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Additions

Sean J. McLaughlin, a former U.S. district judge of the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, returned to Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, where he will focus his practice on alternative dispute resolution.

He brings nearly 40 years of experience to his new role, including 19 years as a U.S. District Court judge and five years as general counsel of Erie Insurance Group.

He also has 13 years of private litigation practice at Knox McLaughlin, during which time he specialized in civil litigation.

McLaughlin served as chair of the District Court's court governance committee, chair of the court's long-range planning committee and chair of the magistrate judges committee.

In 2012, he was appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. to serve on the U.S. judicial conference committee on court administration and case management.

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James H. Curry III joined The Chartwell Law Offices as a partner in its Harrisburg office.

Curry represents employers and insurance carriers on matters relating to workers' compensation claims.

He successfully litigated cases before workers' compensation judges, the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

Elected and Appointed

Meyer, Unkovic & Scott announced that it re‑elected Christopher P. Smith, Jr. to serve as its managing partner. The firm also elected Antoinette C. Oliver and re-elected W. Grant Scott and Chad I. Michaelson to serve on the management committee for two-year terms.

Smith regularly represents lenders, borrowers, purchasers, property owners, tenants and sellers in all matters related to real estate. He also helps clients in legal issues related to creditors' rights and bankruptcy matters. Smith is board chair of Residential Resources Inc., a nonprofit that provides housing aid to people with disabilities.

Oliver is a member of the business litigation, insurance coverage litigation, employment law and intellectual property groups. She also serves as co-chair of the firm's associates committee and heads the firm's pro bono efforts. Her business litigation practice involves representing clients in commercial disputes as well as in arbitration proceedings. She also represents clients in employment and intellectual property law matters.

Scott is chair of the firm's real estate and lending group and counsels clients on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of sophisticated real estate transactions. Scott is the longest tenured member of Meyer Unkovic's management committee, having served since 2005. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute faculty, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Michaelson is chair of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution group. He focuses his practice on commercial litigation and construction. He is a former chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association's construction law section and a director of the local nonprofit Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. Michaelson serves on the Mt. Lebanon Board of Appeals and is an attorney adviser for the Seton-LaSalle High School Mock Trial Program.