Who We Are

We are a full-service debt law firm comprised of bankruptcy attorneys in PA dedicated to helping individuals, families, and businesses who are struggling with an over burdening amount of debt.  We can be found in the Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania and are currently in good standing.

Our experienced team of PA bankruptcy attorneys and debt relief lawyers will work hard for you to do what is in your best interest. Whether it is bankruptcy, debt negotiation or credit restoration that will best help you to get back on your feet financially, we will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Our first goal is to keep people and businesses out of bankruptcy if we can. If necessary, we obviously file the bankruptcy as needed.

We Have Three Divisions:

• Bankruptcy Division
• Debt Negotiation Division
• Estate and Trust Division

Our Bankruptcy Division, made up of knowledgeable PA bankruptcy lawyers, handles PA personal bankruptcy cases across the entire state. We handle many corporate bankruptcy cases as well. We can work through the mail and over the phone to save you time and expense. Face-to-face consultations are available, but we try to eliminate the need for travel as much as we possibly can.

Our Debt Negotiation Division can negotiate debt for people across all 50 states. This service falls outside of our scope of legal representation in states other than Pennsylvania, but the overall results are much the same.

Harold W. Shepley, Esq.

Attorney Harold W. Shepley graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with dual majors in both business administration and political science. As a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, he developed and chaired the Chapter's first community service committee which earned national distinction in its very first year of development. He was also a founding member of the fraternity's judicial board.

In addition, Attorney Shepley served as Community Service Chairman for the entire College. During his tenure he developed the "umbrella" system currently used by the United Way. This system of organization was promoted and explained in a country-wide-forum of civic leaders and reshaped the way many charitable organizations currently operate.

Attorney Shepley received his Juris Doctorate from Capital Law School. In his efforts to provide affordable legal protection to as many families as possible, he chose to promote Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. immediately upon graduating from Law School. Attorney Shepley quickly became an Executive Director within the organization and the first attorney to ever accomplish this goal.

Attorney Shepley now devotes his entire attention to helping individuals, families and businesses overcome the burdens of financial distress.

Attorney Harold W. Shepley resides in Somerset, PA with his wife and two children and is an active member in the Somerset Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

J. Chad Moore, J.D., LL.M.

Attorney Moore received his Juris Doctor from The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law.  He previously engaged in an academic research fellowship with a top-50 US law firm and has worked in the public and private sector in a variety of legal capacities.  He obtained extensive experience in collection and debtor-creditor law as chief in-house counsel for a collection agency and is a past PA State Chairman of the American Collectors Association Attorney Program.

Daniel J. Boger, Esq.

Daniel J. Boger is a long-time resident of Farmington, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University's Fayette Campus where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice. He then obtained his Juris Doctor from West Virginia University's College of Law.
 
Attorney Boger became an associate with Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC in 2005. He is a member of both the bankruptcy and wills and estates divisions of the firm. He is licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Currently, Attorney Boger is a PA bankruptcy attorney, focusing on consumer bankruptcy law and representing debtors. His experience encompasses bankruptcy case filings under Chapters 7 and 13, responses to Motions for Relief from Stay actions, Motions to Avoid Liens, Reaffirmation Agreements, and pursuing actions against creditors who violate the automatic stay, and other bankruptcy related matters.

In addition to his practice before the federal courts, Attorney Boger also practices consumer law violations against creditors in Pennsylvania's state court system.

Leah M. Stump, Esq.

Ms. Leah M Stump, Esq.  has been an associate at Harold Shepley & Associates since 2004.  She is a 2000 graduate of Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  She is also a 2004 graduate of Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
 
Ms. Stump is admitted to the Bar in the state of Pennsylvania, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
 
 Ms. Stump is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.  She is also a member of the Dauphin County Bar Association, as well as a member of the Young Lawyers Division.  
 
 As an associate with Harold Shepley & Associates Ms. Stump practices in the area of Bankruptcy Law.  She is also a member of our debt negotiation team.

