Mcmurray, PA

Kendra L. Smith

Kendra L. Smith is an Equity Partner at Smith Butz, LLC, joining in 2007. She heads the firm’s Occupational Disease, Railroad and Insurance Defense Department. With over two decades of experience, she focuses on representing National Railroads clients in FELA matters, including occupational exposures and crossing accidents, and also handles products liability defense. She has tried cases in State and Federal Courts across the U.S. and argued appeals in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, she works in the firm’s estate planning and administrative division.

John M. Smith

Mr. Smith is a member, partner and co-founder of the law firm of Smith Butz, LLC in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He focuses his practice in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, Zoning and Land Use Law, Municipal Law matters, Energy Law, Estate Planning and Estate Administration. He has tried hundreds of cases and successfully argued twice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the landmark case Robinson Township vs. Commonwealth. He also received a favorable decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in EQT Production Company v. Borough of Jefferson Hills in 2019 and a favorable en banc ruling from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in South Fayette Township et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He has published articles and spoken on oil and gas issues at various venues including Yale Law School and the American Bar Association.

Thomas M. Butz

Thomas M. Butz is Of Counsel and co-founder of Smith Butz, concentrating his practice in Wills, Estate and Trust Planning, Guardianships, Powers of Attorney, Estate and Trust Administration, Asset Protection, Business Succession Planning, Tax Planning, and Estate Planning regarding oil/gas procedures and Mineral Rights. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979 and obtained his Juris Doctor Degree from Ohio Northern University in 1983. He has 35 years of experience in law, having worked for major financial institutions and as a partner at a Pittsburgh law firm before co-founding Smith Butz. He is licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Jennifer Schiavoni

Jennifer Schiavoni is a Partner at Smith Butz, LLC, specializing in Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, and Occupational Disease and Railroad Defense. Her practice includes cases in Pennsylvania state and federal courts, as well as administrative and arbitration boards, covering commercial issues like breach of contract, partnership disputes, and corporate governance. She has focused on emerging energy law disputes, including oil and gas lease interpretation and ownership disputes, and has contributed to litigation before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She also advises small businesses on in-house needs and transactions.

Abigail P. Briggs

Abigail Briggs is an Associate Attorney at Smith Butz, LLC, focusing on municipal law, oil and gas lease disputes, and construction litigation. She was admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania in 2022. While in law school, she was a Research Assistant and Law Clerk, gaining experience in Civil Litigation, estate distribution disputes, breach of lease and contract actions, property disputes, real estate transactions, and estate planning and administration. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Legal Studies.