Atty. Patrick M. McKenna
Patrick M. McKenna has extensive experience representing numerous municipalities, zoning hearing boards, municipal authorities, and planning commissions in Chester and Delaware Counties.
Land Use And Zoning Law & More Attorney · Serving West Chester, PA · 25+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Patrick M. McKenna at a Glance
Patrick M. McKenna is a zoning and government attorney based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, practicing at Gawthrop Greenwood PC. They have 25+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 2001. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania (2001). Educated at Widener University – Delaware Campus (J.D., 2001) and Saint Joseph's University (B.A., 1997). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Land Use and Zoning Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Municipal Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026). Serves clients in West Chester, PA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Patrick M. McKenna
- Patrick M. McKenna has extensive experience representing numerous municipalities, zoning hearing boards, municipal authorities, and planning commissions in Chester and Delaware Counties
- In addition, he advises and guides private land owners and developers through complex commercial land development matters, from acquisition and planning, through the permitting and land development phases
- He has represented clients on matters including townhome developments, senior care homes, national fast-food franchise developments, manufacturing plants and warehousing, and shopping center developments
- Patrick also has extensive experience prosecuting and defending land use violations (enforcement cases) and matters under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law, and has shared his knowledge at several seminars over the years
- Elected as Gawthrop’s youngest chair of the firm’s management committee from 2021-2023, Patrick received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Saint Joseph’s University
- He received his law degree, cum laude from Widener University School of Law, where he was a Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellow, serving as a law clerk to Delaware Supreme Court Justice Joseph T. Walsh
- Prior to joining Gawthrop, he served as the law clerk to the Hon. Anthony A. Sarcione, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County, and as an associate attorney in a regional insurance defense firm
- A member of the Chester County Bar Association since 2002, Patrick has served as President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, as well as past Chair of the Young Lawyers Division and past Chair of the Judicial Evaluation Committee
- He is also past President of the Chester County Bar Foundation
- He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 2004, where he currently sits as a Zone 9 Delegate At-Large to the PBA House of Delegates, and is past Chair of the PBA Municipal Law Section Council
- In addition, he is a member of the Solicitor Section of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors
- In the community, Patrick serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Chester County History Center and board member for the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union
- He is also a past President of the Board of Directors of Safe Harbor of Chester County, Inc., a shelter for single homeless men and women
- In addition, he is a past President of the Hon. John E. Stively, Jr. American Inn of Court, a 2007 graduate of Leadership Chester County, an Assistant Editor to the Chester County Legal Reporter, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce
- Patrick has been named to Super Lawyers since 2019 and The Best Lawyers in America® since 2018
Practice Areas Explained
Patrick M. McKenna's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Patrick M. McKenna handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in West Chester.
Land Use & Zoning in West Chester
Patrick M. McKenna is one of 39,875 zoning attorneys indexed nationally. Browse zoning attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Government & Administrative Law in West Chester
Attorneys for administrative law, agency hearings, government contracts, licensing, and public benefits.
Patrick M. McKenna is one of 131,162 government attorneys indexed nationally. Browse government attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in West Chester
Practicing law in Pennsylvania. Legal matters in Pennsylvania are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in West Chester are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Pennsylvania state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Pennsylvania brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Pennsylvania courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
West Chester Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a West Chester-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Pennsylvania attorneys? Browse all attorneys in West Chester or all attorneys in Pennsylvania.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in West Chester Choose Patrick M. McKenna
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Patrick M. McKenna's practice in the field of zoning and government.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Patrick M. McKenna brings 25+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering zoning and government, Patrick M. McKenna can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in West Chester
A West Chester-based practice means Patrick M. McKenna attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
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Patrick M. McKenna's Practice Areas & Specializations
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