During his career with Dravo, a diversified NYSE company with operations in a number of commercial and industrial markets, Mr. Puhala was responsible for the conduct all of its legal affairs, including the buying and selling of businesses; the protection of its portfolio of its patents, trademarks and trade secrets, the development and maintenance of its distributor network and the structuring of myriad financial arrangements.

     He also managed litigation both for and against the Company, directing the activities of multiple outside counsel working on cases in federal and state courts throughout the country, with combined values in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

     Mr. Puhala served on the Boards of Directors of subsidiary and affiliated companies, both domestic and international, and as a member of the management committees of a number of its joint venture companies. He was a member of the Retirement Board, which had oversight responsibility for Dravo’s ERISA Plans. For a six-month period, he even served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

     It was in this environment that Mr. Puhala honed the interpersonal and negotiating skills that are critical to successful dispute resolution. His ability to produce satisfactory solutions to complex problems earned the trust and confidence of senior managers and directors, and the respect of those with whom he negotiated.

     Prior to joining Dravo’s law department, Mr. Puhala was a tax executive, specializing in federal and international taxes, and a financial analyst.

     Mr. Puhala completed mediation training with the Duke University Private Adjudication Center, the Federal Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He earned a BSBA in accounting from the University of Dayton, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a JD from Duquesne University.

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