Don Turner

Contact Information:

17 West Gay Street, Suite 200
West Chester, PA 19380

Phone: 610.692.1371
dturner@utbf.com

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Donald C. Turner

A founding member of Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, Don Turner has been practicing law in Chester County for decades. Don represents a variety of small to medium sized businesses, developers and individuals in an array of real estate transactions, zoning and commercial litigation matters. His advocacy experience includes the resolution of business, contractual, shareholder/partnership and real estate disputes, as well as corporate dissolutions, zoning appeals and eminent domain cases.

Don focuses on serving as an effective problem solver to clients and colleagues alike. Creative, smart and practical in both the law and business, Don is dedicated to realizing each client’s often distinct financial objectives and business imperatives. Don’s ability to listen to all sides of a negotiation or argument is a key component to devising win-win solutions for his clients and their constituents. Don’s judgement, businesses-mindedness and ability to remain calm and balanced under pressure have allowed him to negotiate and close transactions and resolve disputes ranging from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars in value.

Don is the founding President of Commercial Dispute Solutions, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation formed with the encouragement of the Chester County Bench as a means to provide mediation and arbitration services for various types of commercial disputes. He has been named a “Top Lawyer” in Business Law, and Real Estate Law by Main Line Today magazine. He also received an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, recognizing superior legal ability as judged by his peers, and has been selected for inclusion in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list over multiple years.

A selection of Don’s recent representative matters have included:

  • Serving as the executor of a large, complex estate having ownership of various companies, real estate holdings and other significant assets
  • The acquisition, leasing and sale of a very large Chester County shopping center
  • Assisting developers in various zoning matters
  • Representing businesses and developers in myriad acquisitions of real property of all kinds
  • Assisting clients in the acquisition and sale of various businesses
  • Representing builders and owners in construction defect litigation Serving as a mediator and arbitrator in various commercial disputes
  • Resolving commercial contract disputes of all kinds, both in and out of court

Practice Areas

Education

  • Temple University School of Law, J.D. (1983)
    • cum laude
    • Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award
  • Drexel University (1973)

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1983)
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Memberships

  • Chester County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Chester County Airport Authority
    • Former Board Member
  • Devon Preparatory School
    • Board of Trustees, Former Trustee
  • Commercial Dispute Solutions
    • Founding President

Martindale Hubbell Rating

  • AV Rated*

*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards. For more information, see http://www.martindale.com.

Donald C. Turner

Rated by Super Lawyers

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Main Line Today Top Lawyer 2023

Latest From Donald Turner

17

Aug

13 Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Lawyers Recognized In The 2024 Editions Of The Best Lawyers In America® And The Best Lawyers In America: Ones To Watch®

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees is proud to have ten lawyers recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® and three in The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2024 editions. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled …

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7

Aug

Fourteen Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Attorneys Named to Main Line Today’s 2023 Top Lawyers List

We are pleased to announce that fourteen Unruh Turner Burke & Frees attorneys have been recognized on Main Line Today’s distinguished “2023 Top Lawyers” list!

Main Line Today, a prominent regional magazine spotlighting the essence of Philadelphia’s western suburbs, annually curates this prestigious list featuring outstanding legal professionals. The selection process involves nominations from peers …

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21

Jul

Every Attorney At Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Named To The Daily Local News 2023 Top Lawyers List For The Second Consecutive Year

Daily Local News readers voted for Chester County’s Top Lawyers in the annual Top Lawyers Readers’ Choice Poll earlier this year. Readers voted online for their favorite lawyers in various practice areas.

This is the second year that every lawyer at the firm has been recognized and the third consecutive year that firm attorneys have …

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19

May

Fifteen Attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® for 2023

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (“UTBF”) is pleased to announce that eleven attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list and four firm attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice …

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28

Nov

UTBF Receives National Ranking for Land Use and Zoning Law by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms in America”, and Ranks Regionally in Multiple Practice Areas

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF) was honored to be named among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms in America” again for 2023. The firm earned a National “Tier 1” ranking in Land Use and Zoning Law for the second year in a row; a Metropolitan “Tier 1” ranking for Philadelphia …

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31

Aug

Eleven UTBF Attorneys Recognized By Best Lawyers In America®

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF) is pleased to announce that eleven UTBF attorneys have been recognized in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch™.

