As a member of the firm’s Municipal and School Law Group, John has a thorough understanding and appreciation for the myriad of issues facing public sector entities and he is passionate about advocating for his clients to solve legal issues and achieve their goals. John strives to be as accessible as possible for his clients and always be an effective communicator.

Prior to joining Tucker Arensberg, P.C., John was an associate at a small Pittsburgh firm specializing in school district representation, where he focused on real estate and tax assessment matters. He has successfully resolved countless tax assessment appeals of residential, commercial, and industrial properties throughout Western Pennsylvania on behalf of both public and private sector clients. In addition, he has experience with tax exemptions, delinquent tax collection and enforcement, conservatorships under the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, zoning and land use, and eminent domain.

John previously held judicial clerkships with the Honorable Valarie S. Costanzo of the Washington County Court of Common Pleas and the Honorable John J. Trucilla of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas. As a judicial clerk, John performed extensive legal research and authored numerous opinions in a variety of civil, family, and criminal matters, including child custody disputes, involuntary terminations of parental rights, contract disputes, criminal appeals, and actions brought under the Post Conviction Relief Act.

Outside the firm, John serves as a reader with the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, where he evaluates and grades applicants’ answers to the essay portion of the Pennsylvania Bar Examination.

• Pursued a tax assessment appeal on behalf of a school district involving a distribution center owned by a large online retailer, which resulted in a settlement that generated over $300,000 in additional annual school taxes. Appeal of West Allegheny School District, BV 21-942 (Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County).
• Pursued a tax assessment appeal on behalf of a limited liability company/owner involving an office building, which resulted in a settlement that reduced the client’s annual taxes by more than $5,000. Appeal of Baptist Road, LLC, BV 21-1046 (Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County).
• Assisted in the representation of a school district in an owner’s tax assessment appeal of a low-income housing development containing a total of sixty-four (64) individual tax parcels. Appeal of Clairton Housing Partnership, LP (Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County).
• Assisted in the representation of a school district in an owner’s tax assessment appeal of an outlet mall with a market value of approximately $150,000,000 and containing six (6) individual tax parcels. Grove City Factory Shops, LP vs. Mercer County Board of Assessment Appeals, et. al. (Court of Common Pleas of Mercer County).
• Served as special counsel to a school district in Westmoreland County and single-handedly oversaw and administered the district’s annual tax assessment appeal program, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional tax revenue.