John Warren Kettering

JOHN W. KETTERING is a member of the Business/Corporate Practice Group and the Commercial Litigation Practice Group.

Mr. Kettering has experience practicing in the fields of commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and business litigation. He has represented a variety of businesses, including financial institutions, corporations, partnerships, and individuals in state and federal court matters.

In the field of commercial litigation, Mr. Kettering has successfully represented clients at both trial and arbitration in diverse areas of commercial law. This includes successfully defending technology corporations on the basis of statutory immunity, successful defenses against asserted mechanics’ liens under the Pennsylvania Mechanic’s Lien Statute, and multiple successful arbitration proceedings relating to disputed construction projects. He also has experience in analyzing and litigating real estate leases, licenses, and easements, as well as experience in legal and financial aspects of real estate sites

In bankruptcy, Mr. Kettering has successfully represented both creditors and debtors in an array of bankruptcy proceedings. This includes favorable representation of creditors in both protecting their interests in property as well as recovering money owed to them. He has successfully litigated issues in bankruptcy related to the allowance of claims and administrative expenses on behalf of a Chapter 11 reorganized debtor. 

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kettering served as an intern for Judge Carlotta M. Böhm in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh Law School, cum laude. While there, he served as the production editor of the University of Pittsburgh Tax Review.  There he published Dr. Strangetax: Or, Why Pennsylvania Should Stop Worrying and Just End the Film Tax Credit, 11 PITT. TAX REV. 69 (2012). He was rewarded with the Gibson Award, the W. Edward Sell Award, the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence, Cali Awards for Bankruptcy, Business Organizations, and Securities Arbitration. He received his B.A. in Economics and History, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh as a member of the Dean’s Honor List.

Mr. Kettering is admitted to the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania.  He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Mercer County Bar Association, Judith K. Fitzgerald Bankruptcy Inns of Court, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and American Bar Association.