Print Bio to PDFOf Counsel
John Shirk represents substantial closely-held businesses and their owners and has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, advanced corporate planning, structuring corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities, real estate development and finance, business and construction contracts and contract disputes and disputes among business owners. John also maintains an active higher education practice and has served as general counsel for Franklin & Marshall College for many years.
John's practice has included representation of numerous manufacturers, distributors and retail firms, with significant industry experience in agri-business (poultry, hogs, animal feed), investment real estate development, insurers and insurance agents, general and specialty construction contracting, building materials distribution, petroleum products distribution (retail and wholesale), public accounting firms, general manufacturing and real estate brokerage.
John currently focuses his practice in two areas:
- Business counseling and advanced business negotiations, with emphasis on representation of purchasers and sellers in the structuring and negotiation of acquisitions of closely-held businesses and representation of business owners in the negotiation and resolution of bitter disputes with partners or affiliates.
- Higher education, including board governance, executive compensation, faculty and student affairs and advancement.
John serves on the boards of directors of two NASDAQ companies and two privately-held companies. John also currently serves on the boards of trustees of two private colleges.
John's recent experience includes:
- Representing purchasers and sellers in corporate acquisitions of privately-held businesses with enterprise values from $20 million to more than $100 million
- Planning transactions involving private equity firm investment in closely-held companies
- Representing owners of a manufacturer, a regional real estate brokerage company, a financial services company, a public accounting firm and integrated construction/property management/investment real estate companies in disputes leading to business separations
- Developing executive compensation packages and employment contracts for chief executives and other senior officers of corporations with annual sales from $100 million to above $500 million and large 501(c)(3) organizations
- University of Pennsylvania, LL.B., magna cum laude; Order of the Coif
- Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, B.A., magna cum laude
- Lancaster General Hospital; board member and board chair, Lancaster General Corporation (parent corporation)
- Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry; board vice-president and member
- Economic Development Company of Lancaster County; board president and member
- EDC Finance Corporation of Lancaster County; board president and member
- United Way of Lancaster County; board president and member
- Lancaster Alliance; founding board member
- Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Science; board member
- Pennsylvania College of Art & Design; board member
- Pennsylvania Super Lawyer® (2004-2008)
- Named to the 2010 Best Lawyers List for the Central Pennsylvania Region
- Pennsylvania, 1968
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- The Honorable Theodore O. Spalding, Judge, Pennsylvania Superior Court (1968-1969)
- Fulton Financial Corporation; board member
- Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc.; board member
- Irex Corporation; board member
- Pennfield Corporation; board member
