Margaret Cooney represents municipalities, school districts, housing authorities, and other public sector clients in a wide range of litigation, regulatory, and governance matters. Her practice focuses on municipal and school law, including Right-to-Know Law matters, code enforcement, land use and zoning disputes, tax assessment and exemption issues, and litigation involving public entities.

Since joining Tucker Arensberg, Margaret has successfully defended numerous public sector clients in administrative and court proceedings. She has achieved a perfect record in seven Right-to-Know appeals before Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records, all decided in favor of her clients. She also obtained a $330,000 judgment in a municipal code enforcement action on behalf of Baldwin Borough and has maintained an undefeated record in Allegheny County Arbitration Division matters involving landlord-tenant disputes for a housing authority client. In addition, Margaret successfully defended a land use appeal arising from a demolition order in the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County and has prepared real estate tax exemption appeals for more than 20 properties involving the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and the Borough of Swissvale.

Margaret draws on her extensive litigation background to provide practical and strategic counsel to public sector clients facing complex and sensitive disputes. Prior to joining Tucker Arensberg, she represented both private and public sector clients in complex litigation matters and tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts, securing significant jury awards and settlements, including a $3.25 million corporate negligence verdict and multiple seven-figure resolutions in wrongful death and malpractice matters. Her experience gives her a unique perspective in identifying litigation risk and advising clients on proactive solutions.

In addition to her legal practice, Margaret serves as an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at Duquesne University School of Law. She has also co-authored an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court and remains active in the legal community with a focus on advocacy, ethics, and inclusion.

Margaret earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law and her B.A. from Gannon University. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and multiple federal courts.

• Liability for the VA Healthcare Professional (Erie VA Medical Center · Sep 19,
  2024)
• Medical Malpractice Considerations for Anesthesiology (Pennsylvania Society
  of Anesthesiologists · Mar 2, 2024)
• Don't Sleep on Your Anesthesiology Case (The Journal of the Allegheny County
  Bar Association · Dec 15, 2023)
• Mental Health Malpractice Claims in Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Association
  for Justice · Dec 1, 2023)
• How to Beat the PREP Act Defense (Pennsylvania Association for Justice · Sep
  21, 2021)