Attorneys

J. David Smith
Attorney
J. David Smith
With more than 30 years of broad-based legal experience, Dave Smith has a diverse practice focusing in the areas of commercial, product liability, civil litigation, and insurance defense; labor law; transactional and corporate work; and municipal and school law. His clients range from national companies to local professionals, businesses, school districts, and municipalities. He has extensive trial experience, jury and non-jury, in a variety of state and federal courts and substantial experience with administrative agencies and arbitration panels. Mr. Smith is a member of the Middle District Lawyers Advisory Committee; a group selected by the judges of the United States District Court to act as liaison between the court and the bar, and was past chairman of that group in 1994. He is a past member of the Third Circuit Lawyers Advisory Committee and the Civil Justice Reform Act Committee for the Middle District. He has participated in mediation training and serves as a member of the Middle District’s panel of attorneys for pro bono services. Mr. Smith graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1972 and received a law degree from Temple University in 1978. He is admitted to all appropriate local, state, and appellate courts, including the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.He and his wife, Leslie, are the parents of four children.

Joanne C. Ludwikowski
Attorney
Joanne C. Ludwikowski
Practicing law since 1990 with McCormick Law Firm, Joanne Ludwikowski concentrates her practice in the field of worker’s compensation, primarily representing insurance companies, employers and businesses, both insured and uninsured. She has been a presenter at various seminars for employers and insurance companies on the Pennsylvania Worker’s Compensation Act and its reform. She also has experience in general civil litigation, personal injury law, estates, and unemployment compensation law. Joanne has had leadership training through Leadership Lycoming and serves or has served on several non-profit entities, including serving as the Lycoming County United Way Campaign Chair in 2006 raising in excess of 1.35 million and Lycoming County United Way Board President (2008 – 2010). She has served on various committees including the Hearing Committee of the Disciplinary Board for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the Institutional Review Committee for a local Health Care provider. In 2009 she successfully served as the campaign manager for a judicial candidate for the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Lycoming Law Association and Pennsylvania Defense Institute. Joanne graduated from Shippensburg University in 1985 and received a law degree from Capital University School of Law in 1989. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and Ohio (inactive status). She is admitted to the local, state and appellate courts, including the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She and her husband, Michael, are parents of three children.

Ann S. Pepperman
Attorney
Ann S. Pepperman
Ann Pepperman, an honors graduate of Gettysburg College and Georgetown University Law Center, first served a clerkship for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She then practiced law in Williamsport for over three decades before joining McCormick Law Firm. A partner in the firm, Ann concentrates in the areas of business and commercial transactions, real estate, land development, higher education, and employment. She also maintains a general practice in a number of other areas, including wills and estates. Ann is an agent for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company and First American Title Insurance Company and is a member of National Association of College and University Attorneys. Ann serves as a member of several corporate boards and agencies including UPMC, UPMC – Susquehanna, Williamsport Hospital, Lock Haven Hospital, Lycoming College, Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation, and Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.

Richard F. Schluter
Attorney
Richard F. Schluter
Rich Schluter was raised in Lewisburg, PA. He attended Lewisburg High School for two years and then received his high school diploma from Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH. He is a 1990 graduate of Colgate University, and a 1993 graduate (with honors) of the Boston University School of Law. Mr. Schluter first practiced in New Hampshire and Maine between 1993 and 1997, where he focused on civil litigation. He joined McCormick Law Firm in 1998, and concentrates his practice on the representation of healthcare professionals and hospitals in medical malpractice defense litigation; complex civil litigation and catastrophic accident claims; and, the representation and counselling of employers and institutions of higher learning regarding employment and labor law matters. Mr. Schluter has lectured on various healthcare/litigation-related topics. He is a member of the Susquehanna Health System Quality and Safety Committee. Mr. Schluter’s practice includes state and federal court litigation matters. Mr. Schluter is a member of the Federal Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and Lycoming Law Association. He is an active community volunteer, and has served on several regional non-profit boards, including: Lycoming County United Way (2001-2006); Northcentral PA Conservancy (2002-2009); Lycoming County SPCA (2009-present); and, the Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation (August 2016-present). He also coaches youth soccer, baseball and softball. Rich and his wife, Beth, are the parents of two children.

