Attorneys   |   Meet Our Attorneys

Sheila M. Burke

Sheila M. Burke joined the firm in 1997 as an Associate and was promoted to Member in 2004. Ms. Burke focuses her litigation practice on the defense of professional and general liability claims against insurance agents, brokers, real estate professionals, school districts and their employees, corporate directors and officers, business owners, management companies, and insurance carriers. She has represented individuals, small businesses and large corporations in court proceedings throughout Pennsylvania.

An experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Burke has successfully arbitrated and tried cases in both state and federal courts for more than 10 years.  From the beginning of the litigation process to its end, she is committed to working with her clients to reach the best resolution possible, keeping them fully informed and involved every step of the way. Her strengths include managing litigation, trying cases, negotiating settlements and handling appeals.

Ms. Burke is also an active member of the bar. She served as chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Allegheny County Bar Association from 2003-2004 and as a council member from 1997-2004. During her years in the Young Lawyers Division, she was co-chair of various committees and was the coordinator for the Very Important Papers (“VIP”) project, a public service effort that provides information to the elderly in the community about wills, powers of attorney, estate planning and long-term care. She is also a past member of the ACBA Judiciary Committee, Gender Equality Task Force and Board of Governors. Ms. Burke served on the Duquesne University Law School Alumni Board as a Governor, and is a member of the PBA Women in Profession Committee.

During her time as a Member, Ms. Burke has been at the forefront of mentoring the firm’s female associates, coordinating volunteer opportunities such as reading at a local preschool in partnership with Beginning with Books, and organizing marketing events geared toward assisting women associates develop their own practices and clients. Over the years, some of these events have included women’s golf outings, cabaret theater dinners, comedy night events, as well as several successful wine tasting events that partnered the firm with a local charity to bring awareness to a cause.

Outside of the legal profession, Ms. Burke has been a volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania since 2000, helping children with life-threatening illnesses fulfill their wishes. She is also a member of the Board of Vincentian Home, and  volunteers in her church parish as a lector, children’s liturgy minister and a former pastoral council member.

Areas of Law

• Professional Liability
• Personal Injury Litigation
• General Liability Litigation

Education

• Duquesne University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1996)
• Ohio State University (B.S., 1993)

 Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania

 Memberships

• American Bar Association
  • Torts and Insurance Practices Section
• Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
• Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Women in Profession Committee
• Allegheny County Bar Association
  • Chair, Young Lawyers Division, 2003-2004
• Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association
• Professional Liability Defense Federation
  • Secretary, Board of Directors, 2013-2014
• Women’s Bar Association

 Honors/Awards

• BV^® Distinguished™ peer rated in Martindale-Hubbell
• 2012 “Most Powerful and Influential Women in Pennsylvania” by the National Diversity Council

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