When avoidable tragedy arises, the attorneys of Lupetin & Unatin, of whom Brendan is a proud partner, are there to enforce the rules, protect the injured, and bring about just outcomes.
Brendan prides himself on finding the best solutions for his clients’ problems, often bringing about life-changing settlements. There are, however, times when wrongdoers simply refuse to accept responsibility for their actions and force the injured and innocent to prove their case to a jury.Brendan’s faith in our civil justice system combined with his dynamic ability to tell a simple story that people care about make him a powerful trial advocate for his clients. These attributes recently culminated in bringing about a record-setting $10.3 million jury verdict in a hotly contested Blair County medical malpractice lawsuit that was featured in numerous news outlets. This was the largest jury verdict in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 2020.
This comes on the heels of a string of multimillion dollar jury verdicts secured by Brendan spanning a variety of personal injury practices areas including car crashes, slip and falls, and small business litigation.Brendan secured a jury verdict in Federal Court of more than $6 million for a small local business. This amazing outcome, comprised of an unheard of $5 million in punitive damages, was chronicled in a Law.com article titled, “In Suit Over Testing of Space Heaters, $6 Mil. Awarded to Pittsburgh Company.” This verdict was upheld on appeal in the Third Circuit and literally changed the law on punitive damages in Pennsylvania. This prompted one Third Circuit Judge to describe the legal precedent as a “rude awakening” for corporations doing business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.The son of a doctor and trauma counselor Brendan learned early on the importance of compassion, empathy and to always stand up for what is right, no matter the consequence. It is these attributes, ingrained in his legal practice, that have led Brendan to be repeatedly named a “Super Lawyer” by the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers whose honorees are selected by their peers as being among the top up-and-coming lawyers in the state. Brendan credits many of the unique attributes that help him win for his clients at trial to his grandfather Edward “Pop” Sullivan, a prominent plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer in New York City. Brendan believes his affinity for medical malpractice lawsuits stems from his own experience as a victim of medical malpractice as a child. While Brendan has great respect for the medical profession, especially doctors and nurses, he knows first-hand that meaningful medical mistakes do happen and must be accounted for.
Following a four-year tenure as a scholarship swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh, Brendan received his B.S. and went on to obtain a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2005. Brendan is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the American Association of Justice, the Western Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and is a founding member of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Chapter of Toastmaster’s International.
Additionally, Brendan is an adjunct faculty professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he teaches Litigation Strategy & Planning.
Brendan is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation only fellowship of pre-eminent lawyers in the United States and Canada, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a prestigious national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. These admissions follow his induction into the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County – an invitation only organization limited to 250 of the most exceptional civil trial lawyers in Allegheny County.
