Robert J. Stern focuses his practice on all areas of trusts, estates, personal planning and Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. He counsels nonprofit organizations on incorporation, Orphans’ Court litigation, and issues relating to tax-exempt status. Robert also represents individual clients in trust and estate planning, administration, litigation and tax matters.
He is the author of Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law, Second Edition, a 650-page treatise providing insight into this important area of law, now in its 2nd Edition. In addition to the full text of the statutes, the fully-indexed book contains commentary, checklists, cases, and forms, covering the full scope of nonprofit corporate law in Pennsylvania.
He has been the lead attorney in at least 14 reported decisions. In one notable case, (In re Neamand’s Estate, 456 Pa. 22, 318 A.2d 730), he represented an appellant before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Although the court initially ruled against his client, the legislature shortly thereafter amended the statute to support his position and effectively overrule the Supreme Court (§ 2204(d) of the PEF Code). In Henkels & McCoy, Inc. v. Adochio, (138 F.3rd 491 (3rd Cir.(Pa.)), the appellate court upheld the somewhat startling decision of the lower court, granting his client a judgment against limited partners of one partnership for the debt of another partnership.