Pietragallo Bosick & Gordon LLP

David P. Franklin

DAVID P. FRANKLIN is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP, where he is the head of the Business Practice Group.  Before joining Pietragallo, he was a Partner in the Business & Finance Department at Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest firms in the world.

David has a very broad and diverse corporate practice. He counsels privately held and publicly owned companies in the transportation, manufacturing, funeral services, medical, retail, sports, media and technology industries on a wide variety of matters including acquisitions, dispositions and mergers, joint ventures and strategic alliances, distribution agreements, outsourcing arrangements, internal reorganizations, employment issues and complex commercial contracts. 

Notably, prior to transitioning into his current corporate practice, David spent seven years as a trial attorney focusing primarily on commercial and complex product liability matters.  Importantly, he now utilizes those valuable skills for the benefit of his corporate clients, especially those in the manufacturing and service industries.

David has handled the following recent transactions:

• Sale of a Commercial Aggregates Business – Oversaw the sale of a privately owned Western Pennsylvania commercial aggregates business, including its various real property assets.  Value: $120 million

• Acquisition of Regional Bakery Business – Responsible for managing the acquisition of a leading Mid-Atlantic bakery business by a Fortune 500 company.  Value: $66 million

• Acquisition of Casket Distribution Business – Managed the acquisition of the assets of the Northeast’s largest casket distributor.  Value: $115 million

• Acquisition of Graphite Products Business – Represented a Japanese conglomerate in the acquisition of a Pennsylvania-based graphite products business.  Value: $3 million

• Sale of Meat Snacks Business – Oversaw the sale of the assets of a major beef jerky manufacturer based in Minnesota. Value: $10 million

• Sale of Commercial Loan Portfolio – Assisted an international financial services company in the sale of it commercial loan portfolio.  Value: $2.6 billion

David also practices in the sports and entertainment fields.  He has been actively involved in the development and structuring of cutting edge marketing and advertising relationships, licensing and sponsorship agreements, celebrity endorsement contracts, and stadium and arena naming rights projects.  David represents professional sports franchises and their sponsors. He is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association.

David has handled the following notable transactions in the sports and entertainment fields:

• NFL Naming Rights Agreement - Negotiated and drafted the multi-year naming rights and sponsorship agreement for the NFL stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.

• NHL Naming Rights Agreements - Negotiated and drafted the multi-year naming rights and sponsorship agreements for the NHL arenas in Buffalo, Newark and Pittsburgh, PA.

• Sponsorship of the PGA Tour - Negotiated a sponsorship agreement with the PGA Tour on behalf of one of the Tour’s largest sponsors.

David has also represented a number of owners and contractors in the negotiation and drafting of design and construction projects.  His work in this area has included the following important projects:

• Natural History Museum Renovation Project - Negotiated and drafted the professional design and construction agreements for the Carnegie Museum’s $35 million Dinosaurs in Their Time Project.

• Art History Museum Renovation Project - Negotiated and drafted the professional design and construction agreements for the Carnegie Museum’s renovation of the Scaife Galleries.

• Library Renovation Projects - Negotiated and drafted the professional design and construction agreements for the Carnegie Library’s renovation of five branches in the City of Pittsburgh, including the Main Branch in Oakland.

He received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1992 and his B.A. from the University of Richmond in 1989. 

Active in the community, David currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Miracle League of the South Hills.  David also serves on the Boards of the Mt. Lebanon Football Association and the Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association.  He was recently appointed to serve on the Mt. Lebanon School District’s Strategic Planning Committee.