Position: Attorney

Michael S. Bechtold

Mike is a member of the firm’s Business, Litigation and Trusts & Estates practice groups. He prides himself on providing practical, understandable, yet creative legal representation to his clients. Mike is experienced in a wide range of legal fields, having served as a general practitioner for almost two decades, while also becoming an experienced litigator. 

Litigation and Personal Injury
Mike regularly handles a broad range of civil litigation matters, from simple to complex cases throughout the mid-state and beyond. He has significant experience in business litigation, including breach of contract matters, tort claims and other commercial conflicts. Mike is particularly well-versed in handling personal injury matters, including car, motorcycle and truck accidents, slip and falls, wrongful death, dog bite, products liability, and other serious injury claims. In addition, he handles liability-related claims while litigating for both plaintiff and defense positions. 

Mike is a member of The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.  

Known for his compassionate approach and relentless advocacy, having personally experienced loss of a family member from similar circumstances, Mike is dedicated to helping individuals navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives. He provides guidance and support while fighting to hold responsible parties accountable. 

Business
In his business practice, Mike counsels entities of all shapes and sizes. From business formation, shareholder advising, contract preparation or review, licensing, buy/sell agreements or dissolution, Mike assists both family-owned and corporate-operated businesses with all their corporate legal needs.

Estate Planning & Administration
Mike drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and medical directives, in addition to handling estate administration following the passing of a loved one. With a team approach, he frequently prepares and processes all forms of estate documents based on each individual client’s needs and circumstances.

In the Community
Mike currently serves as the solicitor for Lebanon School District, providing counsel for a wide range of matters and needs, including employment, construction, contract preparation and review, student discipline, and general guidance and input on collective bargaining agreements.

While earning his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, Mike showcased his talent on the court as an NCAA Division I basketball player. He earned All-Ivy League honors and served as captain of the Men’s Basketball Team. His leadership helped propel the team to two Ivy League titles, while also securing opportunities to compete in both the NCAA and NIT post-season tournaments. The Lebanon County native continues to play and coach basketball along with other youth sports and give back to the local community.

MEMBERSHIPS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Lebanon County Bar Association

 

RECOGNITIONS
  • The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • William H.G. Warner Pro Bono Award Winner (2020)
  • Central PA Chapter Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2009)

Asahel D. Church

Asahel is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Real Estate practice groups.

Asahel litigates across a broad range of civil matters, with a primary focus on medical malpractice defense and professional liability defense. His litigation work also includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants in civil disputes involving property damage, loss of income, boundary disputes, landlord-tenant issues and breach of contract. In addition, Asahel supports the firm’s Municipal Industry Group on the litigation side, handling municipal claims and conducting related legal research.

Asahel litigates with unwavering professionalism, blending a sharp, results-driven approach with a personable and respectful demeanor. His tenacity is always matched by a focus on fair and principled advocacy.

Asahel is a 2022 graduate of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. He was a Senior Editor of the Dickinson Law Review, a member of the National Mock Trial Team, and a Law Lion Ambassador. Asahel worked as a graduate research assistant to Professor Mohammed Badissy, professor of international development in energy and climate finance. Asahel was an intern to Judge Michael Flannelly, York County, and Judge William Tully, Dauphin County. He also completed internships with the U.S Attorney’s office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania and with the York County Public Defender’s Office.

Before becoming a lawyer, Asahel was a middle and high school English and history teacher for 12 years. Outside the office, Asahel is a father of four, soccer coach, avid sailor and DIY enthusiast. The South Jersey native also volunteers with the Judge Hoover Pro Bono Guardianship Monitor Program and the Dauphin County Bar Association’s Custody Clinic, in addition to serving as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Law Education Committee.

MEMBERSHIPS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Christian Legal Society
  • Federalist Society
RECOGNITIONS
  • The Dickinson Law Vision and Leadership Award, 2022
  • The Montgomery and MacRae Award for Nontraditional Students, 2022

Thomas T. Platts

Tom is a member of Barley Snyder’s Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. Having been born and raised in York, Pennsylvania, Tom is thrilled to offer legal assistance to his home community and beyond. 

