Samuel A. Hornak

How Samuel Helps Clients

Sam Hornak represents corporations, governments, and individuals before federal and state courts in a variety of legal issues, from commercial contractual disputes to real estate development to corporate workouts and restructuring. He has extensive litigation experience, including successful first-chair advocacy through jury verdict and on appeal.

Entrepreneurs and owners of closely-held corporations frequently turn to Sam for assistance in resolving complicated disputes relating to ownership, control and expansion. He is well-versed in a number of creative restructuring solutions, including receiverships, bankruptcy remedies and foreclosure processes. Real estate developers and landlords also look to Sam for assistance in disputes with their tenants, contractors, and regulators.

Sam’s commercial litigation practice involves a variety of matters relating to breaches of contract, unfair trade practices, and property damage claims.  As a past chair of the local federal court bar, Sam frequently acts as local counsel to national and international corporations that find themselves in court in Western Pennsylvania.  He has appeared in numerous trial and appellate courts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and he has been lead counsel of record on cases that set new legal standards on issues ranging from the limits on municipal liability to the process for obtaining and operating common law receiverships.

A significant portion of Sam’s practice involves municipal matters, and he frequently represents governments, agencies and public authorities. A major part of this practice is advising governments on their obligations under open records laws, including Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. Sam’s active government practice also informs his frequent representation of private individuals and corporations finding themselves in contact with local, state, and federal governments.

What Clients Can Expect

Sam understands the cost and disruption of litigation. Even though he is no stranger to the courtroom, Sam often secures the efficient and creative resolution of disputes without resorting to formal litigation, both through formal conciliation techniques and the implementation of business solutions to litigation problems.  If those efforts are unavailing, Sam has appeared as lead counsel in hundreds of proceedings, and he stands ready to defend his clients’ interests before a judge or jury.  

Sam takes an active interest in learning about his clients’ lives, businesses and industries—and he takes pride in the number of times clients return to him for new and unrelated matters, or to represent the family members of corporate clients.

Outside the Office

A lifelong resident of Western Pennsylvania, Sam is the proud older brother of four siblings, and he lives in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Sam is an avid golfer and a committed reader, and he loves to travel—particularly to golf courses rich in championship history, and to locations that inspired his literary heroes Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Steinbeck.  He also loves to see Bruce Springsteen on tour and to try new restaurants around the country—but Sam has always been especially devoted to Pittsburgh.  An active community participant, Sam is a supporter and past Board chair of a non-profit organization committed to making Western Pennsylvania a great place to call home.

Proof Points

• Represented a consortium of lenders in connection with the foreclosure of over $20MM in residential and commercial real estate, to facilitate the development of a formerly-stagnant multipurpose development in the South Hills of Allegheny County.  This representation included the solo prosecution of all foreclosure proceedings, through judgment and successful, contested foreclosure sale, involving hundreds of interested parties and novel issues of local execution practice.
• Managed the wind-down and placement of several major food services supply companies into bankruptcy, including the efficient termination of pending litigation, as well as the formulation and implementation of a payment strategy for pending claimants.
• Represented numerous clients in connection with the use of state common law receiverships to resolve issues of corporate waste and close corporation deadlock.  This work involved representation of a court-appointed receiver, and involved the coordination of asset sales, claims submission and resolution processes, as well as corporate dissolution.  This work also involved representing private clients in successfully seeking the appointment of receivers.
• Represented a commercial landlord in disputes regarding a litany of mechanics’ liens and other civil claims stemming from the construction of a $20 million entertainment development, involving novel issues of landlord liability for “tenant’s work” under Pennsylvania law.
• Represented a for-profit toll road operator in multi-billion dollar, bet-the-company litigation involving the constitutionality of its tolling operations.  Served as a principal client contact fulfilling national coordinating responsibilities between local attorneys and constitutional counsel in the litigation of Dormant Commerce Clause issues before an Indiana federal court.
• Represented shareholders of close corporations in proceedings relating to the dissolution, asset division and wind-down of limited partnerships and close corporations, in actions alleging oppression and breach of fiduciary duty.

 Honors and Recognitions

• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers- Rising Stars
• Named among Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for Litigation – Real Estate by Best Lawyers (2021-2024)
• Named among Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for Municipal Law by Best Lawyers (2021-2024)
• Named among Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation by Best Lawyers (2022-2024)
• Named among Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for Education Law by Best Lawyers (2024)
• Named among Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch for Litigation – Construction by Best Lawyers (2024)