Thomas A. Tupitza

Shareholder

Tom advises clients in the private, public and nonprofit sectors on finance, real estate, and governance matters. An elected member of the American Law Institute and a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers, he is active as bond counsel in tax-exempt financing transactions. He is a director of a private business corporation and several nonprofit charitable organizations, and has served as Knox Law’s President since 2007.

Practice Areas

  • Harvard Law School, J.D.; cum laude; Executive Editor, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review
  • Westminster College, B.A.; summa cum laude

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Certifications

  • Title insurance agent, Pennsylvania and New York
  • Licensed Consultant, PANO (Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations)
  • Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant
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Ratings

  • Bond counsel in over $800 million of financing transactions
  • Co-counsel in the affiliation of a regional health care system with a university-affiliated integrated health care provider and insurer
  • Counsel to the developers in over a dozen commercial condominium projects
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  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America®, (Public Finance Law, 2012-2024; Real Estate Law and Land Use & Zoning Law, both 2015-2024; and Health Care Law, 2016-2024)
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  • Honorary Life Member, Board of Corporators, Hamot Health Foundation, 2017
  • Four-Way Test Award, Rotary Club of Erie, 2017
  • Legends of Iroquois Hall of Fame, Iroquois School District Foundation, 2015
  • Humanitarian Award, Eagle’s Nest Leadership Corporation, 2014
  • Excellence Award, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, 2011
  • Everyday Leader Award, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2007
  • Alumni Citation, Westminster College, 1998
  • Legion of Honor Award, Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, 1992

Community and Professional Service

  • The Erie Community Foundation, Trustee
  • Westminster College, Trustee, Former Chair
  • Warner Theatre Preservation Trust, Director
  • Jefferson Educational Society, Board Member
  • Erie Cemetery Association, Corporator
  • Former Board Chair: UPMC Hamot, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, VisitErie, Erie County Historical Society (currently Member, Board of Governors), Northwestern Legal Services, and Erie City Mission
  • Former Director: UPMC (currently, Member, Board of Visitors), United Way of Erie County, The Nonprofit Partnership, Foundation for Erie's Public Schools, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (currently, Life Trustee), Hamot Health Foundation, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Erie County Bar Association, and Rotary Club of Erie

Professional Affiliations

  • Erie County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Foundation
  • American Bar Foundation
  • Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers, Past President
  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • American Health Law Association
  • American Law Institute, Elected Member
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Speaking Engagements

  • Programs for The Nonprofit Partnership, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), and others on nonprofit governance and the Standards for Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector

Audio Presentations