About Us
Charles L. Holsworth. Esquire
Charles L. Holsworth founded the firm in 1989 as a practitioner who decided to leave the impersonal atmosphere of the larger downtown law firms and dedicated his business to developing closer client interaction and communication. He has devoted over 30 years to make his vision of a client oriented law firm a reality and holds the standards of timely response and strong ethics in dealing with clients a primary concern of the office. His focus is on a general practice of law. Although he handles the majority of the firms litigation cases, he has dealt extensively with small business and contractual litigation and advising on routine small business operations. With the business knowledge and experience of the other attorneys associated with Holsworth, Sander and Associates, P.C., the firm has developed a wide diversity of business oriented expertise. Charles’ experience in real estate and estate law has set a foundation upon which the firm has grown. He has concentrated on promoting out of court settlements and minimizing the expensive court involvement unless really necessary.
Charles spent over 30 years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve before having to accept a medical retirement due to military related injuries. His experience as a pilot and commander has left him with a keen sense of what the military is all about and how things should be done and not done for military personnel at unit and headquarters levels. His case load always includes several military and veteran related cases, and his activities are always filled with military related pro bono activities. Charles maintains active leadership positions with several military related organizations and commissions that help him keep closely associated with military leadership policies and personnel which help immensely in dealing with military related issues. His involved nature extends to his membership in several Bar Associations. He has maintained residency in the Pittsburgh area ever since attending college at Waynesburg and later law school at Duquesne after completing a master degree at the University of Southern California. He has graduated from all Air Force sponsored Professional Military Education Schools during his career. Charles Holsworth is admitted to the Pennsylvania Courts, the Federal Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Court of Veterans Appeals in Washington DC.
James M. Sander, Esquire
Jim Sander has been associated with the firm since 2005, and he has over 29 years of experience as a lawyer and business executive having practiced corporate and business law with entrepreneurial, growth, and at times, financially challenged, public and private retail and manufacturing consumer product companies in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and North Bergen, New Jersey. Jim served more than 17 years as General Counsel for GNC General Nutrition Corporation, Sharper Image Corporation and The Vitamin Shoppe. Jim’s business practice has focused on domestic and international law and has spanned a wide variety of transactions including: acquisitions, divestitures, bank and other financings, strategic alliances; joint ventures; franchising, owned real estate, retail and office leasing, product development and license arrangements; media buy and marketing agreements; production and supply agreements with major retailers, manufacturers and distributors; computer hardware and software contracts; internet site development agreements; and internet and mail order fulfillment arrangements. Jim has handled diverse retail, federal, state and local regulatory matters, employee and customer issues; managed all types of litigation and actively developed litigation strategies that substantially reduced legal exposure and outside legal expense year after year.
Jim has been an experienced corporate secretary working with public and private highly leveraged companies, handling corporate governance, Board and Committee matters, executive compensation and administering stock based plans. He has been a member of the senior management and strategic planning committees, Disclosure and Sarbanes Oxley committees at his companies. Jim’s legal practice also includes estates, trusts and family owned business planning, elder law and special needs planning. Jim serves with the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Jim started his career in 1982 at Meyer Unkovic & Scott in their corporate, commercial and litigation sections and then joined the bank holding company, Equimark in 1995. Jim grew up in and around Pittsburgh area and is a 1978 graduate of Grove City College. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University in 1983 and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations.
Curtis J. Gallatin, Esquire
Curt Gallatin has been associated with the law offices of Holsworth, Sander and Associates since 1996 and has over 18 years as an attorney and 35 plus years in Law Enforcement. Curt is currently a Police Supervisor with the Upper St. Clair Township Police Department. Curt is a graduate of the 213 Session of the FBI National Academy and is a member of the Western Pennsylvania FBI National Academy Associates and National Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91.
Curt’s legal practice includes estates, trusts, family and elder law practice, labor law, and employment law. Curt grew up in the Greensburg area and is a 1977 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a double major in Criminology and Sociology. He received a MPA Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, with a concentration in Labor Relations and Personnel. Curt received his Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University in 1995 and is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association.