Forward-Thinking. Bold. Committed.
Biography
Few attorneys in the Commonwealth have represented as many clients involved in high-stakes litigation matters, garnering both national and international media attention, as Attorney Paskey. That aside, his true passion over the past 25 years has been representing the hundreds of clients facing simple or complex labor/employment, civil litigation, and criminal cases that never attract the media’s watchful eyes. Having tried over 100 cases before juries throughout the state, and successfully participated in countless administrative, non-jury, and ADR proceedings, Ed embraces hard-fought legal battles but appreciates that the best resolution is often achieved far from the courtroom, hearing room, or Zoom breakout room.
An approved attorney for the Legal Defense Plan of the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, Ed represents law enforcement officers in administrative, civil, and criminal cases throughout the state. He also serves as solicitor/labor counsel to multiple police collective bargaining units throughout South Central Pennsylvania in labor matters including collective bargaining, grievance and interest arbitrations, and proceedings before the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. For private sector employees and select private employers, Ed provides guidance on a wide variety of issues such as unemployment compensation, wrongful termination, discrimination/retaliation claims, PHRC/EEOC/OSHA complaints, and other labor and employment compliance practices.
Having previously served as a local prosecutor, a state deputy attorney general and a special prosecutor, criminal law and procedure is second nature for Ed. He has successfully represented clients charged with homicide, manslaughter, assaults, complex financial crimes/embezzlement, and drug/alcohol-related offenses, such as driving under the influence.
Ed’s cases in the civil arena have included claims involving breach of contract/warranty, civil conspiracy, theft of trade secrets/intellectual property, construction litigation, real estate disputes, shareholder, LLC, and member disputes.
When Ed isn’t at work, he enjoys spending downtime at the beach near Charleston, SC. Appreciating the need for balance in life outside the courtroom, he is an OBSESSED college football fan (Fight on State…), a lover of history, and an adventurous cook, an interest which finds its roots in his long family history in the restaurant industry.
Realizing the importance of giving back to the community, Ed is a member and former past president of the York County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, which regularly sponsors several benevolent events, and the Charleston, SC Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, whose members uniquely conduct regular “clean-ups” of the beaches on Sullivan’s Island, SC. He is also a track and field official sanctioned by the PIAA who volunteers his time and experience at high school meets and invitationals throughout the Spring and early Summer. Finally, throughout his career Ed has been a board member of various non-profits dedicated to crime prevention and educational efforts.
Practice Areas
- Law Enforcement Officer Labor and Employment Matters
- Employee and Non-Governmental Employer Labor and Employment Matters
- Federal and State Criminal Defense
- Business and Commercial Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
Education
- Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- Juris Doctorate - 1997
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- B.A. - 1994
- Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: International Politics and History
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1997
- Minnesota, 1999
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Experience
Labor/Employment
- Represented the Senior Deputy Attorney General responsible for the investigation/grand jury proceedings of disgraced Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky during an internal review of the prosecution process.
- Negotiated a confidential settlement agreement involving wrongful termination and theft of intellectual property claims against a Japanese multi-national corporation in favor former employee.
- Guided two police officers’ associations through the first-ever merger of two regional police departments in the history of the Commonwealth.
- Successfully achieved a complete exoneration for police officer accused of reenacting the murder of George Floyd at a party while off-duty in May, 2020, leading to no discipline or loss of wages/benefits for the officer.
- Secured dismissal of federal discrimination claims made by multiple former employees against a corporation involved in designing/manufacturing tech for US government agencies both nationally and abroad.
- Obtained reinstatement, recovery of all financial losses and total vindication for supervisory police officer who was improperly demoted after attempting to prevent a tragedy that ultimately resulted in a quadruple murder-suicide.
- Represented more than sixty (60) police officers in criminal/internal investigations of use of force against individuals resulting in both fatal and non-fatal encounters.
Criminal/As a prosecutor:
- Secured convictions against a child rapist who attacked Atty Paskey in front of the jury during his closing argument (No, the jury didn’t deliberate very long before convicting).
- Obtained two of the longest sentences of incarceration in non-homicide cases in York County history: one against a machete-wielding defendant who attacked kindergarten students and administrators/teachers at an elementary school; the other for a defendant who kidnapped, assaulted and shot two incredibly brave college students who survived being shot and left to die in the icy waters of the Susquehanna River.
- Assigned to reopen a “cold case,” suspected double infanticide, Paskey obtained indictments and ultimately convictions of a young mother who eluded responsibility for the murder of her daughters over a decade.
- Appointed as a special prosecutor for a local county, secured a conviction of a young mother who fatally shook and beat her daughter.
- Assigned to the prosecution team responsible for reopening, after thirty (30) years of inactivity, and conducting the grand jury investigation of the 1969 York City Race Riots murders of Lilly Belle Allen and York City Police Officer Henry Schaad.
Criminal/As a defense counsel:
- Successfully represented a juvenile defendant in state court proceedings, and a US Department of Justice Civil Rights investigation, related to the beating death of an undocumented Mexican immigrant by several high school athletes in a small, coal mining town in Pennsylvania.
- Secured an acquittal on all charges after a jury trial for a fire fighter accused of sexually assaulting a colleague while on duty at the fire station.
- Obtained a withdrawal of all charges for a college student accused of raping a classmate after subsequent DNA and polygraph test results secured by the defense demonstrated innocence.
- Achieved a dismissal of all charges filed against a high school lacrosse athlete accused of assaulting an opposing player during a game.
- Secured a not guilty jury verdict for a CEO accused of stalking and assaulting the owner of a business competitor.
Civil
- Confidential settlement obtained on claims of tortious interference with contractual relations and civil conspiracy on behalf of tech company against competitor.
- Successful representation of homeowner on claims of breach of residential construction contract regarding multi-million-dollar custom built home that partially collapsed after completion.
- $0 defense arbitration award on breach of warranty/breach of contract allegations in favor of commercial boiler manufacturer.
- Confidential settlement obtained on claims of breach of contract and conversion on behalf of manufacturer of commercial/military HVAC units against California logistics company.
- $0 jury verdict in favor of estate sued by surviving family members for claims of equitable conversation of commercial farmland.
Past Positions
- York County District Attorney's Office, First Deputy District Attorney
- State of Minnesota, Assistant Attorney General