Initiative in Practice.®
For every client. Every day.
Founded in 1880, we serve individuals and businesses.
We’ve transformed the way we practice law to meet the technological and social requirements of the day.
ABOUT US

MacElree Harvey 145 Years Of Experience
With roots that reach back to 1880, MacElree Harvey uses the traditional values of professionalism and excellence as the foundation for the firm’s identity. Our attorneys are encouraged to build on these traditional values through Initiative – creative problem-solving, proactive planning, and strategic positioning.

Initiative in Practice® . For Every Client. Every Day.
Our 45+ attorneys and their staff are dedicated to providing clients with superior representation and are committed to achieving the best outcomes. We serve individuals and businesses in the Pennsylvania and Delaware area with our expertise in various areas of the law.

Client Focused Law Firm
We believe that we’re only as good as the reputation of our clients—which is why we work diligently to ensure our clients come first. We never hesitate to put our reputation on the line to ensure they get as much out of the relationship as we do.
NEWS & INSIGHTS
MacElree Harvey Attorney Carolina Heinle Featured in Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Women in Law”
Employment Law Update March 2026
Attorney Tim Rayne Reaches 500-Video Milestone on YouTube
The #1 Reason Properties Go to Tax Sale Even When Owners Think Taxes Are Paid
Employment Law Update February 2026
MacElree Harvey CEO Michelle Foster Appointed to Board of the Chester County Bar Foundation
Application of Privilege in the Era of Generative AI
One Reason Homeowners Miss Tax Sale Notices

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Several years after a divorce, new issues prompted me to seek counsel about child custody concerns. No longer confident in the divorce lawyer’s practice, a recommendation led me to Lance Nelson. I truly cannot say enough good things about Lance. He is patient, pragmatic, professional, accessible. Exceptional communication and clear integrity. He laid out the options at every stage, with practical advice regarding the most logical next steps. It never needed to go to court — we were able to manage the situation well enough long enough, the kids aged out before needing more serious legal intervention. In addition to Lance, everyone I have interacted with in the office is equally competent and caring. I would not hesitate to recommend Lance specifically or the practice as a whole.
I’m a younger guy who had some fairly serious charges hanging over my head about 10 months ago, and my first lawyer did not make me feel like I was going to get through the legal proceedings without facing serious consequences. This individual was too busy with his many other cases to know details about my case without looking over notes. They were also late to appointments and even showed up to a preliminary hearing 90 minutes late.
On the other hand, Caroline demonstrated an acute understanding of my situation as it relates to the law, and as we worked through my case over the last 8 months, I felt like she genuinely valued my time and that she was really passionate about being as prepared for trial as humanly possible. Caroline was extremely creative about preparing a defense for my case, utilizing a variety of resources that her firm has at their disposal.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to go to trial and were able to work out a reasonable deal with the Commonwealth. However, had we gone to trial, I would have had the utmost confidence in Caroline’s ability to adequately represent me, present my defense, and corroborate that defense with the facts of the case in an extremely compelling manner.
While I do hope that I am never in need of Caroline’s services again, I would not hesitate to hire her again or refer her to anybody in need of a good lawyer.
From the beginning of the initial contact with John, he has been more than understanding, caring, kind and thoughtful of the situation that we have endured now approaching two years to get our security deposit returned. John went above and beyond with us to ensure that we were treated with respect and closed our case with a positive outcome. If you need an attorney, I highly recommend to call John without a doubt. Thank you John for everything you did for us to finally have a resolution!
Recently, I was represented by a shining star of the legal profession. Her name is Caroline Donato and she works for the firm of MacElree Harvey. In her presentation of my case, she took a voluminous case and wrote a brief that was clear and concise. During her presentation before the Commonwealth Court of PA, which was supposed to be 10 minutes, the judges were attentive and asked poignant questions. She never stumbled and had total command of the facts. They allowed her a generous amount of time to present her brief and in addition gave her more than ample time to rebut the opposition. Her courtroom presence I would describe as humbly respectful of the judges and confident in her case. Her confidence level was high because of the dedication she applied to the preparation of my case. The judges were in return respectful and receptive to her pleadings. This youthful legal eagle has the important attributes that make a great litigator. MacElree Harvey should be extremely grateful that she is part of their firm.
Brian Nagle has been my attorney for many years and has also become a great friend. He has completed everything that was asked of him on time, in an excellent manner, and below initial budgets. I have used him on land development, corporate issues, and seek (and trust) his counsel on a variety of subjects. I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with his firm in the last few years and have always felt every dime was used wisely.














