Brian J. Bluth
Attorney
Brian J. Bluth
Brian J. Bluth was born in Brooklyn, New York City and attended public school on Long Island. In 1998, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in biology, concentration in genetics, and in 2001 he graduated cum laude from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law with a J.D. and an Advanced Certificate in health law.
Mr. Bluth has been with McCormick Law Firm in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, since his admission to the Pennsylvania Bar in 2001. Over the past 20+ years, his practice has concentrated on medical malpractice defense litigation, representing physicians, nurses and other practitioners, hospitals and health systems in northcentral Pennsylvania. He also works in the areas of complex civil defense litigation on behalf of insurers, manufacturers, corporations, and municipal entities. Since 2013, he has been the appointed Solicitor to Lycoming County Prison, and has worked in the areas of constitutional law and civil rights defense litigation.
Mr. Bluth volunteers his time in a broad spectrum of activities. Professionally, he has won both local and statewide awards for his pro bono services. He has served as President of both the Lycoming Law Association and the Middle District Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is a certified mediator for the Middle District federal court as part of its pro bono mediation program. In the community, he has served in the top volunteer leadership position of a number of nonprofit organizations, and he is currently Board Chair of the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania, a community foundation with over $120 million in assets. Over the years, he has also served in various leadership positions with Lycoming County United Way, and was presented with its inaugural President’s Award in 2019.
Mr. Bluth has shared his experiences in health care as a graduate level instructor, guest lecturer to physician assistant and physical therapy students, and he has given numerous seminars for medical and nursing continuing education.
In his personal time, Mr. Bluth likes to cook, hike, travel, and is an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

J. Michael Wiley
Attorney
J. Michael Wiley
J. Michael Wiley is a graduate of Dickinson College, B.A. 1989 (History and Religion) and Vermont Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1993; and, Masters of Studies in Environmental Law, magna cum laude, 1993). He practiced law in Williamsport for nearly two decades before joining McCormick Law Firm in June of 2013. A partner in the firm, his practice areas include: civil litigation, environmental law, land use, zoning and planning law, municipal and school law, business and commercial law, real estate, eminent domain, and oil and gas law. Mr. Wiley is an agent for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company. Mr. Wiley donates his legal services on a pro bono basis and has been awarded the Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award (2006) and the YWCA Unsung Hero Award (2004) in addition to being a recipient of the LLA Fair Share Award on an annual basis since 1994. He is active in the community serving and volunteering his time on a number of boards and organizations. He is a member of the Lycoming Law Association (President, 2012), the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association (President, Middle District of Pennsylvania Chapter, 2002-2003). He was also a member of City Council in Williamsport for two terms (2001 to 2009) where he served in his second term as City Council Vice-President until deciding not to seek reelection. He has been admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania since 1993 and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He and his wife Ashley are the parents of two children and they make their home in Williamsport.

Austin White
Attorney
Austin White
Austin White’s practice is primarily civil litigation, municipal law, employment law, and trademark and copyright law. He represents corporate and individual clients before the trial, administrative, and appellate courts of Pennsylvania, the Unites States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Austin also provides general counsel services to small businesses, municipalities, sole proprietors, artists, writers and musicians. He is an active member of the Lycoming Law Association, and serves as an assistant County Solicitor for Lycoming County.
Austin graduated summa cum laude from East Stroudsburg University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in Media Communication and Technology. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, concentrating in Intellectual Property and Technology Law.

Christopher H. Kenyon
Attorney
Christopher H. Kenyon
Christopher H. Kenyon was admitted to the bar in 2011. Mr. Kenyon graduated Cum Laude in 2006 from National University in San Diego, California with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and a minor in Legal Studies. He graduated from the California Western School of Law in 2011. Prior to college, Mr. Kenyon served five years in the United States Navy working primarily as a clerk for the Naval Justices in the Naval Judge Advocate General Corp in San Diego, California. He also obtained a paralegal certification from the University of San Diego in 2006 and then worked as a general litigation paralegal while attending law school. Mr. Kenyon practices in the areas of estate planning and wills, real estate, decedent’s estates, municipal law, civil litigation and also represents employers in workers’ compensation matters. He donates his legal services on a pro bono basis and is a member of the Lycoming Law Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr. Kenyon also serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board (2014-present) and the Valley View Board of Directors (2016-present). Christopher was born in Williamsport, and now resides in Williamsport with his wife, Caron, and their two children.

