Chuck's career in the legal profession has spanned more than three decades, during which time he has devoted his practice primarily to finance and real estate.  He focuses on financing with an emphasis on higher education, health care and tax-exempt financing, as well as real estate development and commercial leasing.  He also represents nonprofit organizations and their boards, particularly in connection with mergers, sales and other significant events.  Chuck is the Head of the firm's Public Finance Group.

Experience

Chuck has worked on a wide range of public financings including serving as bond counsel for auditorium authority bond issues to fund two stadiums and a convention center expansion for a redevelopment authority issuing special tax development bonds to provide funds for economic development and for a major state agency on more than $500 million of forward interest rate swaps.  He also drafted the "base" trust indentures for a major state agency to govern its future financings.

He was head of Cohen & Grigsby's Public Finance practice group in 2006 when it was listed in the The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace, (commonly known as The Red Book, an industry "who's who” of bond counsel and underwriters) as bond counsel for $963 million in municipal bond issues, the fourth largest amount in Pennsylvania.

Additional Roles

• Board Member and Treasurer, Eye & Ear Foundation
• Board Member and Treasurer for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
• Board Member for the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children
• Member of the Fiscal Management Ministry Team of the Methodist Conference of Western Pennsylvania
• President of Cohen & Grigsby, 1994-1999
• Chairman of the Committee on Opinions of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, 1984-1986
• Board Member of the Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers, 1990-1996

Honors and Achievements

• The Best Lawyers in America
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers

Chuck has been a frequent speaker and has authored many notable articles.  He has given presentations on tax increment financing to the Pennsylvania Association on Housing and Redevelopment Authorities and has discussed "Topics for Effective Operation of a Nonprofit – Directors' Obligation and Tax-Exempt Financing" during seminars of the Western Pennsylvania Community Accountants.  Chuck also participated as a speaker for the Allegheny County Bar Association regarding lending and banking issues and was a seminar presenter on municipal bond transactions for the Development Finance Training Institute.

Education

• J.D., Northwestern University
• Editorial Board for the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 
• B.A., Economics, magna cum laude, Princeton University, 1971
• Phi Beta Kappa

Bar/Court Admissions

• Pennsylvania