John A. Schwab
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court – Western District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court – Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court – Northern District of West Virginia
U.S. District Court – Southern District of West Virginia
U.S. District Court – Northern District of Ohio
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Tax Court
J.D., Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University
B.S., Grove City College
JOHN A. SCHWAB is a Partner in the Pittsburgh office of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. Mr. Schwab draws on his experience as a Marine Corps Officer and nearly two decades of practice as a trial attorney when representing individuals and companies. He serves as Co-Chair of both the Government Enforcement, Compliance, and White Collar Litigation Practice Group and the Cyber Security & Privacy Practice Group. He is also a member of the firm’s Litigation and Qui Tam/False Claims Act (FCA) Practice Groups.
Mr. Schwab is an experienced litigator in the areas of commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, corporate internal investigations and compliance, and intellectual property litigation. He represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of civil and criminal cases, including regulatory and enforcement matters investigated by the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and numerous federal and state agencies. Many of the cases involve alleged violations of federal and state laws, including money laundering, bank and lender fraud, internal revenue fraud and tax evasion, procurement and contracting fraud, environmental offenses, mortgage fraud, trade secret theft, health care fraud, DBE fraud, public corruption, mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy.
His civil practice extends to matters including commercial disputes, shareholder actions, corporate waste and breaches of fiduciary duty, intellectual property and trade secrets, employment, False Claims Act (qui tam), and other complex commercial litigation. Mr. Schwab’s litigation practice includes an emphasis on electronic discovery and the impact of technology in civil and white collar criminal cases.
Representative civil matters:
Representative criminal matters:
Mr. Schwab earned substantial litigation and trial experience serving in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Chief Trial Attorney at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. As chief trial counsel, Mr. Schwab supervised six trial attorneys and defended the office’s most complex cases including fact-gathering, writing and arguing motions, witness preparation, and trial. During his tenure with the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Schwab served as trial counsel for 10 jury trials to verdict and more than 20 bench trials. A large portion of Mr. Schwab’s military practice also involved representation of Marines and Sailors at employment termination hearings, termed “boards of inquiry,” for officers and “administrative separation boards” for enlisted members. He handled approximately twenty of these hearings, which involved: voir dire of the hearing members; opening statements; challenging the United States’ evidence, including cross-examination of witnesses; presentation of the Marine’s or Sailor’s evidence, including witnesses; and closing arguments.
In 2007, Mr. Schwab served as the Battalion Judge Advocate in Fallujah, Iraq for 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6 for the U.S. Marine Corps. As the sole legal counsel for the battalion, he advised commanders and provided training on domestic and international law as well as internal investigations, fiscal law, intelligence reports, criminal justice and other legal compliance matters. He had direct oversight over all of the unit’s internal investigations which encompassed a wide range of subjects, including fraud, property loss, and employment disputes.
Since 2008, Mr. Schwab has served as a faculty member of the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law, which is one of the nation’s premier trial advocacy programs for practicing lawyers. He also serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Law and Public Policy for Grove City College which published his article on Honest Services Fraud in its Inaugural Edition in 2010. Mr. Schwab also performed an internship with the Honorable Robert J. Cindrich on the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2002.
Mr. Schwab has been recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the category of White Collar Criminal Defense since 2018. Prior to that, he was named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2013. Mr. Schwab’s accolades began in 2011 when he was selected as a future leader of Pennsylvania’s legal community by The Legal Intelligencer as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track.”
Mr. Schwab is a member of the American Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is an active member of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association and the Federal Court Criminal Practice Subcommittee and the Third Circuit Review Program Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association. He also serves on the Local Rules Advisory Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, including the eDiscovery and criminal subcommittees.