Elizabeth A. White
Attorney
Elizabeth A. White
Elizabeth A. White is a certified elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation under authorization of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She has been practicing since 2010 in the areas of estate and trust planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, guardianship, special needs planning, estate administration, and estate and trust litigation.
Elizabeth graduated in 2007 from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Architecture. In 2010 she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law with an Advanced Certificate in Intellectual Property and Technology Law.
Ms. White is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and Pennsylvania Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA). She is a member and serves on the Council of the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is the chair of the Estate, Probate, and Elder Law Committee of the Lycoming Law Association. She sits on the Executive Committee of the Lycoming Law Association and serves on the Board of the North Central Pennsylvania Estate Planners Council and the Rotary Club of Williamsport.
She has been named a Rising Star in the area of Elder Law by SuperLawyers from 2017-2019. Elizabeth has spoken for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute on topics such as Medicaid eligibility, long-term care planning for seniors, long-term care planning for blended families, filial support, and understanding the basics of elder law. She is also a frequent speaker for professional groups and the community on the topics of elder law and estate planning.

William E. Baney
Attorney
William E. Baney
William E. Baney was born and raised in Lock Haven, PA. After graduating from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2008, Mr. Baney attended New York Law School. He earned his Juris Doctor in 2011 and practiced law in New York City, with a focus on civil litigation. From 2015 through June 2021, Mr. Baney worked for a mid-size civil litigation firm in Manhattan, handling complex real estate litigation. Mr. Baney was recognized as a Rising Star in the New York Metropolitan Area by Super Lawyers each year from 2015 through 2021.
Mr. Baney joined McCormick Law Firm in August 2021, and concentrates his practice in medical malpractice defense. Mr. Baney is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New York, and the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York. He is a member of the Lycoming Law Association.
Mr. Baney now lives in Watsontown, PA with his wife, Nikki, and two children.

Stephen C. Hartley
Attorney
Stephen C. Hartley
Stephen C. Hartley was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Fort Bragg Army Base, and was raised in Clarion, Pennsylvania. He currently resides in Milton, Pennsylvania with his wife, Caylin, and their three pets.
Mr. Hartley graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Philosophy, with a concentration in Pre-Law. There, he was recognized with the Outstanding Philosophy Senior Award (2018). He then earned his Juris Doctorate from the Duquesne University School of Law in 2021. Mr. Hartley is licensed to practice in the courts of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Hartley joined McCormick Law Firm in August of 2021, where he focuses his practice in the representation of healthcare providers in medical malpractice litigation, complex civil litigation, and general counsel services for municipal entities. Currently, Mr. Hartley maintains involvement with the Clarion University Paralegal Advisory Board (May 2018 – present), the Lycoming Law Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and serves as an assistant County Solicitor for Lycoming County.

Marc F. Lovecchio
Attorney
Marc F. Lovecchio
Marc Lovecchio graduated from Princeton University in 1980. He graduated from Pittsburgh School of Law, cum laude, in 1984 where he was the Managing/Topics Editor of the Law Review. Lovecchio practiced at the firm of Tucker Arensberg from 1984-1987, concentrating in civil litigation and labor and employment law. He moved to Williamsport in 1987 and was engaged in the practice of law at Campana and Lovecchio through 2009, concentrating in the general practice of law. During that time, he was engaged in varied civil, administrative and criminal matters. Mr. Lovecchio was active in numerous state and federal jurisdictions. He is admitted to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court, the Federal District of Columbia, all Federal Districts in Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Lovecchio has litigated cases throughout the Commonwealth and in numerous federal courts. In his last decade as a private practitioner, he concentrated in employment and labor law, general civil litigation, and trial work.
Mr. Lovecchio was elected Judge in the Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas in 2009 where he served for 12 years. During his time on the bench, Mr. Lovecchio presided over of jury trials and non-jury trials. He also presided over thousands of criminal, orphans court, and civil matters, as well as selected family law matters. Mr. Lovecchio was a founding member of the Heroin Task Force. He also initiated several diversionary/problem solving courts such as the Attendance Improvement Court, Medication Assistance Court, Mental Health Forensic Review Team, Changing Lives through Literature Program and the Underage Drinking Court. In addition, he also introduced several programs such as expedited probation violations, costs and fines review, and pandemic trial procedures.
Mr. Lovecchio serves or has served on various boards in the community including the Human Services Board at Pennsylvania College of Technology, Transitional Living Center, YMCA, and North Penn Legal Services, to name a few. Mr. Lovecchio has been an influential member of the local soccer community, coaching for many years at Ball Mills Soccer Club, Bishop Neumann High School, Williamsport Area School District and currently with South Williamsport School District.
Mr. Lovecchio’s wife, Angela, is also an attorney, handling guardian ad litem matters for dependent children. His oldest child, Francis, is a Spinal Orthopedic Surgeon in New York City. His second son, Peter, practices criminal defense work in Alaska. His daughter, Louise, is employed in Pittsburgh through AmeriCorps.
Throughout his career, Mr. Lovecchio has handled every type of legal issue. He is willing and capable of addressing any of your legal needs. Mr. Lovecchio is a certified mediator/arbitrator and plans to engage in arbitrations and mediations with the purpose of alleviating backlogs created by the pandemic. Mr. Lovecchio also practices Sports Law, including NCAA, PIAA and NIL matters.

