Dan was raised in the North Hills of Pittsburgh and graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in 1993, serving as a Research Editor for the Duquesne Law Review. He spent several years as a prosecutor, both in the Warren County District Attorney’s Office and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, where he experienced the thrills and challenges of trying cases to verdict in front of judges and juries, as well as arguing appellate matters to the Superior and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania. He spent several years in private practice, concentrating on juvenile delinquency and dependency proceedings, as well as representing indigent parents in termination of parental rights proceedings. At the request of the President Judge of Allegheny County, Dan served as the coordinator of a group of conflict delinquency attorneys and participated in the committee which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Office of Conflict Counsel. He also served as a member of the Allegheny County Commission on Juvenile Justice, following the release of the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice which investigated the Luzerne County “Kids-for-Cash” scandal. Members of the Allegheny County Commission were charged with reviewing and assessing Allegheny County’s juvenile justice practices to ensure best practices consistent with the Commission’s recommendations. During his time in private practice, Dan coached the North Allegheny H.S. Mock Trial Teams, and was an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at Point Park University.
In 2005, Dan was requested to serve as Assistant Counsel to the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board, and as such, was responsible for investigating and prosecuting judicial misconduct across the Commonwealth. He prosecuted several high-profile cases out of Philadelphia County, and also served as the Board’s Open Records officer. He moved from Harrisburg back to Pittsburgh in 2010 and since that time Dan has focused his practice on estate planning and elder law. He has presented countless public workshops on the importance of tailored, asset protection and legacy planning, and has been invited by financial advisors to speak in-house to existing and prospective clients.
Dan is excited to bring his desire to help individuals and families to the team at Abernethy & Hagerman, and he is honored to be providing trusted legal guidance in the very same neighborhoods in which he was raised. Dan currently lives in the North Hills with his wife, Carol and his daughter, Hannah.