For more than 40 years, Best Lawyers has been recognized as a reliable and unbiased resource to identify top legal professionals. …

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25

Jul

Every Attorney at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Receives the Daily Local 2022 Top Lawyers Reader’s Choice Award

Chester County has voted and the results are in. Every attorney at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF), one of Chester County, Pennsylvania’s largest law firms, has been voted a Top Lawyer for 2022 by Daily Local readers. Unruh Turner Burke & Frees’ attorneys were recognized in the following practice areas:

Brian D. Boreman

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10

Jun

Eleven UTBF Attorneys Recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in 2022

Ten attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees have been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list for 2022, in addition to an attorney being named among the 2022 Pennsylvania Rising Stars. The Rising Stars list includes attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been practicing law for 10 years or …

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10

Nov

UTBF Listed Among U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms in America”

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF) was honored to be named among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms in America” again for 2022. The firm earned a National “Tier 1” ranking in Land Use and Zoning Law; a Metropolitan “Tier 1” ranking for Philadelphia in three practice areas: Land Use …

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9

Sep

UTBF Attorneys Recognized By Best Lawyers In America®

WEST CHESTER, PA ─ Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF) is pleased to announce that ten UTBF attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America.

In the area of Real Estate Law, partners William J. Burke, III, Theodore F. Claypoole and Donald C. Turner were named to the Best Lawyers …

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16

Jul

Twenty UTBF Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in Chester County by the Daily Local News Readers Choice

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees is honored to have twenty attorneys named to the Daily Local News 2021 Best Lawyers Readers Choice list. UTBF attorneys recognized are:

Brian D. Boreman was selected in Labor & Employment and Employment Discrimination William J. Burke, III was selected in Real Estate Theodore F. Claypoole was …

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28

May

Twelve UTBF Attorneys Recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in 2021

Twelve attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees have been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list for 2021. Additionally, three attorneys were named among the 2021 Pennsylvania Rising Stars. The Rising Stars list includes attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less.

READ MORE

9

Jun

Ten UTBF Attorneys Named Among 2020 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Honorees

Eight attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees have been recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for 2020. Additionally, two attorneys were named among the 2020 Pennsylvania Rising Stars. The Rising Stars list includes attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less.

The UTBF attorneys …

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23

Jul

Every Partner at UTBF Named a Top Lawyer by Main Line Today Magazine

For the second year in a row, every partner at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees was named to the 2019 “Top Lawyers” list by Main Line Today magazine. Attorneys are nominated by their peers and vetted through the magazine’s editorial process. Sixteen attorneys at the firm, including all partners, were named to the list in …

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13

May

Nine UTBF Attorneys Named Among 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Honorees

Eight of UTBF’s lawyers were named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Lists for 2019. Included among this year’s Pennsylvania Super Lawyers are:

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27

Jul

Every Partner at UTBF Named a 2018 Top Lawyer

The results are in…

Every partner in our firm was named among the 2018 “Top Lawyers”

We are pleased to announce that 16 attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, including all partners, are named to Main Line Today’s “Top Lawyers” list for 2018.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Stephen P. Lagoy*

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22

May

Ten UTBF Attorneys Recognized By Super Lawyers® This Year

UTBF is pleased to announce that nearly half of the firm’s attorneys were included among this year’s “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” lists.

This year’s “Super Lawyers” include:

Brian D. Boreman William J. Burke, III John K. Fiorillo David M. Frees, III Stephen P. Lagoy Andrew D.H. Rau READ MORE

18

May

Nearly Half of UTBF’s Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in 2017

Eight of the 19 attorneys at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees have been recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for 2017. Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters rating service and publication, selects outstanding attorneys by utilizing a multi-phase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. Only 5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys receive the …

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25

May

Nine UTBF Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers

Utilizing a multi-phase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research and peer evaluation, Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters publication, has named eight Unruh Turner Burke and Frees attorneys as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® for 2016. One attorney has been named as a 2016 Pennsylvania Rising Star. Each year only 5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys receive the …

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25

Jun

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees Attorneys Recognized as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees is pleased to announce that eight of the firm’s attorneys have been selected as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for 2015. One additional attorney was named as 2015 Pennsylvania Rising Stars.

