Paul J. Cianci, Esq. is a member of GMR’s Education Law and Employment law practice. Paul is a highly accomplished litigator, counselor, and advisor to public- and private-sector education entities across Pennsylvania. With more than two decades of legal experience, Paul has built a reputation as a trusted, strategic advocate in education law, employment disputes, discrimination matters, civil-rights litigation, and charter-school controversies.

Paul represents school districts, charter schools, and independent schools, including the Greensburg Diocese, in federal and state courts at both trial and appellate levels. His practice spans civil-rights litigation, employment matters, Title VI and Title VII disputes, ADA and Title IX claims, employee discipline, constitutional issues, and a broad array of student-services and special-education matters. He also regularly represents school entities before administrative agencies, including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the EEOC, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Commonwealth’s Charter School Appeal Board.

Beyond litigation, Paul provides day-to-day counsel to school entities on governance, procurement, student services, special education, and transactional matters. His clients rely on his practical judgment, thorough preparation, and deep knowledge of the statutory and regulatory frameworks governing Pennsylvania’s public schools.

Before representing schools, at a prior firm, Paul represented national franchisors and high-net-worth individuals in complex commercial disputes and trademark litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. Prior to that, he served with Eizen, Fineburg & McCarthy, P.C., where he advised businesses and individuals on sophisticated tax-planning strategies and represented clients in transactional work, tax controversies, and commercial litigation.

Paul began his career in the City of Philadelphia Law Department, where he rose from paralegal to Assistant City Solicitor. There, he handled significant tax disputes, revenue matters, and collection cases before administrative tribunals and Pennsylvania’s trial and appellate courts. He later expanded his tax credentials at KPMG LLP, representing corporate clients in complex state and local tax controversies and implementing advanced tax-planning strategies to reduce exposure.

A graduate of the Villanova University Graduate Tax Program (LL.M. in Taxation), Paul earned his J.D. from Widener University School of Law while working full time as a paralegal, demonstrating the discipline and work ethic that continue to define his professional career. He holds a B.A. in History with minors in English and Theater from the University of Scranton.

Paul’s commitment to community service is longstanding. He created and coached a mock trial team at his local public high school and continues to provide pro bono legal work to nonprofit entities on corporate and tax matters. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third and Ninth Circuits.

Combining deep litigation experience, sophisticated tax and commercial knowledge, and a broad command of education law, Paul is a skilled, dependable, and highly respected legal advocate serving school entities and institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.