Washington Center Building, 680 Washington Road, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-563-4500
Contact Information
Phone: 412-563-4500
Email: djbarton@bentzlaw.com

David J. Barton

David Barton concentrates his practice in civil litigation, business disputes, surety and fidelity bond matters, and decedent's estates. Attorney Barton also regularly represents clients concerning complex commercial real estate development and probate and estate litigation.

Attorney Barton is admitted to practice before all Pennsylvania state courts, the federal courts in the Western and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His practice includes matters in federal and state trial and appellate courts, both locally, regionally, and nationally. He has tried many civil cases to verdict and obtained relief for his clients through summary judgment, motion practice, trial, and settlement. He is a member of the Surety Claims Institute, an invitation-only professional association in the surety and fidelity bond industry.

Mr. Barton's dispute resolution and litigation skills have been honed by his service since 1996 as a Magisterial District Judge in Allegheny County. Magisterial District Judges serve as courts of initial jurisdiction in criminal matters, where they conduct arraignments, set bail, determine whether the evidence is sufficient to require a trial, issue search and arrest warrants, and adjudicate traffic and civil cases.

Judge Barton recently completed a four-year term on the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, including as its President Judge in 2018-2019. The Court of Judicial Discipline is a Constitutional court established to adjudicate cases filed by the Judicial Conduct Board involving allegations of judicial misconduct by all judges and justices in the state judiciary.

Judge Barton also works to improve our judicial system in other ways. He is overseeing the Pennsylvania Judiciary's compliance with federal law to ensure that all litigants in the Commonwealth have equal access to our judicial system regardless of their ability to read, write, and understand the English language. He received the prestigious 2017 Judge John Jeffers Award from the Special Court Judges Association of Pennsylvania. Judge Barton is an active member of that Association, including as solicitor for the Association's 12th District (Allegheny County). He has planned, authored, and presented numerous CLE and CJE sessions to audiences from refugee populations to the bench of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

David is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Law (Juris Doctorate), where he was a member of the DUQUESNE LAW REVIEW. He also holds a B.A. Degree in Public Policy from Tulane University.