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Seven Houston Harbaugh Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America® 2017

August 31, 2017

Craig M. Brooks, a Director and chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor Law practice, primarily represents management, providing advice on how to handle employee issues and actions, as well as defending or pursuing claims in court and before government agencies. He received his law degree from Duke University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he studied labor relations.

Gary J. Gunnett, a Director and leader of the firm’s Employee Benefits/ERISA practice, focuses primarily on employee benefit plans, including the design, implementation, maintenance and termination of qualified retirement plans [pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plans]. He received his law degree from Duquesne University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Westminster College.

John D. Houston, II is a founding member of Houston Harbaugh and has been practicing law since 1966. His practice is concentrated in the areas of health care, general corporate matters, and estate planning and wealth preservation. He received his law degree from George Washington University, and he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College.

Mary-Jo Rebelo, a Director in the firm’s Litigation practice, concentrates her practice in commercial litigation and employment law. She received her law degree, cum laude, from Duquesne University School of Law, and a Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum laude, from Elms College.

, a Director and chair of the firm’s Health Care practice, concentrates in the area of healthcare, with a particular emphasis on contractual relationships between health care providers as well as helping practices navigate the various governmental regulatory, third party payor and compliance laws, including HIPAA. She graduated cum laudefrom the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College.

Heidi Rai Stewart, a Director in the firm’s Estates and Trusts practice, Stewart assists individuals in the creation of estate plans, probate, and estate and trust administration. Her work in these areas extends to Special Needs planning and Long Term Care planning, including Elder Law. She received her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude, from Carlow College.

James H. Webster, a Director and chair of the firm’s Public Finance practice concentrates his practice in public finance, including general obligation and municipal authority financings and industrial development revenue bond financings. He has represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Counties, School Districts, Municipalities, Authorities and Industrial Development Authorities in a career spanning more than 25 years in municipal finance. Webster received his law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University.


About The Best Lawyers in America®
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and we have received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

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