John O’Keefe is involved in two practice areas at Metz Lewis and is the co-chair of the banking group.
He has experience in commercial loan documentation, creditor’s rights, workouts, bankruptcy and bank litigation, and he is also involved in commercial and business litigation.
He provides counsel to clients from the financial, banking, business and real estate sectors in diverse matters. An experienced commercial civil litigator, John represents financial institutions, businesses, and individuals as both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial, bankruptcy, construction, and employment matters, including breach of contract claims, real estate matters, shareholder rights and disputes, covenants not to compete, employment rights issues, lender liability, banking, and bankruptcy claims.
Additionally, John has represented a wide range of businesses and individuals including developers, lessors, lessees, property managers and lenders in a variety of real estate lending, acquisition, sales, leasing, development and construction matters. His representation has included negotiation, documentation, closing of purchase, sale or lease as well as construction and claim litigation.
Representative Matters
- Successfully defended a regional banking institution in a multi-million dollar lender liability lawsuit stemming from an 18 year lending relationship, which also included several hundred consumer claims and lawsuits against the regional bank for its participation in its borrower's direct and indirect consumer lending involving multiple sale, lease and licensing of two multi-use real estate facilities.
- Represented a foreign bank and regional bank agent in a $27 million workout, collecting all money due, including interest and attorneys' fees, by aggressive participation in insolvency proceedings in Toronto, Canada, the related proceedings of a U.S. affiliate in the Middle District of Florida and the state court receivership and involuntary and voluntary bankruptcy proceedings of a U.S. affiliate in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
- Represented a Japanese corporation in state court liquidation, dissolution andreceivership proceedings for a subsidiary having a manufacturing and product development facility in Western Pennsylvania.
- Successfully tried multi-million dollar bankruptcy nondischarge-ability case in the Northern District of Ohio.
- Represented majority and minority partners and corporate shareholders in partner and/or shareholder disputes in state and federal litigation.
- Acted as Commonwealth of Pennsylvania statewide counsel to the Resolution Trust Corporation handling all Pennsylvania commercial real estate sales, which involved participating in the preparation of seller finance documents, representation at annual northeast real estate auctions and handling each property closing, including all title, financing and disbursement issues and frequent dealings with national counsel to a national title company.
- Represented acquiring commercial landowner in successfully challenging industrial land use restriction.
- Successfully represented regional bank in the workout, documentation, collateralization and full recovery of multi-million dollar check-kiting scheme.
- Represent a variety of secured creditors in multitude of workout, prosecution and defense of state and federal court litigation.
Core Strengths
- Commercial and Civil Litigation
- Creditor's Rights Law
- Bankruptcy
- Banking Law
- Business Transactions
- Commercial Real Estate
Professional Affiliations & Honors
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Allegheny County Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Recognized as an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell peer review
- Recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2008-2023)
- Recognized by the Best Lawyers in America®(2014-2023)
Background
- 2001 Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe LLC Member of the Executive Committee Co-Chairman, Commercial Lending, Creditor's Rights, Workout and Bankruptcy Group
Education
- 1982 J.D., Duquesne University School of Law Member, Duquesne Law Review
- 1979 B.S., magna cum laude, Business Administration and Finance, LaSalle University
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Tax Court
