law-institute-west-2/b139eaf3-f637-4e9f-93b8-28f863673a14Mon, 16 Oct 2017 20:43:55 GMTThe firm is pleased to announce that Roy Leonard will be presenting on the topic of Ethics of the Cloud: Technology Competence and Safeguarding Client Confidentiality at the 20th Annual Employment Law Institute - West, sponsored by the PBI, November 17-18, 2016, The presentation will cover current issues in lawyers’ legal and ethical obligations to protect the security of data.

]]><![CDATA[Roy Leonard Scores Victory for Real Estate Services Companies]]>On an issue of first impression in Pennsylvania concerning the attorney-client privilege, Roy Leonard successfully represented on appeal before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, real estate services companies Red Vision Systems, Inc. and TitleVision Texas in a breach of contract case titled Red Vision Systems v. National Real Estate Information Systems,

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/roy-leonard-scores-victory-for-real-estate-services-companies/415288f9-c840-4343-8449-7f8bb0bd363eMon, 16 Oct 2017 20:17:11 GMTOn an issue of first impression in Pennsylvania concerning the attorney-client privilege, Roy Leonard successfully represented on appeal before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, real estate services companies Red Vision Systems, Inc. and TitleVision Texas in a breach of contract case titled Red Vision Systems v. National Real Estate Information Systems, Case No. 416 WDA 2014.

]]><![CDATA[Leonard Partner Defeats Motion to Dismiss in Multi-Million Dollar Breach of Fiduciary Case against Fifth Third Bank]]>In a case filed on behalf of a trust beneficiary in the Probate Division of the Common Pleas Court of Hamilton County, Ohio, Roy Leonard successfully defeated a motion to dismiss filed by Fifth Third Bank in a case in which the bank, as trustee of multiple Trusts, is accused

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/news-right-column/a8557a00-5084-48ef-9af9-38db8e6cc504Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:40:06 GMTIn a case filed on behalf of a trust beneficiary in the Probate Division of the Common Pleas Court of Hamilton County, Ohio, Roy Leonard successfully defeated a motion to dismiss filed by Fifth Third Bank in a case in which the bank, as trustee of multiple Trusts, is accused of breaching its fiduciary duties by failing to diversify the trusts’ equity holdings which resulted in the Trusts permanently losing tens of millions of dollars in asset value.

]]><![CDATA[Community Service]]>I have served on the Board of Directors of various charitable and non profit organizations but a few of the most rewarding have been serving as an Advisor to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and Chair of its New Leadership Board, and as a member of and counsel

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/community-service/acf44406-227d-4502-994f-12b3a5d1b74fTue, 03 Jan 2017 16:29:53 GMTI have served on the Board of Directors of various charitable and non profit organizations but a few of the most rewarding have been serving as an Advisor to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and Chair of its New Leadership Board, and as a member of and counsel to the West Penn Minority Junior Golf Association. When not involved with charitable functions, I prefer spending time bicycling in road and track races or at the helm pursuing my passion for sailing.

]]><![CDATA[Representative Matters]]>Litigation

  • Representation of a nation-wide real estate title services company, including an appeal on an issue of first impression in Pennsylvania, successfully overcoming discovery objections based on the attorney-client privilege between a dissolved company and its former in-house counsel.

  • Representation of multi-state staffing business in successfully enforcing restrictive covenants in

]]>http://leonardfirm.com/representative-matters/78bb2cc3-ab3f-4e53-9ebf-5573632788cbTue, 03 Jan 2017 16:08:43 GMTLitigation

  • Representation of a nation-wide real estate title services company, including an appeal on an issue of first impression in Pennsylvania, successfully overcoming discovery objections based on the attorney-client privilege between a dissolved company and its former in-house counsel.

  • Representation of multi-state staffing business in successfully enforcing restrictive covenants in employment agreements.

  • Representation of oil and gas company in disputes with land owners over enforceability of oil and gas Leases.

  • Lead trial counsel of a machinery manufacturer in nation-wide products liability litigation.

  • As local counsel of Le’Nature’s Liquidation Trust, assisted New York law firms in an action involving claims of fraud, RICO and legal malpractice arising from massive Ponzi scheme causing more than a half billion dollars in damages to the Le’Nature’s estate.

  • Successful representation of data center in enforcing terms of hosting services agreement.

  • Protected trade secrets of manufacturer and supplier of motion controller equipment and services in litigation involving claims of breach of contract, unfair competition, wrongful procurement of information and conversion.

  • Successful representation of Fortune 500 pharmaceutical distributor in multi-state litigation involving breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims.

  • Successful defense of tire machinery manufacturer in products liability wrongful death action.

Business and Technology-Oriented Services

  • Formation and acquisition of Pennsylvania-based on-line retailers, software development companies and data centers.

  • Acquisition of diversified staffing and recruiting businesses in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

  • Negotiation and drafting employment agreements on behalf of employers and employees.

  • Acquisition of Boston-based optometry practice on behalf of Pennsylvania optometry business.

  • Negotiation and drafting of purchase and sale agreements, content license agreements and fulfillment agreements for on-line retailers and distributors.