View our False Claims Act Website for more information about our False Claims/Qui Tam Practie
View our White Collar Criminal Defense Group Blog where Mr. John Schwab is a contributing author
“Criminal Law Update 2020: Federal Court Update,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 7, 2020
“Federal Criminal Presentence Reports: The PSR Process in the Western District,” Allegheny County Bar Association, Federal Court Section (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 3, 2020
“Privacy & Data Security: The Current Legal Landscape and What’s Next in 2021?” Professional Liability Attorney Network (webcast available at www.PLANattorney.org), November 19, 2020
“Parallel Government Investigations: The Civil Side of a Criminal Investigation,” Allegheny County Bar Association, Federal Court Section (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), January 23, 2020
“Criminal Law Update 2019: What’s New in Federal Court,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 3, 2019
“A Corruption Overview: It’s Not Always Cash in a Bag,” Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), May 30, 2019
“Cyber Security in the Workplace,” Electric League of Western Pennsylvania, Industry Expo & Conference (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), May 14, 2019
“Protecting Yourself in Government Investigations,” United Chinese Americans, Pittsburgh Chapter at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), May 11, 2019
“ACBA Skills Training – Preparing for and Handling an Initial Appearance, Bail and Arraignment,” Federal Court Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), April 12, 2019
“Alumni Career Panel Night,” Career Services/Law Society at Grove City College (Grove City, Pennsylvania), March 21, 2019
“Criminal Law Update 2018: What’s New in Federal Court,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 14, 2018
“Health Care Enforcement: Medicine Under The Microscope,” Federal Court Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), November 30, 2018
“Overcoming the Fear of Prescribing – Defending Your Patient and Practice,” The Pennsylvania Pain Society: Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions (Bedford, Pennsylvania), November 9, 2018
“Government Investigations & Prosecutions – Focus: Opioid and Drug Addiction Treatment,” Pietragallo Law Firm (Pittsburgh, PA), June 28, 2018
“Government Investigations & Prosecutions – Focus: Opioid and Drug Addiction Treatment,” Pietragallo Law Firm (Monroeville, PA), June 12, 2018
“Investigations & Compliance: What’s New in Government Enforcement and Internal Investigations,” Pietragallo Law Firm (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), May 16, 2018
“Opioid Enforcement in 2018: DOJ, HHS, DEA, FBI – Who Does What?,” The New York State Pain Society: 2018 Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions (West Harrison, New York), April 28, 2018
“Health Care Compliance: Government Enforcement & Opioids,” Health Law Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), February 9, 2018
“Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigations and Monitorships,” Corporate Business & Banking Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 12, 2017
“DOJ and DEA Opioid Enforcement in 2018,” The Pennsylvania Pain Society: Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions (Hershey, Pennsylvania), December 10, 2017
Co-Chair, “‘The Exchange’ Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum,” Today’s General Counsel Institute (Washington, D.C.), November 2-3, 2017
“Investigations & Compliance: What’s New in Government Enforcement and Internal Investigations,” Pietragallo Law Firm (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), October 25, 2017
“Health Care Fraud Enforcement in the Trump Administration,” Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Pittsburgh Chapter (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), October 11, 2017
“PLAN Webinar: Professional Liability, Employer Responsibility and Navigating the Administrative Process,” Professional Liability Attorney Network (webcast available at www.PLANattorney.org), August 31, 2017
“Essentials of Trial Evidence,” Federal Court Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 8, 2016
“Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Forum,” Co-Chair, Today’s General Counsel Institute (Washington, D.C.), November 16-17, 2016
“Masters in Fraud and Forensics: 5-year Anniversary Celebration,” Carlow University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), August 19, 2016
“Understanding Pennsylvania Grand Jury Practice,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), July 15, 2016
“Advanced Cybersecurity Law,” Course Planner, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), June 3, 2016
“Demonstration of Direct Examination,” National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law (Charlottesville, Virginia), January 9, 2016
“Data Privacy and Cyber Security Forum,” Co-Chair, Today’s General Counsel Institute (Washington, D.C.), November 4-5, 2015
