Position: Partner

Practice Areas:
  • Litigation
  • Environmental Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Defense
  • Construction Litigation
  • Workers’ Compensation

Contact

Address:
Cross Creek Pointe
1065 Highway 315, Suite 200
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

PH: 570-826-5654
FX: 570-826-5640
Email
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Assistant’s Name: Betsy Lepore
Email Assistant

For over 30 years, Mr. Gawlas has represented a wide-range of clients in a variety of federal and state court and administrative agency litigation involving insurance, environmental law, construction, commercial litigation, and workers’ compensation matters.

Mr. Gawlas is a native of Northeastern Pennsylvania, graduating from GAR Memorial High School in Wilkes-Barre in 1979. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1983 with an A.B. in Government. While at Dartmouth, he played varsity football and was a member of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity. He earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Dickinson School of Law in 1986. While at the Dickinson School of Law, he was a member of the Dickinson Law Review, the Woolsack Honor Society, the Merna B. Marshall Moot Court championship team, and the Corpus Juris Society.

Mr. Gawlas is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania. He has also been specially admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He has served as lead trial counsel in litigation matters in both the Pennsylvania state and federal courts, and is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Gawlas is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association, where he serves on the Local Rules and Environmental Law Committees. He is also a member of the Dartmouth Lawyers Association. Long known for his leadership in the community, Mr. Gawlas is a member of the Board of the Back Mountain Memorial Library. He is the Past Board Chairman of the American Red Cross, Wyoming Valley Regional Chapter, where he served as a longtime member of the Board and Executive Committee and held several leadership positions. He is also Director Emeritus of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bridge Advisory Board, having served for three years as Board President, and is a three time Corporate Chairman of Bowl-for-Kids’-Sake. He is the former President of the St. Nicholas/St. Mary’s Elementary School Board of Education and has also served on the Boards of Directors of Catholic Social Services, Northeast Camp Cadet, and Kingston Township Raiders Junior Football, Inc., and as Co-President of the Holy Redeemer High School Football Booster Club.

Mr. Gawlas and his wife, Cathy, reside in Shavertown.

Representative Matters

  • Obtained sizable settlement in state court on behalf of tractor trailer drivers injured in an interstate collision.
  • Successfully defended preliminary injunction matter brought against county flood protection authority.
  • Successfully defended numerous liquidation claims asserted against insurance carriers in liquidation proceedings initiated in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.
  • Successfully litigated numerous workers compensation matters, for both employers and claimants.

Education

Dartmouth College (A.B., 1983)
Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University (J.D., cum laude, 1986) Member: Order of Barristers; Order of Woolsack; Marshall Moot Court Championship; Dickinson Law Review (1985–1986)

Bar Admissions

  • United States Supreme Court
  • Pennsylvania
  • Third Circuit Court of Appeals
  • United States District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Presentations/Publications

Honors

AV® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell — This rating attests to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics, and reflects the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary. The AV® rating is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence for those practicing law for more than 10 years.

Professional Community Activities

  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Luzerne County Bar Association (Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association — Member, Local Rules and Environmental Law Committees
  • Back Mountain Memorial Library — Board of Directors, Chairman of Policy and Library Operations Committee
  • Lector at St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • American Red Cross, Wyoming Valley Regional Chapter — Past Board Chairman
  • Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bridge Advisory Board — Director Emeritus, Past President
  • St. Nicholas/St. Mary’s Elementary School Board of Education — Past President
  • Catholic Social Services — Past Board Member
  • Northeast Camp Cadet — Past Board Member
  • Kingston Township Raiders Junior Football, Inc. — Past Board Member
  • Dartmouth Lawyers Association
  • Holy Redeemer Football Booster Club — Past Member and Co-President
  • Leadership Wilkes-Barre — Graduate

Reviews

“I’ve worked with Bob on several securities fraud and/or negligence cases and always found him thoroughly prepared with thoughtful analysis and a well conceived legal framework. He has also displayed a willingness to take on cases where the plight of the client is more of a driver than the potential revenue.” – 5-Star Peer Review of Robert N. Gawlas Jr. of our Litigation Department from Martindale.com

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