Attorneys Sean M. Burke (left) and John W. Blasko have a friendly chat at their Hollidaysburg office. Mirror photo by Walt Frank

The law firm credited with negotiating the formation of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine has hit the century mark.

McQuaide Blasko Attorneys at Law has come a long way since its 1921 founding in Bellefonte by John G. Love Jr.

“He was a brilliant guy,” said retired partner John W. Blasko. “I think he would be proud.”

Love opened his practice in Bellefonte in the same offices where his father, John G. Love, practiced before being elected to the bench. The senior Love was a Centre County judge from 1895 to 1905.

Nearly 20 years after opening his practice, Love Jr. welcomed partner Roy Wilkinson Jr. in 1940 and the firm became Love & Wilkinson.

After a stint in World War II, Wilkinson took over representation of Penn State University and on behalf of the university, negotiated with Hershey interests to establish the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine and prepared all documents establishing the relationship between Penn State and Hershey.

“Wilkinson thought our claim to fame was negotiating on behalf of the university and the establishment of Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine,” Blasko said. “He was the crux of that.”

In 1963, the firm expanded as Blasko, Charles C. Brown Jr. and Delbert J. McQuaide signed on.

Since that time, many attorneys have come and gone and the firm’s name has changed several times. The firm became known as McQuaide Blasko in 2010 and now has offices in State College, Hollidaysburg, Hershey and Williamsport.

Currently, there are 16 partners with the firm, 30 attorneys and a total staff of 70 among all offices, said Sean M. Burke, president and managing director.

Women play a big part in the firm, Blasko said, as 40% of the shareholder attorneys are women.

In fact, McQuaide Blasko was one of just two law firms in Pennsylvania to receive the 2015 Honor Roll of Legal Organizations Welcoming Women Professionals Award.

Specialized services

McQuaide Blasko isn’t a general practice law firm, Burke said, adding “we don’t do criminal law and much personal injury law.”

Instead, the Hershey office specializes in medical and professional malpractice insurance defenses and the State College office has a large labor and employment practice, with heavy emphasis on secondary education, labor and employment practice.

“We have a strong general corporate practice that takes care of corporate real estate and estate planning for individuals and businesses. Our State College and Hollidaysburg offices offer similar services,” Burke said.

The firm provides representation to diverse corporate, institutional and individual clients throughout central Pennsylvania, he said.

“We have some large institutional clients who have very specific legal needs. We cater to very specific legal needs that they have,” Burke said.

The firm also does collective bargaining, unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation, he said.

McQuaide Blasko offers a client-focused legal approach, which means the firm keeps clients informed of progress in a case, responds to inquiries and telephone calls promptly and recognizes clients as an intelligent consumer of the firm’s services, Burke said.

In addition, Burke said they are sensitive to clients’ budget concerns.

It’s the attention to clients and to details, coupled with “persistence” that has been a key to the firm’s success over the years, Burke said.

“Doing the little things right consistently, the attention to little things over time leads to excellence over generations,” he said.

Blasko also credits the firm’s growth to its team of attorneys that “offer legal expertise in about all areas.”

Taking note of clients’ needs and wants and adding in the personal touch of communicating back and forth has helped the firm make a name for itself, he said. “We just have a lot of credibility in the practice of law, locally and statewide,” Blasko said.

In addition to serving clients, McQuaide Blasko serves in the communities in which they are located.

“We don’t only deliver legal services for our community, we give back to the community,” Burke said. “We are a strong supporter of the Blair Regional YMCA, Blair County Arts Foundation and various Rotary clubs, the Becky Sheetz golf tournament and more. We support similar organizations in the State College and Hershey areas.”

Proud history

The firm is proud of its history of producing judges.

Wilkinson became one of the original judges on Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court. He later was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Brown served as a judge on the Centre County Court of Common Pleas and served as president judge until he retired in 2008.

Two partners, Pamela Ruest and Katie Oliver, were also elected as judges on the Centre County Court of Common Pleas.

Ruest, who is now president judge, was the first female to be elected in the history of Centre County, which was created in 1800.

Another associate, Sally Updyke Mundy, became a judge on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

While it’s good to look back, the firm has plans for the future.

Burke said possible plans include growing the firm in the number of personnel within the existing footprint instead of extending that footprint. The firm would also like to expand the services it provides to institutional clients.

“We may expand corporate representation in our Hershey office,” Burke said. “We hired at least an attorney a year for the last five years. We expect to hire between two and four by the end of the year.”

“It is a remarkable accomplishment that a law firm is able to retain its identity for 100 years despite the turnover that is experienced by any business over such a period of time,” said Shawn P. Sullivan, of Haberstroh, Sullivan, & George. “That is a testament to the willingness of every member of that law firm to commit to the core principles established at the founding of the firm. May its next 100 years be as successful.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.