Tom earned his juris doctor degree from Penn State Law. During law school, he gained significant hands-on experience working as an associate at the Penn State Law Entrepreneurship Clinic. Here, Tom discovered his enthusiasm for business and commercial law as he provided legal services to entrepreneurs and business entities throughout Pennsylvania. In this role, Tom drafted contracts, conducted legal research, and guided clients through business formations, amendments, and sales/purchases. Tom also enjoyed serving as a formal mentor to junior clinic associates. Additionally, while in law school, Tom worked as a contract compliance specialist for a leading technology company in the machine health optimization sector. He performed contract review and organization as well as risk analysis.

Prior to attending law school, Tom graduated magna cum laude from Temple University. While juggling multiple part-time jobs and building lasting friendships, Tom completed his bachelor’s degree in three years, won the 2020 American Kinesiology Association Scholar Award, and studied abroad in Greece. Tom is also a proud graduate of York Suburban High School.

Outside the office, Tom can be found playing pickleball, chasing after his niece and nephew, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills and Penn State Nittany Lions. Tom also enjoys volunteering with his friends at Catholic Harvest Food Pantry, which provides food and hygiene products to families in need of assistance throughout the greater York community. 

Kimberly A. Kipnis

Kim is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Her wealth of experience as a litigator in both the private and public sector gives her a unique perspective to practicing law. Kim’s commercial litigation experience includes guiding clients through contractual disputes and collection matters across a variety of industries. She also helps individuals and families navigate fiduciary litigation involving wills, powers of attorney, and estate administration with a practical and compassionate approach.

Before joining Barley Snyder, Kim practiced at a small law firm in York where she specialized in the the areas of insurance defense, civil litigation and criminal defense. Prior to moving to private practice, she served as Senior Deputy Prosecutor for the York County District Attorney’s Office where she managed one of the office’s general trial teams.

While at the District Attorney’s Office, Kim gained valuable litigation experience and handled countless jury trials that resulted in several noted convictions for the Commonwealth. Kim started her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Joseph C. Adams in the York County Court of Common Pleas.

Kim is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University where she majored in Political Science and minored in Sociology and World Literature. She continued her education at the University of Baltimore School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate. While attending the University of Baltimore School of Law, she served as President of the Women’s Bar Association and as the Comments Editor to the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Journal of International Law.

Outside of the firm, Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and three sons, traveling, and cheering on her favorite football teams.

MEMBERSHIPS
  • York County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession (WIP)

Michael A. Jannuzzi

Mike is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. His considerable educational and internship experience provides him with a unique perspective into the world of IP. 

Mike’s interest in patent law stemmed from his degree and experience in mechanical engineering. During his internships at Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, he created designs in SOLIDWORKS that were quickly fabricated and delivered to the factory. Mike enjoyed this process because he could see the designs come to life. This sparked his desire to pursue patent law so he could work with inventors to help them secure rights in the designs they create. 

Prior to joining Barley Snyder full-time, he completed a co-op at the firm, working alongside the IP attorneys and gaining hands-on experience in the legal sector. He also served as a summer associate at a niche intellectual property law firm where he worked on claim drafting, prior art searches, and other matters relating to patent prosecution. 

Mike graduated cum laude from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in the top 15% of his class. During law school, he received numerous awards and scholarships. He also was a member of Drexel’s Intellectual Property Law Society which aims to promote awareness and education of the various facets of intellectual property law and keep students updated on current issues in the intellectual property law field. Of note, while earning his undergraduate degree at Penn State, Mike received special acceptance into an engineering design project sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Penn State’s Applied Research Lab, and Penn State’s Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. During this project, he led the Structures sub-team in creating and testing prototype structures to house and temporarily test a sensor package for use in lakes and rivers to identify sources of pollution.

Outside the office, Mike enjoys visiting national parks and state parks throughout the United States, scuba diving, and playing volleyball. 

MEMBERSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association
RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award/Best Student Performance in Patent Prosecution
  • Outstanding Achievement in Intellectual Property Law Concentration at Drexel University
  • Robert B. Washburn Intellectual Property Law Scholarship – Awarded in recognition of academic success in the area of Intellectual Property Law
  • Rising Advocate Scholarship – Awarded in recognition of outstanding undergraduate achievement

Anthony P. Austin

Anthony is an associate in the firm’s Business and Finance & Creditors’ Rights practice groups. He counsels clients on a wide range of commercial transactions, including drafting and negotiating agreements, performing due diligence, and coordinating document preparation and closings for mergers and acquisitions. His practice also includes entity formations and dissolutions, the maintenance of corporate records and governance documents for private companies, and front-end financing matters for both borrowers and lenders.

