With over 60 years of combined experience, the lawyers at Fowkes Rodkey have handled a wide range of cases in the county courts throughout Pennsylvania and in federal and state courts across the United States. Fowkes Rodkey provides advice and counsel to local, regional, and national companies, businesses, and banks representing them in a variety of commercial matters including business formation, shareholder disputes, contract drafting, collections, and complex litigation such as commercial and contract litigation, real estate and lease litigation, construction disputes and mechanics liens, trade secrets and non-compete agreement cases, creditor and debtor rights, receiverships, and insurance coverage litigation.
Also, Fowkes Rodkey represents individuals who have suffered serious personal injury in accidents, who have been hurt as a result of medical malpractice, the negligence of others, or by defective products, or who have been hurt at work. In addition, Fowkes Rodkey represents individuals in estate and trust matters, from the drafting of wills and trusts to the complete administration of estates, tax matters, real estate transactions. Fowkes Rodkey also handles family matters, including divorces, child support and custody, and criminal defense.
Whatever your legal need, Fowkes Rodkey delivers to its clients big-firm talent at small-firm rates.
Let Fowkes Rodkey put their experience to work for you.
At Fowkes Rodkey — every case is personal.
The initial consultation is always confidential and free. In most personal injury cases we advance the costs of the litigation and, of course, there is no fee unless there is a recovery of money damages in your favor.
With more than 28 years of experience in courtrooms in over 25 counties across Pennsylvania and in state and federal courts all over the U.S., Joe gives the extra effort to provide businesses, individuals, families and professionals throughout Western and Central Pennsylvania with the highest quality legal services at reasonable rates.
Joe’s legal career began in 1992 at one of the world’s largest law firms headquartered here in Pittsburgh, PA where he rose to the level of partner. After 16 years of “big law”, Joe seamlessly transported his practice to Oakmont, PA. His practice includes providing local, regional and national businesses with advice, consultation and when necessary, court room litigation, regarding contracts, trade secrets and non-compete agreements, real estate transactions and lease disputes, construction disputes (including mechanics’ liens), insurance recovery (including bad faith) and general litigation. Joe is also experienced in representing banks and financial institutions in the recovery and preservation of secured collateral. He has also served as a court appointed receiver on numerous occasions.
Joe also represents individuals who have suffered personal injury in accidents or who have been hurt as a result of medical malpractice or the negligence of another. This includes, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, ATV and recreational vehicle accidents and drunk driving accidents to just name a few. Joe’s practice also represents people who have suffered personal injuries from defective products, dog bites or other animal attacks, products liability and workers’ compensation.
In addition, Joe’s practice serves individuals and families in divorce, child support and custody matters as well as estate planning.
Learn more about Joe’s extensive legal experience by clicking the Practice Areas link.
Before joining Fowkes Rodkey in 2009, Joe earned his B.A. in Political Science with highest honors from St. Francis University in Loretto, PA in 1989 and then earned his J.D. degree with honors from The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University in 1992.
Joe spent the next 16 years of his legal career with Reed Smith, LLP, one of the world’s largest corporate, banking financial services, insurance and complex litigation law firms, where he rose to the level of partner. While at Reed Smith, Joe represented many of the nation’s largest corporations, businesses and financial institutions in a wide variety of corporate, litigation, collection and government regulatory matters.
In addition to handling various pro bono cases, Joe’s public service also included a six year appointment by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as a Hearing Officer entrusted to adjudicate claims of attorney misconduct brought by the PA Disciplinary Board in the Western Pennsylvania region.
For over 30 years, Michael Winklmann has practiced law in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, concentrating his practice in Allegheny and the surrounding counties before the various Courts of Common Pleas and District Courts, as well as the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts.
Mike’s practice focuses on Wills and Estates, Criminal Law, Real Estate, Corporate, Contract and Business Law, Income Tax, Family Law, Child Support., as well as practice before various state and federal administrative agencies regarding Social Security Disability, Workman’s Compensation and Unemployment Compensation claims.
Mike commenced private practice at the firm’s current location in 1984 after earning his Juris Doctorate from the Duquesne University School of Law, where he served as an editor on its Law Review. Prior to that, he was the sports editor for the daily East Liverpool (OH) Evening Review.
George E. Fowkes, founding partner of Fowkes Rodkey, passed away February 12, 2013. George was born in 1933 and grew up in Verona, PA. After serving as a Captain in the United States Air Force, George returned to Pittsburgh where he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1962. Since that time, George represented and counseled businesses and individuals in a variety of matters ranging from complex commercial litigation, including trade secret and intellectual property matters to wills, trusts and estates. George spent his initial years practicing in a downtown law firm before he established his own practice in Oakmont, PA. George was a man possessed of great wisdom and strong character who was universally respected by his many friends and peers. In addition to his dedication to the legal profession, George was an avid golfer as well as an outdoors-man, bird hunter and champion trap shooter who competed in many state and regional competitions.