Meet Attorney
Jeffrey J. Malak
Mr. Malak is a partner in the law firm of Chariton, Schwager &
Malak who possesses broad experience in litigation and corporate
matters. Mr. Malak has also briefed and argued numerous
appeals in both Federal and State Courts including the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Superior Court,
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Middle District of
Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Acting as
lead counsel, Mr. Malak has had numerous decisions reported,
including several precedential Pennsylvania oil and gas law
decisions. Mr. Malak represents individuals, domestic corporations,
partnerships, limited liability companies, municipalities, municipal
authorities, oil and gas companies, oil and gas drilling and
production companies, natural gas pipeline/transmission
companies, alternative energy companies, estates, trusts, financial
and trust institutions and national life insurance companies.
Mr. Malak is admitted to practice law before all State Courts in
both Pennsylvania and New Jersey including the Superior Court of
Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He also
maintains an active Federal litigation practice before the United
States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United
States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Supreme
Court of the United States of America.
Currently, Mr. Malak is Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Bar
Association’s Shale Energy Law Committee, serves on the Luzerne
County Bench Bar Committee, the Luzerne County Estate Litigation
and Orphans Court Rules Committee, the Pennsylvania Bar
Association Real Property and Trust Section, the Pennsylvania State
University, Dickinson School of Law, Board of Governors (at large),
was named to the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board as a Hearing
Officer and serves as a Solicitor to Townships, Boroughs and
Municipal Authorities throughout Pennsylvania.
Among his noteworthy achievements, Mr. Malak was selected as
a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star for numerous years and
was named one of 30 lawyers in Pennsylvania selected to Lawyers
on the Fast Track by The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer. He is
also a past recipient of both the Pennsylvania Northeast Business
Journal’s and the Wilkes-Barre Times Leaders’ Top 20 Under 40.
PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate Law
- Federal and State Litigation
- Applllate Litigation
- Government and Municipal Law
- Energy, Oil and Gas Law
- Estate and Trust Planning, Probate and Litigation
- Real Estate Law
REPRESENTATIVE CORPORATE AND LITIGATION EXPERIENCE
- Represents global heavy/material handling equipment manufacturing companies
- Represents global financial and trust institutions
- Represents global marketing component manufacturing companies
- Represents oil and gas companies
- Represents oil and gas drilling and production companies
- Represents natural gas pipeline/transmission companies
- Represents global computer software company
- Represents alternative energy companies
- Represents global parts distribution company
- Represents national life insurance companies
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL LAW EXPERIENCE
- Solicitor, Jackson Township
- Solicitor, Dallas Borough
- Solicitor, Borough of Bear Creek Village
- Former Solicitor, Luzerne County Home Rule Commission
- Former Solicitor, Luzerne County Home Rule Transition Committee
- Former Solicitor, Luzerne County Tax Collection Committee
- Former Solicitor, Back Mountain Community Partnership
- Former Solicitor, Shickshinny Borough
- Former Solicitor, Shickshinny Sanitary Sewer Authority
- Former Solicitor, Pringle Borough
- Former Solicitor, Nanticoke City Home Rule Commission
- Former Solicitor, Plymouth Township Home Rule Commission
- Former Special Counsel, Dallas Area Municipal Authority
NOTEWORTHY
- Selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star 2010 and 2011
- Selected one of 30 lawyers in Pennsylvania to the 2010 Lawyers on the Fast Track by The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer
- Recipient of Pennsylvania Northeast Business Journal Top 20 Under 40
- Recipient of Times Leader Top 40 Under 40
- Chief Legal Officer, Polish Union of the United States of North America
- Special Council/ Solicitor, Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union
- Presenter for Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Presenter for New Jersey Fraternal Congress
- Presenter for Luzerne County Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors
- Presenter for Fraternal Societies of Northeastern Pennsylvania
- Presenter for Pennsylvania Non-Profit Summit
- Presenter Wilkes-Barre Law Library Association Bench Bar Conference
