2013-2014 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The University of Pittsburgh Law Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1973 to recognize graduates of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who, through the accomplishments in their careers and contributions to their profession and/or their communities, have exhibited outstanding leadership qualities and enhanced the reputation of the Law School.
The University of Pittsburgh Law Alumni Association is pleased to announce this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awardees:
Mr. Marvin Lieber graduated from Pitt Law in 1958. Since graduating, Marvin has focused his practice on taxation, estate planning and administration, banking, corporate law and health care matters. He has a broad-based legal practice, with an emphasis on business and commercial law, taxation, charitable organizations, educational institutions and health care representation. Marvin has represented homes for the aging in Allegheny County and other counties throughout the state, major national HMO’s, universities and colleges and numerous social service agencies, including a $40 million drug and alcohol agency. He has represented hospitals in mergers and acquisitions, as well as charities in litigation with parent organizations over severance of their relationships and distribution of assets. He has also performed pre-audits and settled Medicare and Medicaid audits for hospitals. Marvin served on the University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees from May 1990 to June 2000.
Mr. Chester R. Babst III received his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973, where he was Topics and Research Editor of the Law Review. Chip Babst is a shareholder in the Environmental Services group of Babst Calland, a member of the multidisciplinary Energy and Natural Resources group, and serves as the Managing Shareholder of the Firm and as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Mr. Babst has more than thirty-five years of experience in providing counsel on environmental matters to both private and public clients. His practice focuses on compliance and permitting issues and federal and state enforcement matters. His work with the University of Pittsburgh School of Law following his graduation includes working with Professor Bill Luneburg and environmental attorney Paul King to develop and implement the Environmental Certificate Program, serving as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Environmental Certification Program, working with the Black Law Student Association to develop and implement a mentoring program with members of the Allegheny County Bar, and serving on the newly-formed Energy Law Advisory Board. Chip has been a committed Law Fellow donor for over 10 years.
Mr. Timothy Burke is a 1973 graduate of Pitt law. Following graduation from law school, Tim joined the Internal Revenue Service as an Estate Tax Attorney in the Pittsburgh District Office. In 1978, he became associated with Berkman, Ruslander, Pohl, Lieber & Engel. Since entering private practice, he has concentrated in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, Orphans’ Court practice, estate, gift, and income taxation, retirement planning and charitable organizations. He is currently a member of Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore. Tim is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations, the Pittsburgh Tax Club, and the American Bar Association sections on Tax and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law. He has served as a member of the Judiciary and Nominating Committees and as past chair of the Probate and Trust Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association, as President of the Pittsburgh Tax Club, and as a member of the Lawyers Committee of the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Desert Storm Memorial Fund Committee of the Greensburg Foundation, and the Professional Advisory Committee of the Planned Giving/Endowment Program of the United Way of Allegheny County. Tim was an adjunct professor at the Law School for 19 years. He, along with his wife Linda, has been loyal Law Fellow donors for over 20 years.
Ms. Linda Beerbower Burke obtained her J.D at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1973, where she was a Note Editor of the Law Review. Over a career of 27 years with Alcoa, she was a lawyer in both the Legal and Tax Departments, heading Alcoa’s worldwide tax function over the last seven years of her tenure. She retired from Alcoa in 2000 to head the newly formed group of more than 300 lawyers that would support the large business segment of the IRS. She worked in Washington DC for over three years on this job, in which she was responsible for advising agents, developing taxpayer guidance and all Tax Court litigation of the Division. She also initiated programs with the US Department of Justice to enforce actions against abusive tax shelters. Since returning to Pittsburgh, Linda taught corporate taxation at the Law School for two years and consults with other lawyers on cases containing complex legal tax issues. She has served as International President of Tax Executives Institute, president of the Pittsburgh Tax Club, on the IRS Advisory Council, the American Tax Policy Institute Board of Trustees, the Tax Foundation Program Committee, the Advisory Council of the IRS/George Washington University International Tax Institute, Tax Section of the ABA and on the Board of Visitors of the Law School. She has spoken at numerous tax conferences around the country on various tax, ethics, management and tax procedure topics. Linda, along with her husband Tim, has been a loyal Law Fellow donor for over 20 years.
