John Custer

Biography

A deeply experienced legal veteran, John Custer Jr. carries over 40 years in business, taxation, estate, intellectual property, employment, and real estate law. His areas of expertise are far reaching—and service both businesses and people across multiple industries, including high tech manufacturing, oil, software, consulting, and retail.

For businesses, John has led smooth mergers and acquisitions, navigated intellectual property licenses, guided companies into compliance with finance and tax laws, and provided commercial litigation services. He can help steer tech startups towards early stage growth—and has frequently advised tech solopreneurs, such as budding entrepreneurs from the Penn State Technology Development Center, on issues from incorporation to contract law.

For individuals, John carefully maneuvers the nuances of complex estate planning, personal tax law issues, and real estate transactions.

John has earned a bevy of initials following his name. His B.S. is from Lehigh University in mechanical engineering, his MBA from Cornell University. He gained firsthand experience in the corporate world at Xerox and Allied Chemical. He then earned his J.D., with honors, from Villanova Law School and began his career at the major international law firm of Blank, Rome, Comisky & McCauley and the boutique form of Kania & Garbarino. His early experiences included stints as corporate counsel for Buckeye Pipeline Company and the Penn Central Energy Group. John went on to earn an L.L.M. in taxation from Temple University. He became senior partner at law firms High, Swartz, Roberts & Siedel and Malcolm & Riley before starting his own practice.

Among John’s most notable cases include representing a leading hospital services company to staff and operate hospitals in Saudi Arabia, helping oil field services and petroleum marketing companies scale through acquisition, and negotiating joint ventures and licensing agreements for cutting edge technology companies around the world. As a trusted and longtime member of the community, he was elected Chairman of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors.