Chariton & Schwager
138 South Main Street
P.O. Box 910
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703-0910
Phone: 570-824-3511
Fax: 570-824-3580
Contact Us
Websites associated with this firm:http://www.charitonschwager.com/Summary
Previous Law Firm Name
- Chariton & Schwager, June 30, 2010
- Chariton & Keiser, LLP, April 1, 1999
- Chariton & Keiser, December 13, 1996
- Shaffer & Chariton, December 31, 1990
- Chariton, Schwager & Malak
Law Firm Overview
About the Firm
At Chariton & Schwager, we believe that trust and mutual respect are key components in an attorney/client relationship. We endeavor to build trust and mutual respect into all of our client services. The attorneys and staff of Chariton & Schwager strive to meet client needs in the most effective manner possible while also fostering a finely tuned working relationship.
Chariton & Schwager is a full-service law firm devoted to general civil practice in all Pennsylvania and federal courts. Spanning five decades, the combined experience of our attorneys encompasses
The members of our firm are knowledgeable and accomplished. Our attorneys have acquired extensive experience in their areas of concentration. We use our strengths to our clients' best advantage.
We are a law firm planted firmly in tradition, yet innovative in our thinking. We value history and past successes while always looking toward the future.
Our attorneys are dedicated to their profession, clients and community. We volunteer our time, knowledge and services to a wide variety of organizations. We hold leadership positions with the organized bar.
Clients of our law firm are diverse and include individuals, businesses and corporations. From our backyard in Wilkes-Barre to points around the country and abroad, Chariton & Schwager represents clients' interests that span the globe.
Chariton & Schwager represents high wealth individuals by assisting in their trust and estate planning and administration. We provide legal assistance and counsel in a number of areas affecting their tax, real estate, business, personal and financial interests.
We also advise large and small businesses and individual entrepreneurs in a wide range of business transactions including
Through this broad scope of practice, our litigators engage in all aspects of trial and appellate practice, from county court to The United States Supreme Court, as well as practice before government agencies.
Being pragmatists as well as advocates, we also counsel clients on strategies to reduce the risk of costly litigation.
The attorneys of Chariton & Schwager are proud of the high regard our peers have for us. The esteem accorded to us by other lawyers helped lead to our inclusion in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and our firm receiving the highest peer review rating available, a testament to the fact that we are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence.
History of the Firm
The law practice of Louis Shaffer spanned over 50 years and served as the foundation for the formation of Chariton & Schwager. Attorney Shaffer was known for his impressive and distinctive legal career and for being an outstanding servant to his community. Attorney Shaffer's example provided the firm with a solid base of trust, respect and dedication. A recognized leader among his peers, Attorney Shaffer served as President of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association, the Luzerne County Bar Association. Always taking his responsibilities seriously, Attorney Shaffer served his clients and his profession until his death in 1984.
Infallibly courteous, Lou Shaffer was a conciliator, a lawyer who recognized the fact that a lawyer's duty was not to tear people apart, but to bring them together. That sense of character, which Louis Shaffer carefully cultivated, is still a strong and integral part of the firm.
In 1999, after nearly two decades in practice with Attorney Shaffer, his son-in-law, Jerry B.Chariton (left), joined with David E. Schwager (center), an accomplished and respected attorney, to form the firm of Chariton & Schwager. Recently, Jeffrey J. Malak (right) has become partner, bringing his talent and expertise to the firm.
The firm is housed in a previously neglected, deteriorating historical building on South Main Street in downtown\ Wilkes-Barre, PA. As part of a continuing commitment to the community, in conjunction with a distinguished architect, this hidden jewel underwent an exhaustive restoration and renovation. The effort was recognized by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry in 1992 when the restoration project was presented the prestigious "Pride of Place" Award. The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society also recognized the rehabilitation of this structure in 1992 with an historic preservation award for adaptive reuse. Today the structure stands as a beacon of creativity and foresight in the downtown area.
Areas of Practice
- Business & Commercial Law
- Business Organizations
- Debtor/Creditor
- Estate Planning
- Litigation & Appeals
- Probate & Estate Administration
- Real Estate Law
- Trusts
- Wills
Honors and Awards
- Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
Published Works
- Chapter 1, Estate Planning in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Bar Institute Press
- Chapter 7, Fee Agreements in Pennsylvania, 2d Ed.
Classes and Seminars
- Various Seminars, American Bar Association
- Various Seminars, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- Various Seminars, Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Various Seminars, Middle District (PA) Bankruptcy Bar Association
Pro Bono Activities
- Board of Governors, Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section
- Advisory Committee on Real Property Law of Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission, January 1, 2004 - Present
- Board Member, Dickinson School of Law General Alumni Association, June 1, 1998 - Present
- Chair, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Committee on Tax Issues Relevant to Trusts and Estates
- Chair, American Bar Association Taxation Section Committee on Small Firm Lawyers, June 1, 1994 - May 31, 1996
- Chair, Estate Planning Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2006
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Financing of Real Estate Committee, June 1, 2003 - May 31, 2005
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Real Estate Taxation Committee, June 1, 2002 - May 31, 2003
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Probate Procedures Committee, June 1, 1983 - May 31, 1988
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Estate Planning Committee, June 1, 1988 - May 31, 1998
- Chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Statutory Law Committee, June 1, 2001 - May 31, 2004
- Chair, Luzerne County Orphans' Court Rules Committee, January 1, 2000 - Present
- Chair, Luzerne County (PA) Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, June 1, 1995 - May 31, 1997
- House of Delegates, Pennsylvania Bar Association, May 1, 2000 - Present
- Kingston Zoning Hearing Board, January 1, 2001 - Present
- Middle District (PA) Bankruptcy Rules Committee, January 1, 2003 - Present
- Solicitor, Music Box Players
- Solicitor, District 16 Little League
- Treasurer, Middle District (PA) Bankruptcy Bar Association, October 1, 1996 - Present
- Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, May 1, 1993 - December 31, 2000
- Board, Wilkes University Law School Initiative
- Member, Pennsylvania State University Planned Giving Advisory Council
Ancillary Businesses
- Agent for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, a LandAmerica com
West Practice Categories
Business & Commercial, Business Organizations, Debtor-Creditor, Estate Planning, Litigation & Appeals, Probate & Estate Administration, Real Estate, Trusts, Wills
Attorneys
| Chariton, Jerry B. Partner | Schwager, David E. Partner | Malak, Jeffrey J. Partner |
Office Information
Address
138 South Main Street
P.O. Box 910
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703-0910
Phones
570-824-3511
Faxes
570-824-3580
