Business is about people.  Where there are people, there are disputes.  Although far too common, lawsuits are the worst way to handle a dispute.  After years of litigating high profile cases for major companies, smaller firms and individuals, I have seen first hand that lawsuits rarely benefit either party and almost always spiral into an abyss of wasteful expenses. Fortunately, businesses have options that are far better than litigation:  planning for disputes, negotiating effective agreements, and using mediation or arbitration when appropriate.  In my book, "The Executive Guide to Managing Disputes," I explain both why litigation is so wasteful -- no, it is not just the fault of the attorneys -- and how to take advantage of the better alternatives.

I am mediator, arbitrator, and attorney based in Pittsburgh with more than 25 years experience. In addition to dispute resolution, my work has focused on commercial disputes, health law, information technology, securities, and antitrust.  After graduating from Yale and the University of Chicago Law School, I began my law practice in Los Angeles and later worked for 10 years in Washington, D.C.  In addition to my professional practice, I teach at Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College.  My articles have appeared in the National Law Journal, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, numerous professional publications.

Please contact me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 412-246-8777) to talk about your business or disputes.  I will gladly share thoughts, answer questions, and provide more information about my consulting (planning, negotiation, and mediation services) and workshops.

After seeing the wastefulness of litigation for many years, I encourage my clients to plan for dispute and and reduce their costs by negotiating effective agreements, mediation and arbitration. In addition to my law practice, I am an experienced mediator  and arbitrator and teach at Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University (health law) and the George Washington University Law School (negotiations).  Please feel free to contact me, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or  412-246-8777), if you would like to talk about ways to negotiate effective deals and to save money by reducing the cost of wasteful business disputes.

My law practice focuses on  information technology (“IT”), intellectual property licensing, health law, e-commerce, antitrust, competition law, and commercial litigation.  I am a partner in the Pittsburgh law firm, DeForest Koscelnik Yokitis Kaplan & Berardinelli, and was previously a partner at Reed Smith LLP.  I have also worked at the U.S. International Trade Commission and law firms in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, and I'm member of the bars of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, District of Columbia, and California. I began my career in Los Angeles, after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School (J.D 1983) and Yale University (B.A. 1980), where I majored in economics and earned highest honors.  Economic analysis of markets, business incentives, and damages has been a substantial part of my work, as has development and review of IT projects and business relationships.

During my more than 25 years of practice, I have represented clients in cases involving antitrust law, securities law, intellectual property, commercial law and other business matters.  For example, I authored and filed Comments on behalf of Novell, Inc. in connection with the U.S. Department of Justices antitrust claims against Microsoft, Inc. I have also negotiated hundreds of licensing, outsourcing, and technology agreements for clients in healthcare, financial services, higher education, and information technology.  In 2002, I authored an Amicus Brief on behalf of Carnegie Mellon University and 37 other Private Colleges and Universities in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz and Hamacher v. Bollinger involving race-consideration  in admission.

In addition to my book on dispute resolution, I have written and spoken about legal topics including antitrust law, health law, privacy and information technology.  My articles have appeared in the the National Law Journal, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, publications of the American Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association, among others. 

I live in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh with my wife and two sons, and enjoy golf, playing piano, and collecting fountain pens.  In 2008, I recorded a short CD of music by Bach, Chopin and Schubert for  friends and family.  (I've posted the CD below).