Jeff Lobach is a partner at the firm. He concentrates his law practice in the planning, negotiation and execution of business and real estate transactions, formation and governance of business and non-profit entities, industrial, commercial and residential real estate development, land use and zoning, business and real estate financing, and resolution of business disputes. In addition, Jeff counsels family-owned and closely-held businesses on issues unique to such enterprises. He also advises institutions of higher education on issues of finance, governance, risk management and other areas.
Two stints as chief law clerk for justices on Pennsylvania’s highest court and litigation experience in state and federal courts and before state and federal agencies have informed Jeff’s judgment as to the value of concise, carefully-drafted and unambiguous documentation and strategically sound negotiation of business transactions. During more than 25 years of practice, he has organized hundreds of business and non-profit entities and implemented dozens of business parks, retails centers and residential communities. He also has successfully litigated numerous zoning and land development cases in court and before governmental agencies. Jeff regularly serves as an arbitrator, mediator or negotiator of disputes between businesses, their owners and other constituencies.
Jeff has been very active in the Central Pennsylvania community, serving as a board member, officer, or general counsel to various charitable organizations. He was a founding director of York Health Foundation, Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center, York VNA Home Care, and The Golden Vision Foundation. While President of the York County Bar Association, Jeff initiated a nationally recognized pro bono immigration project on behalf of a group of about 300 Chinese refugees aboard the freighter Golden Venture which evolved into a four-year court battle before the refugees were paroled by the President. The asylum case Jeff successfully litigated for his own client, a Tiananmen Square era pro-democracy activist, was profiled in the national media, including the CBS news magazine “America Tonight” and National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”
RECOGNITIONS
- York Distinguished Citizen, New Birth of Freedom Council, Boy Scouts of America
- The Best Lawyers in America®, “Lawyer of the Year,” Corporate Law (2021)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), Real Estate Law (2022, 2023, 2024)
- Select Lawyer, Polk-Lepson Research Group; Business and Commercial Law
- Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
- Eagle Scout Award
- Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America
- Williams Essay Prize (Lehigh University)
- Andrew E. Murray Peacemaking Award, Synod of the Trinity, Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Service Above Self Award, Rotary Club of York
- Crystal Stair Award of the University of Pennsylvania (Inaugural Recipient with Marian Wright Edelman and others)
MEMBERSHIPS
- Pennsylvania Builders Association, member
- York County Builders Association, member
- American Institute of Banking, instructor
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute, course planner and lecturer
- American Bar Association
- National Association of College and University Attorneys
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, House of Delegates
- York County Bar Association, former president and chair, Long Range Planning Committee; chair, By-Laws Committee
PRESENTATIONS
- Reopening the Hospitality Industry: Current Guidelines, Possible Risks and Future Scenarios”, Barley Snyder Webinar Series (June 2020)
- Featured speaker, “Golden Venture Saga” (May 2018)
- “Buying, Leasing and Owning: What is Best for Your Business?”, Barley Snyder Business Seminar (October 2014)
- “Title Insurance for Lenders: Before, During and After Settlement”, Barley Snyder LendiCon Seminar (May 2014)
- “Leadership Development within the Legal Department”, ACC Seminar: What Keeps You up at Night? (September 2012)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- York College of Pennsylvania; general counsel
- Partnership for Economic Development of York County; general counsel
- Licensed Title Insurance Agent, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, Stewart Title Insurance Company
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Congressional Intern