Area of Emphasis
Alyssa Golfieri is a shareholder in the Real Estate, Land Use and Zoning, and Corporate and Commercial groups of Babst Calland. Ms. Golfieri assists private and public sector clients primarily on land use and real estate transactions and disputes, with a strong emphasis on zoning, subdivision, and land development.
Ms. Golfieri advises and represents private sector clients on a wide array of land use and real estate related matters, including acquisitions, leases, easements, options, eminent domain matters, subdivisions, lot consolidations, land developments, variances, special exceptions, and conditional use approvals and appeals. In this role, she assists private entities of various sizes and complexity work through all stages of a transaction, from site selection and due diligence to negotiation of purchase and sales agreements to obtaining all necessary municipal land use approvals and permits, including navigation and, if necessary, defense of opposition and appeals to such permits, and approvals.
In addition, she counsels and represents public sector clients on a wide array of local land use and government issues, including economic development through public-private partnerships, application, award, and use of state and federal grants for water, stormwater, and sewer infrastructure projects, navigation of private property acquisitions (including acquisition through condemnation) required for public infrastructure projects, preparation of zoning and land development ordinances pursuant to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, processing of land use and development applications, and defense of land development and zoning decisions before municipal zoning hearing boards and Pennsylvania courts. Ms. Golfieri has served as a municipal and zoning hearing board solicitor for over twelve years. She is currently serving as solicitor for Frazer Township, the Frazer Township Authority, Ford City Borough, the Ford City Stormwater Authority, and Sewickley Heights Borough.
Ms. Golfieri has successfully represented and obtained favorable decisions for both private and public sector clients on appeals and/or challenges of municipal decisions and approvals before local governing bodies, zoning hearing boards, including the City of Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The bifurcated private-public sector nature of Ms. Golfieri’s practice allows her the opportunity to offer clients practical and cost-effective strategies and solutions to their legal matters.
Background
Ms. Golfieri earned her B.S. in Crime, Law and Justice, with an emphasis in legal studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Duquesne University School of Law. During law school, Ms. Golfieri actively participated in the Urban Development Clinic where she earned a Distinction in Clinical Work and gained experience in preparing property tax assessment appeals, drafting deeds, resolving tangled property title issues and combatting blighted and abandoned properties in the surrounding community.
Memberships and Affiliations
Ms. Golfieri is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania as well as before the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar associations and NAIOP. Ms. Golfieri is an American Bar Foundation Fellow.
In 2022, Ms. Golfieri was selected by The Legal Intelligencer as one of only 28 “Lawyers on the Fast Track” in Pennsylvania. This recognition is given to attorneys under the age of 40 who have demonstrated excellence in four categories: development of the law, advocacy and community contributions, service to the bar and peer/public recognition. In addition, she was listed in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law and received Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognitions for Land Use and Zoning Law in 2021-2025 and Municipal Law in 2022-2025. Ms. Golfieri was also selected to the 2022 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list (Thomson Reuters).
