For Immediate Release
Lancaster, Pa. – Barley Snyder is proud to announce that 51 of its attorneys have been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in its 2026 edition. Of those honored, three attorneys have received a “Lawyer of the Year” designation and 14 have been named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
For more than 40 years, Best Lawyers has recognized attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professional excellence and consistently high legal performance. Nominated attorneys are evaluated through a confidential peer review process within their practice area(s), making the publication a trusted source for identifying leading legal talent. Only about 5% of all practicing lawyers in the U.S. were selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America®, and only about 2% were selected to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
“We are incredibly proud to have more than 50 attorneys named to these prestigious lists,” said managing partner Jennifer Craighead Carey. “These recognitions reflect our firm’s continued commitment to providing exceptional legal service and trusted counsel across a wide range of practice areas throughout our region and beyond.”
The “Lawyer of the Year” accolade is awarded to attorneys who receive the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area within their geographic region, making it a rare and distinguished honor. The three Barley Snyder attorneys named a 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” include (practice area in parentheses):
- Lauralee B. Baker (Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants)
- Maria Di Stravolo Elliott (Real Estate Law)
- Paul G. Mattaini (Banking and Finance Law)
This is the third edition in which Mattaini has been named a “Lawyer of the Year,” having been previously recognized in 2025 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law and in 2020 for Banking and Finance Law. This is the second edition in which Baker has been named a “Lawyer of the Year,” having received the honor in 2023 for Health Care Law.
The Barley Snyder attorneys named to the 2026 Ones to Watch list include (practice area in parentheses):
- Adam D. Boyer (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates)
- Raymond A. Durkin (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
- Michael W. Fox (Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law)
- Susanna M. Fultz (Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
- Brandon R. Griest (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate)
- Jayne R. Katherman (Municipal Law, Real Estate Law)
- Reilly S. Noetzel (Construction Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law)
- Eric M. Ondo (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
- Alexandra E. Otto (Trusts and Estates)
- Alexander Puskar (Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law)
- Katelyn E. Rohrbaugh (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate)
- Caleb P. Setlock (Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
- Erica R. Townes (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law)
- Abby Tucker (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate Law)
The Barley Snyder attorneys named to the 2026 Best Lawyers list include (practice area in parentheses):
- Salvatore Anastasi (Patent Law)
- Lauralee B. Baker (Health Care Law, Litigation – Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants)
- Michelle R. Calvert (Real Estate Law)
- John M. Coles (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Real Estate Law)
- Jennifer Craighead Carey (Litigation – Labor and Employment)
- Michael J. Crocenzi (Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment)
- Kimberly J. Decker (Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
- Daniel T. Desmond (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships))
- Timothy G. Dietrich (Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
- Stephanie E. DiVittore (Litigation – Municipal, Litigation – Real Estate)
- Harold A. Eastman Jr. (Trusts and Estates)
- Maria Di Stravolo Elliott (Real Estate Law)
- Robert M. Frankhouser (Construction Law)
- Sean B. Frederick (Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law)
- Thomas A. French (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation – Municipal)
- Jeremy D. Frey (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law)
- Donald R. Geiter (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Finance Law)
- Charles B. Haws (Environmental Law)
- Larry C. Heim (Litigation – Real Estate)
- Matthew M. Hennesy (Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate)
- Scott F. Landis (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
- Melanie Albert Lehman (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
- Jeffrey D. Lobach (Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law)
- Stacey R. MacNeal (Land Use and Zoning Law)
- Paul G. Mattaini (Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law)
- Lori McElroy (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law)
- Paul W. Minnich (Litigation – Real Estate)
- Thomas J. Nehilla (Commercial Finance Law, Construction Law, Real Estate Law)
- Drake D. Nicholas (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
- John T. Reed (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law)
- Troy B. Rider (Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Kevin M. Scott (Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law)
- Martin R. Siegel (Environmental Law)
- Alex E. Snyder (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Trusts and Estates)
- Justin A. Tomevi (Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate)
- Robert J. Tribeck (Litigation – Intellectual Property)
- George C. Werner (Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – First Amendment)
For more information on Barley Snyder’s dedicated attorneys and comprehensive legal services, please visit www.barley.com.
About Barley Snyder
Barley Snyder is a law firm based in Pennsylvania with more than 130 attorneys practicing from offices located in Lancaster, York, Reading, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Malvern, Hanover, Gettysburg and Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and Hunt Valley and Columbia, Md. The firm serves businesses, individuals and organizations in all major areas of civil law including business, employment, immigration, employee benefits, finance & creditors’ rights, intellectual property, litigation, estate planning and administration, real estate, tax, construction, environment and energy, health care, education, municipal authority, hospitality, senior living, cybersecurity and food and agribusiness. www.barley.com | @BarleySnyder
Press contact: Elise Pini, Senior Marketing Coordinator | epini@barley.com | (717) 553-1059