Appellate

We protect your interests from the start

Our attorneys do more than just comply with court-mandated procedures. We provide appellate advocacy that begins before the case is completed at the trial-court level.

Effective advocacy requires a sophisticated understanding of how to preserve issues for appeal, recognizing what non-final orders may be appealed immediately, and knowing how to seek discretionary review. Oftentimes, a case can be resolved at the appellate level by using the appellate court’s mediation services. At Burns White, we provide you with a candid assessment of the strengths and weakness of the case, and the costs associated with an appeal, to determine what is in your best interests.

Legal counsel in all phases of the appellate process

• Timely filing of the appeal
• Research
• Brief writing
• Oral argument

Amicus briefs

Our attorneys prepare and file amicus, or “friend of the court,” briefs on behalf of clients who are not parties to an appeal, but wish to be heard on an important legal issue. The preparation of these briefs requires, not only a keen understanding of the pertinent legal issues, but also a working knowledge of the client’s business and the industry involved.

Extensive appellate experience

The chair of Burns White’s Appellate Practice Group, Ira Podheiser, has extensive experience counseling clients through the appellate process. He clerked for a retired Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He has successfully worked on appellate matters in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Maryland state courts, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and District of Columbia Circuits.