The lists appeared in the June 2015 issues of Philadelphia magazine and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine. Each year only 5 percent …

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16

Apr

What to expect from the Mediator

By: Donald C. Turner

What should one expect from the mediator?  To start the mediator should provide a mediation agreement that sets forth, at a minimum, the procedures for the mediation, the fees involved, and the confidential nature of the mediation. Once the mediation commences the mediator’s tasks are to (1)create a favorable condition for …

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9

Apr

5 Essential Steps to a Successful Mediation

By: Donald C. Turner

Clients often ask what it takes for a mediation to be successful, i.e., result in a final resolution of the dispute between the parties. Based on my experience there are 5 steps which are essential to a successful mediation.  Those 5 steps are: (1) pick the right time to mediate, …

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2

Apr

Willingness to Compromise a Must in Mediation

By: Donald C. Turner

A mediation is an exercise in compromise resolution.  In my all years of experience as both a mediator and as counsel to a party to a mediation I have yet to see a mediation where one party achieved everything it had originally demanded and the other party totally capitulated.  Though …

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30

Mar

Settlement Authority is a Prerequisite to a Successful Mediation

By: Donald C. Turner

In order to maximize the possibility that a mediation will be successful the mediator needs to assure that all parties come to the mediation with the authority necessary to resolve the dispute. However with institutional parties, such as insurance companies, the representative will often have only limited authority to settle. …

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5

Mar

Set Aside Adequate Time to Mediate

By: Donald C. Turner

If a mediation is to result in the final resolution of a dispute the parties need to understand that it may take significant time to achieve such an outcome. This is so because the mediation will first require that time be spent on permitting each party to state its position …

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20

Feb

Selecting the Mediator

By: Donald C. Turner The success of a mediation often depends on the mediator and his or her ability to bring the parties together and help them bridge the gap between their different positions. When selecting a mediator the parties should consider, among other things, the mediator’s style, the mediator’s subject matter expertise, and …

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14

Feb

The Right Time to Mediate

By: Donald C. Turner

One of the keys to a successful mediation is knowing when it is time to mediate. Starting a mediation prematurely is unlikely to lead to a resolution and often makes the parties disinclined to try mediation at a later point when it might very well be successful.

So what is …

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21

Feb

Protecting with Insurance because of Employee Theft

Here is the excerpt field to use for interesting text so they click read more. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla est nisl, mattis vel rutrum sed, dignissim vel mi.

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23

Dec

GM and Chrysler Dealers Can Arbitrate

By: Donald C. Turner

Was your dealership terminated by GM/Chrysler?

The United States Congress, as part of a $1.1 trillion spending bill, has voted to give terminated General Motors and Chrysler dealers the right to challenge their terminations through arbitration. This legislation requires the arbitrator to balance the economic interest of the covered dealership …

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16

Nov

Piercing the Corporate Veil

By: Donald C. Turner

Most closely-held businesses operate as either corporations, limited liability companies, or limited partnerships. There are many reasons for doing so, including tax implications. One of the primary reasons for operating in such a fashion is to protect the individual owners from personal liability for the obligations of the business enterprises. …

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29

Sep

Protection for Those Engaged in Real Estate Design and Construction

By: Donald C. Turner

If you are involved in the design, planning, supervision or construction of improvements to real estate in Pennsylvania, you should know that there are state laws that limit the time period to make claims based on defective design or construction and for injuries that arise out of design or construction …

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10

Jun

Equine Law

By: Donald C. Turner

Many Chester County residents use their property, in whole or in part, for various types of equine activities. Regardless of whether the use is of a personal or a commercial nature, these activities pose a variety of risks to property owners, horse owners, riders and trainers. As a result, those …

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West Chester, PA
17 West Gay Street
P.O. BOX 515
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 692-1371
Phoenixville, PA
120 Gay Street
P.O. Box 289
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 933-8069