William Burke

Contact Information:

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

Phone: 610.692.1371
wburke@utbf.com

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William J. Burke, III

Bill Burke is a founding member of Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, and has been practicing real estate and business law in Chester County for more than three decades. Bill advises on commercial and other real estate transactions and development initiatives, corporate and business acquisitions, taxation, 1031 exchanges, and general business representation of closely held companies.

Bill is a trusted adviser who serves as a balanced sounding board to everyone around him. He is valued by clients and colleagues alike for his legal intellect, practical approach to problem-solving, business judgment, and skill in negotiating and closing sophisticated transactions. Bill is at his best when negotiating complicated real estate or business transactions and tackling complex real estate title problems or other challenges that might arise in a deal.

Practical and thoughtful, Bill personally cares about realizing each client’s objectives. A direct communicator, Bill tells his clients what he thinks and what he believes are reasonable expectations and outcomes for the matter at hand. As a result, clients appreciate his honesty, transparency and straight-forward approach to problem-solving.

Bill’s clients include privately held commercial real estate developers, homebuilders, land trusts, closely-held businesses, investors and individuals. He represents such clients in connection with the acquisition, sale, financing, leasing and development of commercial properties and land intended for residential, commercial and retail development. He advises clients on the structure of, and creates documents pertaining to, residential and commercial condominiums and planned communities. He represents conservation organizations as well as landowners in the negotiation, interpretation and enforcement of conservation easements. Bill also represents closely-held businesses in connection with the formation and governance of business entities, and drafting organizational documents such as partnership agreements, operating agreements and shareholder agreements, as well as in connection with business sales and acquisitions. In addition, he represents both financial institutions and borrowers in connection with the documentation and closing of construction, acquisition and other financing transactions.

Bill has been listed numerous times as a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” in Philadelphia Magazine, and as a “Top Lawyer” by Main Line Today Magazine. He holds a preeminent “AV” rating from Martindale Hubbell, recognizing superior legal ability as judged by his peers. Bill is also an occasional lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute on matters relating to real estate transactions.

Practice Areas

Education

  • Dickinson School of Law, J.D. (1984)
    • Member, Woolsack Honor Society
  • New York University, LL.M., Taxation (1988)
  • Dickinson College (1981)
    • B.A., Philosophy, cum laude

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1984)

Memberships

  • Chester County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association

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.

William J. Burke, III

Rated by Super Lawyers

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Main Line Today Top Lawyer 2022

Latest News

6

Mar

Amanda Grant Serves as Chair of Chester County Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Division

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, one of Chester County, Pennsylvania’s largest law firms, is proud to share that Amanda Grant has been promoted to Chair of the Chester County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Division (“YLD”). Amanda has served as an officer of the YLD since 2021, when she first served …

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15

Feb

UTBF Wins 2022 Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite West Chester Area Law Firm

West Chester Lifestyle recently published the results from the 1st Annual West Chester Lifestyle Readers’ Choice awards program. UTBF is pleased to announce that we were recognized as the Favorite West Chester Area Law Firm!

The initiative was announced in October 2022 to celebrate beloved businesses and groups in the West Chester region. Voting took …

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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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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