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Hearing and Appeals Officer, Pennsylvania Office of Open Records
- Estate Planning Council for Northeastern Pennsylvania Board of Directors
- Luzerne County Orphans’ Court Rules and Bench Bar Committee
- Pennsylvania Bar Association Real Property and Trust Section: Section Chair
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, New Jersey Bar Association and American Bar Association
- Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association
- Pennsylvania Solicitor’s Association
- Court Appointed Master and Arbitrator
EDUCATION
- Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School- (1993)
- Johns Hopkins University (BA) - (1997)
- Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law (MPA) - (2000)
- Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law (JD) - (2000)
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Pennsylvania - (2000)
- New Jersey - (2000)
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania - (2000)
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey - (2000)
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit - (2011)
COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
- Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association
- Penn State University Alumni Association
- Dickinson Law School Alumni Association
- Penn State University Nittany Lion Club
- Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays Unlimited Athletic Association
- Wilkes Barre YMCA
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- National Business Institute - Attorney’s Guide to Local Government
Law Seminar, “Shared Services and the Benefit of
Intergovernmental Cooperation”
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute - “Real Estate During the Estate
Administration Process”
- Pennsylvania Bar Association - PBA Shale Energy Law Committee -
“Recent Case Updates”
- Wilkes-Barre Law Library Bench Bar Committee “Oil and Gas
Pipeline Updates”
- New Jersey Fraternal Congress - Convention Speaker, “Duties,
Rights and Responsibilities of a Non-Profit Corporate Director”
- Polish Union of the United States of North America - Convention
Speaker, “Board Member Duties and Responsibilities”
- Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union - Convention Speaker,
“Fiduciary Duties”
- Speaker on “Right of Way Pipeline and Estate Planning Discussion”
- Speaker on “Right to Know Law - Act 3 of 2008"
LITIGATION AND REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Herder Spring Hunting Club v. Keller, 143 A.3d 358
Atlantic Hydrocarbon v. SWN Production Company, LLC, 2019 WL
928996
- Keta Gas & Oil Co., v. Thomas E. Proctor, et al., 1975 MDA 2018
- Adam Briggs v. Southwestern Energy Production Company, 63
MAP 2018
- Keta Gas & Oil Co., v. Proctor, 2018 WL 7350371
- Butters, et al., v. SWN Production Company, LLC, 2018 WL 2766290
- Laurel Hill Game and Forestry Club v. Brion, 2018 WL 3085181
- Gage v. Southwestern Energy Company, 2018 WL 1768058
- Woodhouse Hunting Club, Inc. v. Hoyt, 183 A.3d 453
- Black Wolf Rod & Gun Club, Inc. v. International Development
Corporation, 832 MAL 2016
- Southwestern Energy Production Company v. Forest Resources,
LLC, et al., 2016 WL 5919873
- Southwestern Energy Production Company v. Forest Resources,
LLC, et al., 2016 WL 4410510
- Southwestern Energy Production Company v. Forest Resources,
LLC, et al., 2015 WL 9873878
- Black Wolf Rod & Gun Club, Inc., v. International Development
Corporation, et al., 2016 WL 6665726
- Northern Forests II, Inc. v. Keta Realty Company, 130 A.3d 2019
- Northern Forests II, Inc., v. Keta Realty Company, 2014 WL
12831481
- Pennlyco, Ltd., v. Southwestern Energy Production Company, 2015
WL 9686953
- Bailey v. Elder, 2015 WL 9674
- WM Capital Partners XXXIX v. Southwestern Energy Production
Company, 3:14-cv-00688
- Chief Gathering, LLC v. Watkins, 2011 WL 4597514
- Bill Goodwin Construction, LLC v. Wondra Construction, et al.,
2013 WL 420069
- Rosenfield v. Frank, 2019 WL 2355588
- Mariotti, Sr., v. Mariotti Building Products, Inc., 2017 WL 2487945
- Mariotti, Sr., v. Mariotti Building Products, Inc.,
714 F.3d 761
- Mariotti, Sr., v. Mariotti Building Products, Inc.,
2012 WL 5464202
- Woods Services, Inc. v. Hazelton Area School District, 2016 WL
6216122
- Canadian Pacific Railway, Ltd. v. Valley Distributing & Storage
Co., et al., 4:14-cv-01929
- Julia v. Cerato, 2013 WL 9591671
- Kazimi v. City of Wilkes-Barre, 2006 WL 4726175
CHARITON, SCHWAGER & MALAK
Chariton, Schwager & Malak is a full-service law firm devoted to
general civil practice in all Pennsylvania and federal courts.
Spanning five decades, the combined experience of our
attorneys encompasses oil and gas litigation, commercial
litigation, general litigation, real estate and business transactions,
zoning and land use, municipal law, tax planning, creditors' rights,
and estate planning and administration.