Jon A. McKechnie, Esq.

Jon A. McKechnie has a B.A. degree in Political Science and Economics from Gettysburg College, an M.A. degree in Public Administration from Villanova University, and a J.D. degree from Cumberland School of Law, Sanford University. He is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and in the Federal District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He has over fifteen years of experience in all aspects of consumer bankruptcy law, foreclosures, debt collection and litigation.

This experience includes vice president and legal counsel for a regional bank, legal counsel for two of the largest collections law firms in the country and, most recently, legal counsel for the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Standing Trustee for the Western District of Pennsylvania, He has also served two terms on the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Now representing debtors, Jon brings to the firm a unique perspective from both the creditors and from the bankruptcy courts that can support the debtor/client with proactive representation before creditors and the courts. With his background, he is the only attorney in western Pennsylvania that has this "well rounded" ability which can provide the debtor/client with complete knowledge, full service and successful results.

Jeffrey W. Ross, Esq.

Jeffrey W. Ross, Esq., is a life-time resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is an alumni of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, graduating with degrees in History and Political Science. Mr. Ross is also a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Attorney Ross became an associate with Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC, in May 2007. Mr. Ross is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Mr. Ross practices in the area of bankruptcy and also works in the debt negotiation branch.

James V. Natale, Esq. 

Mr. James Vincent Natale, Esq., a life-long resident of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, was hired as an attorney with Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC in March 2009 to handle litigation.

He graduated summa cum laude in the Honors Program from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History in June of 2005.

In June of 2008, Attorney Natale graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a Juris Doctor Degree.  While attending Duquesne Law School, Mr. Natale received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for the highest grade in Law and Religion in 2007.

Mr. Natale is admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Prior to joining Harold Shepley & Associates, Attorney Natale worked as a judicial law clerk at the Warren County Courthouse under the Honorable William F. Morgan and the Honorable Maureen A. Skerda.

Shelby J. Novak, Esq.

Shelby J. Novak, as a former credit coordinator for a major, super-regional energy corporation, brings extensive knowledge of credit and collection practices and compassion for related client concerns to Harold Shepley & Associates.   Attorney Novak earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, with a concentration in Studio and Fine Arts, from the University of Pittsburgh of Pennsylvania.  Her legal studies were completed in New York where Attorney Novak graduated from the Mercy College Paralegal Studies Certificate Program with a 4.0 average and later received her Juris Doctor degree, including certification in Environmental Law, from Pace University School of Law.   Attorney Novak, a Laurel Highlands native, recently returned to the area after residing in New York and Delaware.  In New York she worked with a women’s resource center, assisting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.  Attorney Novak also trained as a mediator with a Community Dispute Resolution Center, a local non-profit organization which is legislatively enabled and supported by the New York Unified Court System and which provides alternatives to the traditional approach of appearing before the court to settle disputes.  In Delaware, Attorney Novak’s work with Delaware Volunteer Legal Services served clients with a variety of needs and issues, including divorce, child custody, wills, advance health care directives, and matters decided before the Delaware Supreme Court.

Attorney Novak is licensed to practice law in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, as well as in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Stanley G. Markowitz

Stan Markowitz, a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, brings to our firm extensive experience in the Credit and Collection industry as well as the entrepreneurial spirit. Early in his career, Mr. Markowitz founded and led Capital Recovery Associates to become one of the nation's premier check verification and guarantee services. Having started as a single person entity, CRA under his leadership grew to include several sales offices in key cities nationwide and maintained a significant operations center in Harrisburg, PA. It remains a key player in the check collection industry maintaining relationships with many of the country's largest retailers.

More recently, Mr. Markowitz founded Revenue Corporation of America. RCA provides Financial Arbitration, Funding and Receivables Management to small and mid-sized companies located primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Today, Mr. Markowitz brings his innate ability to cut through complex problems and bring about cost and time effective solutions. His proven track record in business as well as his intellectual insight adds considerable value to our firm.