]]><![CDATA[Speaking Engagements]]>

  • Panelist at the 20th Annual Employment Law Institute - West, sponsored by the PBI, November 17-18, 2016, presenting on Ethics of the Cloud: Technology Competence and Safeguarding Client Confidentiality, covering current issues in lawyers’ legal and ethical obligations to protect the security of data.

  • Speaker at Fox Chapel Area School

    • ]]>    http://leonardfirm.com/speaking-engagements/522e2e94-a6ed-44f7-adbb-e2ddabaf26a4Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:58:22 GMT

  • Panelist at the 20th Annual Employment Law Institute - West, sponsored by the PBI, November 17-18, 2016, presenting on Ethics of the Cloud: Technology Competence and Safeguarding Client Confidentiality, covering current issues in lawyers’ legal and ethical obligations to protect the security of data.

  • Speaker at Fox Chapel Area School District, September 2015, presenting to educators and administrators on student data privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

  • Dialogue Leader, The Sedona Conference®, Working Group 11 (Data Security and Privacy Liability), presenting on data privacy on June 24-25, 2015.

  • Panelist at the 4th Annual eDiscovery Symposium, sponsored by the PBI and ACBA Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee, April 17, 2015, presenting on Data Breaches – Privacy and Liability, covering current issues in safeguarding personal identifiable information, claims and defenses in private data breach cases, data security class actions, and lawyers’ legal and ethical obligations to protect the security of data.

  • Moderator and Panelist at the 3rd Annual eDiscovery Symposium, sponsored by the PBI and ACBA Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee, April 25, 2014, presenting on Discovery and Use of Social Media at Trial.

  • Panelist at the 2nd Annual eDiscovery Symposium, sponsored by the PBI and ACBA Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee, April 26, 2013, presenting on Discovery and Use of Social Media at Trial.

  • Panelist at the eDiscovery Symposium, sponsored by the PBI and ACBA Legal Technology and eDiscovery Committee, April 27, 2012, presenting on eDiscovery in Complex Cases and Injunctive Relief Cases in Common Pleas Court.

  • Speaker at the PBI Solo & Small Firm Conference, July 17, 2012, presenting on the preservation, identification, collection and production of electronically stored information (ESI), the use of ESI at trial, effective protocols and preservation orders, and effective search tools and strategies.

    • ]]>    <![CDATA[Lede]]>Law for the 21st Century is about transition and change. In litigation, this means the adoption and effective use of technology and case management solutions paired with a common-sense approach to problem solving that conserves client resources. With decades of trial and litigation experience, Leonard has built a reputation as

    ]]>    http://leonardfirm.com/lede/4d4dbc92-ae63-4ab4-8959-05c712815b8dTue, 03 Jan 2017 15:19:24 GMTLaw for the 21st Century is about transition and change. In litigation, this means the adoption and effective use of technology and case management solutions paired with a common-sense approach to problem solving that conserves client resources. With decades of trial and litigation experience, Leonard has built a reputation as formidable yet practical advocates. Thorough preparation, strategic analysis and a relentless desire to succeed are the hallmarks of the firm’s commercial litigation practice.

    Complementing its litigation practice, Leonard has over twenty years of experience providing general counsel to e-commerce and technology-oriented businesses, startups, and closely held business in industries and professions that may be described not only as traditional but remarkably innovative and disruptive.

    ]]>    <![CDATA[About]]>As a trial lawyer I represent individuals and privately-held and publicly traded companies in a broad range of commercial and business litigation matters. The disputes primarily involve contracts, trade secrets, fraud, unfair competition, breach of fiduciary duty, restrictive covenants and shareholder and partnership matters in federal and state courts.

    As

    ]]>    http://leonardfirm.com/about/d4bbede1-3df8-495d-8d36-919111ddfe69Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:24:28 GMTAs a trial lawyer I represent individuals and privately-held and publicly traded companies in a broad range of commercial and business litigation matters. The disputes primarily involve contracts, trade secrets, fraud, unfair competition, breach of fiduciary duty, restrictive covenants and shareholder and partnership matters in federal and state courts.

    As a complement to my litigation practice, I provide general counsel to closely-held businesses with an emphasis on forming and supporting technology-related clients such as Internet retailers, data centers and software developers.

    ]]>    <![CDATA[Roy Leonard Selected to The Sedona Conference® Working Group 11 Data Privacy Team]]>The firm is pleased to announce that partner Roy Leonard has been selected to join The Sedona Conference Working Group 11 (WG11) data privacy drafting team. The WG11 mission is to bring together lawyers, judges, policy makers, security experts, technologists, and business leaders to identify and develop principles and best

    ]]>    http://leonardfirm.com/news/6ac178df-c03d-450a-8795-b44617de4225Mon, 26 Sep 2016 04:24:41 GMTThe firm is pleased to announce that partner Roy Leonard has been selected to join The Sedona Conference Working Group 11 (WG11) data privacy drafting team. The WG11 mission is to bring together lawyers, judges, policy makers, security experts, technologists, and business leaders to identify and develop principles and best practices that will resolve data security and privacy liability issues.

    ]]>