Anthony also advises higher education institutions on various regulatory compliance matters. He develops and reviews institutional policies, assesses compliance frameworks, and assists leadership teams as they respond to shifts in federal enforcement priorities and executive orders. He prepares privacy policies, terms of use, and agreements addressing how organizations collect, retain and disclose data. As institutions navigate the adoption of AI among students, faculty and staff, Anthony advises on AI governance structures, risk management considerations, and acceptable use policies. This work is expanding beyond higher education as organizations across various industries confront the regulatory and practical implications of AI adoption. Anthony also serves on the firm’s AI Task Force, which focuses on the responsible implementation and use of artificial intelligence tools within the firm.

Anthony graduated from Penn State Dickinson Law with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship Law. During law school, he interned with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, and with the Pennsylvania Treasury, Board of Finance and Revenue. He earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State Harrisburg, where he also served as the Nittany Lion Mascot.

Outside of the firm, Anthony competes in West Coast Swing dancing and enjoys other forms of ballroom dance, as well as obstacle course racing and cooking.

MEMBERSHIPS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
PUBLICATIONS

Curtis J. Tokach

Curtis is an attorney in Barley Snyder’s Litigation and Finance & Creditors Rights practice groups. He focuses his practice on resolving complex business conflicts while helping clients manage litigation risk and protect their contractual and property rights.

Business Litigation and Contract Disputes
Curtis represents business entities in complex contract disputes, including matters involving the enforcement of contractual rights, defense of contract claims and resolution of business disagreements. He also assists clients with collection and enforcement actions, including the filing and enforcement of mechanic’s liens. In addition, Curtis assists clients with disputes involving licensing agreements and contract renegotiations. One of his notable matters involved representing a large-scale business in a dispute concerning bidding procedures for a school district contract. In that matter, he assisted in preparing for a preliminary injunction hearing challenging the procurement process, gaining significant experience in public contracting and bid protest issues.

SaaS and Technology-Related Disputes
A growing portion of Curtis’s practice involves disputes arising from software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements and other technology-related contracts, including payroll systems, subscription-based platforms and cloud-based software. He advises clients on termination rights and other contractual obligations arising under these agreements. Because SaaS contracts often contain onerous terms and significant termination penalties, Curtis frequently works directly with vendors to resolve conflicts and negotiate meaningful reductions in his clients’ financial exposure.

Real Estate Litigation and Property Rights
Curtis handles real estate and construction-related litigation. He represents real estate owners in boundary disputes and other property-related matters, including ejectment actions and related litigation. He represents homeowners in claims against contractors under Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA). He also represents contractors and construction professionals in disputes with homeowners, clients and subcontractors, including defending against HICPA and other construction-related claims.

Mediation and Dispute Resolution
Curtis represents clients in matters that proceed to mediation, with a focus on achieving practical and cost-effective resolutions. He advises clients on mediation strategy, settlement positioning and risk assessment to support informed decision-making throughout the dispute resolution process.

Outside General Counsel and Business Advisory
Curtis also serves in an outside general counsel role for certain business clients, advising on risk management, leasing disputes and contract matters and helping them address legal issues before they escalate into litigation.

Curtis earned his Juris Doctor from Widener University Commonwealth Law School, where he graduated third in his class, and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University with a concentration in Food Marketing and Leadership, Ethics, and Organizational Sustainability. Outside of the firm, Curtis is an avid golfer who enjoys competing in local amateur tournaments. He also enjoys going to the gym and spending time outdoors with family and friends.                        