“Data Breaches & Emerging Threats: The Implications for Businesses and IT,” Collaborative Webinar with Metalogix International GmbH (webcast available here), August 6, 2015
“How to Handle a Drug Case,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), July 29, 2015
“What’s Happening in Federal Court,” Allegheny County Bar Association’s Bench-Bar Conference (Seven Springs, Pennsylvania), June 19, 2015
“eDiscovery Issues in Complex Cases in Federal Court,” E-Discovery Symposium, Pennsylvania Bar Institute/Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), April 17, 2015
“Corporate Compliance and Ethics: A Legal Requirement and Business Imperative,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), April 13, 2015
“Cyber Security Threats, Trips, and Traps: Managing Risk and Protecting Data in the Cyber Age,” Professional Liability Attorney Network (webcast available at www.PLANattorney.org), January 21, 2015
“The Exchange Presents Data Privacy and Cyber Security,” Co-Chair, Today’s General Counsel Institute (Washington, D.C.), November 18-19, 2014
“Cybersecurity Law 2014: Minimizing Data Legal Liability Risk in the Digital Age,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), August 11, 2014
“Cooperation and Collaboration in Government Investigations,” Featured Moderator, Today’s General Counsel Institute (New, York, New York), July 17, 2014
“ADR & Settlement in Federal Court,” Allegheny County Bar Association’s Bench-Bar Conference (Seven Springs, Pennsylvania), June 20, 2014
“Surviving and Thriving in Government Practice,” American Bar Association YLD National Spring Conference (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), May 17, 2014
“Streamlining and Managing eDiscovery in Complex Cases in Federal Court,” 2014 E-Discovery Symposium, Pennsylvania Bar Institute/Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), April 25, 2014
“Choosing the Winning Theme & Order of Witnesses with Sample Openings & Examinations,” Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County/Allegheny County Bar Association Federal Court Section (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), March 28, 2014
“Corporate Compliance & Ethics: Trends in Enforcement & Corporate Compliance,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 10, 2013
“E-Discovery for the Corporate Market,” Featured Moderator, Today’s General Counsel Institute (New York, New York), July 17, 2013
“Data Wars: Securing Your Cyber-Footprint and Staying Ahead of the Curve,” Government Enforcement & Corporate Compliance Seminar, Defense Research Institute (Washington, D.C.), June 28, 2013
“Discovery in Federal Litigation,” Moderator, Bench-Bar Conference, Federal Court Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Seven Springs, Pennsylvania), June 21, 2013
“Simplifying E-Discovery in Patent and Complex Cases in Federal Court,” 2013 E-Discovery Symposium, Pennsylvania Bar Institute/Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), April 26, 2013
“Effective Use Of Forensic Accountants In Defending White Collar Prosecutions,” Association Of Federal Defense Attorneys (webcast available at www.afda.org), February 27, 2013
“Parallel Investigations: The ‘Civil’ Side of a Criminal Case,” Federal Criminal Subcommittee, Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), February 26, 2013
“E-Discovery for the Corporate Market: The Exchange,” Featured Moderator, Executive Counsel Institute (Houston, Texas), September 19, 2012
“21st Century Considerations: Data-Security, Social Media and The Cloud,” Featured Moderator, Executive Counsel Institute (New York, New York), July 16, 2012
Moderator, “Hot Topics in Federal Litigation,” Bench-Bar Conference, Federal Court Section, Allegheny County Bar Association (Seven Springs, Pennsylvania), June 15, 2012
Guest Lecturer, “Legal Elements of Fraud: Civil & Criminal Fraud Actions,” Carlow University, Master of Science in Fraud and Forensics Program (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 5, 2011
Guest Lecturer, “Legal Elements of Fraud: Whistleblowers and the False Claims Act,” Carlow University, Master of Science in Fraud and Forensics Program (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 5, 2011
“The Importance of Project and Process Management Skills,” Executive Counsel Institute (Houston, Texas), September 23, 2011
“Electronic Discovery in Criminal Cases,” Federal Bar Association, Western Pennsylvania Chapter (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), June 24, 2011
“Department of Justice Corporate Charging Guidelines,” Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Pittsburgh Chapter (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), December 9, 2010
“Pending Honest Services Fraud Decisions before the U.S. Supreme Court,” Journal of Law and Public Policy, Grove City College (Grove City, Pennsylvania), May 1, 2010
“The Practice of Law in the U.S. Military,” Law Society, Grove City College (Grove City, Pennsylvania), October 28, 2009
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