APPELLATE ADVOCACY
POST-TRIAL PRACTICE
COMPLEX ISSUES

APPELLATE LITIGATION

We understand appellate courts.

A former appellate judicial clerk and appellate prosecutor, Jon Bruno knows from experience how courts of appeals work. Let us put our knowledge at your service.

Research and writing are our bread and butter.

Jon Bruno taught legal research and writing at Harvard. He prides himself on producing exceptional written work. With your case headed for appeal, why settle for anything less?

Our briefs are clear, cogent, and polished.

In both form and substance, we deliver what appellate courts need to rule in our clients’ favor.

We make oral argument count.

A former law professor, Jon Bruno is a natural teacher and advocate. He is adept at advancing his clients’ cause through the give-and-take of argument before the appellate bench.

Appeals require special skills.  Excellent writing and analysis are just the start.  An appellate lawyer must also have mastered the complexities of appellate procedure and the nuances of each appellate court’s distinct culture.

Appellate lawyer Jon Bruno has devoted his career to practicing in appellate courts and to helping trial lawyers achieve their goals in post-trial and appellate litigation. As a former judicial law clerk to a distinguished appellate jurist and now as a practitioner devoting nearly all his professional time to appeals, Jon has developed an intimate understanding of how appellate courts work.  He has successfully litigated dozens of appeals, including in state and federal courts, in both civil and criminal matters.

An appeal is not a post-script, but a culmination and sometimes the decisive contest in a case. Trial lawyers and their clients should carefully consider their choice of appellate counsel. Engaging the right appellate lawyer early is essential, as the groundwork for a successful appeal, whether as appellant or appellee, typically begins long before the filing of a notice of appeal.

At Bruno Litigation LLC, we offer exceptional post-trial and appellate representation at sensible rates.  In select cases, we may be able to consider flat or contingent fee arrangements.  Contact us today to learn how we can help.

We serve our clients in all aspects of post-trial and appellate practice, including:

Appellate courts are loath to grant relief on grounds not argued in trial court. We identify meritorious issues, arguments, and objections. And we assist our clients in raising them clearly and consistently, thus preserving them for appellate review.

Strong post-trial motions, including, where appropriate, motions for delay damages, may avert appellate proceedings altogether. We help our clients raise their strongest post-verdict arguments in the trial court.

Where applicable, Pennsylvania Rule of Appellate Procedure 1925(b) puts the onus on appellants to articulate in the trial court the errors complained of on appeal. We help clients strike the balance needed to avoid waiver when crafting Rule 1925(b) statements.

We can assist clients in maintaining the status quo pending appeal through supersedeas and stay requests, including, where necessary, by facilitating the posting of appeal bonds.

For purposes of appellate decision, the record is the entire factual and historical universe. An incomplete or incorrect record can spell disaster. We help our clients get the record in shape for appeal.

We assist our clients with motions for summary disposition, motions to expedite, motions for costs, and related requests for relief in appellate courts.

What makes an appellate brief effective is not only what it says, but what it leaves unsaid. We help clients winnow their issues and highlight their strongest arguments. And we tell their stories in simple, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing briefs.

When our cases are called for argument, we come prepared. Jon Bruno cultivates a dignified yet conversational style and relishes engaging with appellate jurists. He has been praised from the bench for his “excellent” oral advocacy.

Though not appropriate in every case, petitions for rehearing are sometimes necessary. Jon Bruno has successfully obtained en banc rehearing—among the least commonly granted forms of appellate relief.

Where warranted, we can assist our clients in seeking allowance of appeal (allocatur) and other forms of discretionary review of adverse decisions of intermediate appellate courts.

Location

1001 Liberty Ave., 5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

CONTACT

412-502-7866
jon@brunolitigation.com

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