MEMBERSHIPS
  • York County Bar Association
  • Dauphin County Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
PRESENTATIONS
  • “Westlaw AI” CLE Program, York County Inns of Court (February 2026)
RECOGNITIONS
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award (Torts I, Torts II, Contracts II, Business Organizations, Bioethics and the Law, Remedies)
PUBLICATIONS
  • Survey, A Chilling Decision for School Bus Drivers: A Survey Of Rose Tree Media School District v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 33 Widener Commw. L. Rev. 379 (2024)

Jonah P. Markle

Jonah is a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates, Finance & Creditors’ Rights and Business practice groups. He focuses his practice on estate planning and related matters, where he prioritizes building strong relationships with clients and gaining a clear understanding of their long‑term goals. He has a particular interest in special needs planning and believes effective planning should preserve dignity, autonomy and financial security for vulnerable individuals and their families.

In his business practice, Jonah assists clients with a range of corporate matters, including entity formation, document review, and advising on legal concerns related to business operations. He also assists with finance and creditors’ rights matters, including representing clients in Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Programs.

Jonah continues a longstanding Barley Snyder tradition of summer associates returning to the firm. Before joining Barley Snyder, he served as a Certified Legal Intern in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Elder Law Clinic and Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. As part of the Elder Law Clinic, Jonah represented clients in guardianship proceedings before the Allegheny County Orphans’ Court and assisted clients in drafting testamentary documents. Additionally, Jonah provided free legal assistance to persons with pending cases before the United States Tax Court.

During his time at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Jonah interned with a small law firm in the Pittsburgh area, working on legal research and brief drafting for Social Security Disability benefit cases pending before the Social Security Administration. He served as an Articles Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and was a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. He also played in the Allegheny County Bar Association Soccer League. Prior to law school, he worked in the Regulatory Affairs department of a Pittsburgh-based electric utility company. 

In his spare time, Jonah enjoys traveling, playing soccer, cooking and cheering on the Pittsburgh sports teams. 

MEMBERSHIPS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
  • Berks County Bar Association

Gloria A. Shatto

Gloria is an attorney in the firm’s Trust & Estates Practice Group with a broad array of experience. She has garnered more than 20 years of experience in estate and trust administration and 18 years in wealth management.

Before joining Barley Snyder, Gloria worked as a Trust and Estate Administration Manager at a Lancaster-based bank where she gained a breadth of experience in the field. In this role, she handled IRA administration and estate settlement administration for corporate fiduciaries, handled the administration of trust and estate accounts in various states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey), resolved issues in problematic estates and trusts, prepared accountings for estates and trusts and petitions for adjudication, assisted clients with matters of estate planning; located beneficiaries through research, worked closely with the tax department to minimize tax consequences to estates, trusts and beneficiaries, worked with the Office of the Attorney General for distributions to charities, in addition to other tasks.

Gloria also has prior experience practicing law in the Central Pennsylvania community at a small law firm in Lancaster County. She counseled and advised clients on matters of estate planning, estate administration, real estate transfers and elder law.

Active in her community, Gloria has served on the boards of several local organizations and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for The Janus School. Gloria and her husband, Rich, live in Pequea where they spend time with their two sons and granddaughter. She enjoys traveling with her family and partaking in outdoor activities including skiing, hiking and kayaking.

MEMBERSHIPS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Lancaster Bar Association
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
  • “Cybersecurity and You” Presentation, Lancaster American Business Women’s Association (September 2018)

Kristen L. Hartman

Kristen is a member of the firm’s Trust & Estates Practice Group with an established history of working in banking and law. She has substantial experience in estate planning and document drafting, retirement and charitable planning, estate administration, and wealth transfer. Kristen is also well-versed in advising individuals and institutions on fiduciary administration. 

Before joining Barley Snyder, Kristen served as Chief Fiduciary Officer at a Lancaster-based bank where she was responsible for managing the fiduciary business, client servicing, and financial planning aspects. She also has experience working as a Wealth Planner. Prior to entering the banking world, Kristen practiced for a regional law firm in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, charitable and elder law. Kristen’s many experiences in the wealth management, banking and legal industries give her a solid understanding and unique perspective of estate planning and administration. 

Kristen is an active member of her Lancaster community, currently serving on the board of directors for the Institute for the Development of Educational Alliances (IDEALLL) and the Lancaster Law Foundation. She earned her B.A from Dickinson College, her J.D. from Widener University School of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from Villanova University School of Law. 

MEMBERSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
  • Pennsylvania Bar Associations
  • Lancaster Bar Associations

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