Phillip R. Earnest is a shareholder and serves as the Co-chair of Saxton & Stump’s Insurance Law Group and is a member of the firm’s Construction and Business Litigation and Strategic Solutions groups. He is based in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. With nearly 30 years of experience, Phil represents a broad range of clients — including owners, contractors, specialty subcontractors, design professionals, insurers, and sureties — on complex commercial and residential projects involving contract drafting, negotiation, claims, litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
His work spans construction, indemnity, surety, and insurance matters on high-value residential and commercial developments, including apartment and office towers, hotels, museums, and adaptive reuse projects. He has successfully tried jury cases and handled arbitration proceedings in both federal and state courts across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as in various private and AAA forums.
Phil has authored amicus briefs on behalf of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and argued dozens of appeals before the Pennsylvania Superior Court. He also served two terms, from 2018 to 2024, as a member of the Hearing Committee for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
He is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, an invitation-only organization limited to 250 trial lawyers selected by their peers. He also belongs to the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, the American Institute of Architects, and the Master Builders Association of Western Pennsylvania.
Recognized since 2021 in The Best Lawyers in America® in Construction Law, Insurance Law, and Construction Litigation, Phil is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He has appeared pro hac vice in jurisdictions across the country.
Phil holds a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in English from West Virginia University, and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State.
