Partner & Chair of Management Committee

Patrick M. McKenna

BIOGRAPHY

Patrick has extensive experience representing numerous municipalities, zoning hearing boards, municipal authorities, and planning commissions in Chester and Delaware Counties. In addition, he advises and guides private land owners and developers through complex commercial land development matters, from acquisition and planning, through the permitting and land development phases. He has represented clients on matters including townhome developments, senior care homes, national fast-food franchise developments, manufacturing plants and warehousing, and shopping center developments.

Patrick received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Saint Joseph’s University, and received his law degree, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law, where he was a Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellow, serving as a law clerk to Delaware Supreme Court Justice Joseph T. Walsh. Prior to joining Gawthrop, he served as the law clerk to the Hon. Anthony A. Sarcione, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County, and as an associate attorney in a regional insurance defense firm.

A member of the Chester County Bar Association since 2002, Patrick has served as President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, as well as past Chair of the Young Lawyers Division and past Chair of the Judicial Evaluation Committee. He is also past President of the Chester County Bar Foundation. He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 2004, where he currently sits as a Zone 9 Delegate At-Large to the PBA House of Delegates, and was recently elected Chair of the PBA Municipal Law Section Council. In addition, he is a member of the Solicitor Section of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

In the community, Patrick serves as a board member for the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. He is also a past President of the Board of Directors of Safe Harbor of Chester County, Inc., a shelter for single homeless men and women. In addition, he is a past President of the Hon. John E. Stively, Jr. American Inn of Court, a 2007 graduate of Leadership Chester County, an Assistant Editor to the Chester County Legal Reporter, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, Patrick was selected a seventh time as a “Pennsylvania Rising Star” by Philadelphia Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine.

Patrick also has extensive experience prosecuting and defending land use violations (enforcement cases) and matters under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law, and has shared his knowledge at several seminars over the years.

CREDENTIALS

COURT ADMISSIONS

New Jersey, 2001
Pennsylvania, 2001
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2003
U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit, 2003
Supreme Court of the United States, 2015

EDUCATION

Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, Delaware, J.D., cum laude, 2001
Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, B.A., History, 1997

MEMBERSHIPS & SERVICE

Chester County Bar Foundation, former President
Chester County Bar Association, member and former President
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Zone 9 Delegate At-Large to PBA
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Chair of the Municipal Law Section Council
Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, Solicitor Section
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, board member
Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, past member Board of Directors
Safe Harbor of Chester County, Past President of Board of Directors
Hon. John E. Stively, Jr. American Inn of Court, Past President
Leadership Chester County

ADDITIONAL DISTINCTIONS

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2019-2020
The Best Lawyers in America^®, 2018-2021
Top Lawyers, Main Line Today, 2013, 2014, 2017-2020
“Pennsylvania Rising Star” by Philadelphia Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine, 2007, 2008, 2011-2015
Chester County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Public Service Award, 2007
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Chester County Division, Certificate of Appreciation, 2005

NEWS & INSIGHTS

Avoiding a Lawsuit Trap for Overtime Pay Rules

Employers are hungry for skilled workers they can promote to positions of responsibility. When they do, the promoted employee’s compensation is often switched from an hourly wage to a salary.

Is Your Business Taking Advantage of Section 139 Disaster Relief Payments?

As businesses continue to deal with the pandemic and look for ways to assist their employees, Section 139 payments are a great way to benefit both the employee and the employer.

Gawthrop Presents: Finding a Lawyer with Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry

Partnering with the Chester County Bar Association and Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, Gawthrop Greenwood's Patrick McKenna will be a presenting panelist for a free webinar that is…

New Pennsylvania Bill Aligns with Federal Tax Treatment of Forgiven PPP Loans

On February 5, 2021, Governor Wolf signed into law Act 1 of 2021 (SB 109), which, among other things, provides clarity and relief for Pennsylvanians who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. It was made clear the forgiveness of a PPP loan will not result in Pennsylvania personal taxable income.

Gawthrop Greenwood Elects Youngest Leader In Law Firm’s 117-Year History

Gawthrop Greenwood, PC is announcing that attorney and shareholder Patrick M. McKenna has been elected chair of the firm’s management committee. At 45 years old, McKenna is the youngest chair…

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