E. Eugene Yaw
Attorney
E. Eugene Yaw
E. Eugene Yaw graduated from Montoursville High School, attended Bucknell University, and earned degrees from Lycoming College and the American University School of Law, Washington, D.C. He is a U.S. Army veteran, who enlisted as a private and went on to graduate from the United States Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served an overseas tour of duty as an artillery officer and was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant. A former law clerk for the late President Judge Charles F. Greevy, Attorney Yaw also served 17 years as solicitor to the Lycoming County Commissioners. He is a member of the Lycoming Law Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and Board of Directors of Lycoming Law Association Foundation, Inc., and a former member with 17 years of service to the Board of Directors of Susquehanna Legal Services. Attorney Yaw was named the 2004 Pennsylvania County Solicitor of the Year. He received the 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from the Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America, the 2011 Lycoming College Alumni of the Year Award and the 2011 CAPPA Community Partner Award. In 2012, he received the Israel Unity Award from the Pennsylvania State of Israel Bonds. He is also a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 2008, Senator Yaw serves as Chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. He is also a member of Appropriations, Banking and Insurnace, Judiciary, Law and Justice and the Majority Policy Committees. In addition, he is Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a joint legislative agency of the Senate and House of Representatives dedicated to the research of rural issues. He is a member of the Environmental Quality Board, a member of the Pennsylvania Aggregate Advisory Board and a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Robert A. Eckenrode
Retired
Robert A. Eckenrode
Bob Eckenrode concentrates his practice in the fields of civil litigation and primarily represents employers in workers’ compensation matters and individuals and corporations in civil defense litigation. He has extensive experience in the field of workers’ compensation and represents a variety of employers and insurance companies. He also has conducted seminars on Pennsylvania workers’ compensation for Penn State University Continuing Education Department, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Chambers of Commerce and various vocation/rehabilitation companies. In the area of civil defense litigation, he has handled trials at the state and federal court levels as well as appellate cases before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts. Bob is a volunteer to a number of non-profit organizations donating his time, resources, and legal advice. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Defense Institute, and the Lycoming Law Association. A graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1977), Bob received his law degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1980. He is admitted to local, state, and appellate courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Middle District and Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He and his wife, Linda, are the parents of two sons, and one grandson.

David R. Bahl
Retired
David R. Bahl
As counsel to the firm, David R. Bahl focuses his practice on the representation of both institutions and individuals in civil litigation with a primary concentration in the defense of physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. He has extensive experience in the defense of general liability cases involving products liability, vehicular accidents, civil rights discrimination, including actions brought by students against institutions of higher education. For over thirty years he has represented numerous hospitals and physicians in professional negligence matters. He also provides general legal advice to volunteer and non-profit organizations.Mr. Bahl is a certified mediator and a member of the Middle District of Pennsylvania Panel of Mediators. He is a founding member of the Institutional Ethics Committee at Divine Providence Hospital (Susquehanna Health System); former long-term board member and President of Lycoming United Way; former member of the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania Defense Institute; and has served on the Board of Trustees of Wildwood Cemetery Company, as a board member and President to the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, and as a trustee of, and legal counsel to, Lycoming College. Recent awards include recognition by the Central Penn Business Journal as one of Central Pennsylvania’s Top Lawyers and designation as a Fellow by the Litigation Counsel of America, a Trial Lawyer Honorary Society. He was named to Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania, 2012, and Best Lawyers in America 2014. Mr. Bahl was also recognized by Martindale-Hubbell for having achieved an AV rating for twenty-five consecutive years. Mr. Bahl is a graduate of Rutgers University (1968) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (1972). He and his wife, Suzanne, are the parents of two children: Derek, Penn State – Dickinson Law School 2001; and Emily, Cornell University School of Law 2004.