GKH

What GKH does

GKH (Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP) is a full-service regional law firm founded in 1977 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by John Gibbel, Elvin Kraybill, and Melvin Hess. The firm has grown from three founding partners to 18 attorneys supported by dedicated staff, and operates from three offices: its main headquarters at 2933 Lititz Pike (Lancaster), a downtown Lancaster office at 135 North Duke Street, and an Ardmore office at 7 E Lancaster Ave under attorney Peter Kraybill. GKH serves individuals, families, businesses (including closely held companies, family-owned businesses, and farmers), nonprofit organizations (churches, charities, private schools), religious orders, municipalities, and citizen groups across central, south-central, and eastern Pennsylvania, with active engagements spanning Lancaster, Chester, York, Berks, Dauphin, and Lebanon Counties.

The firm delivers twelve distinct practice areas: Business Succession Planning, Civil Rights and Administrative Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Elder Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning and Administration, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Nonprofit Organization, Real Estate, Tax Law, and Zoning and Land Use. No proprietary technology platforms underpin service delivery — GKH operates as a traditional professional services firm. Distribution is direct: clients engage via phone, email, or website inquiry and receive counsel through scheduled in-person consultations at firm offices. The firm invests in community-oriented marketing channels including a YouTube channel, a Flodesk-based email newsletter, LinkedIn and Facebook presence, an extensive website blog, and a recurring series of complimentary public seminars on estate planning, elder law, employment, business, and civil rights topics.

The revenue model is conventional hourly billing for legal services with some fixed/flat fee arrangements; no pricing rates are publicly disclosed. Growth is driven by partner referrals, multi-generational client relationships, and civic engagement — including pro bono representation of environmental organizations (Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, Keystone Trails Association, Lancaster County Conservancy) and religious groups (Adorers of the Blood of Christ). GKH is structured as a Pennsylvania limited liability partnership owned by its partner attorneys, with no external capital, private equity investment, or parent entity.

Name

GKH

Legal name

Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP

Website

https://gkh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP (GKH) is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based full-service law firm founded in 1977, with 18 attorneys serving individuals, families, businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities across central and eastern Pennsylvania through 12 practice areas including estate planning, litigation, corporate law, civil rights, and zoning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Estate planning
• Civil rights litigation
• Corporate law
• Real estate law

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: Traditional hourly billing for legal services across all practice areas including estate planning, litigation, corporate law, real estate, employment law, and other general practice matters.
2. Legal Services - Fixed/Flat Fees: Complimentary seminars offered to the public; fee arrangements for specific services mentioned in employment opportunities and various practice area descriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP (GKH) is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based general-practice law firm delivering legal representation across twelve practice areas—estate planning, litigation, corporate/commercial law, real estate, employment law, civil rights, elder law, tax law, zoning and land use, intellectual property, nonprofit organizations, and business succession—served by 18 attorneys and support staff at offices in Lancaster and Ardmore. Services are billed on an hourly basis or through fixed/flat fee arrangements, with attorneys practicing in both state and federal court.

Product overview

Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP (GKH) is a full-service law firm offering 12 distinct legal practice areas covering the complete spectrum of business and personal legal needs. The firm's core practice areas include Business Succession Planning, Civil Rights and Administrative Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Elder Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning and Administration, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Nonprofit Organization, Real Estate, Tax Law, and Zoning and Land Use. These services are delivered through a team of 18 attorneys and support staff at offices in Lancaster and Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Succession Planning
• Civil Rights and Administrative Law
• Corporate and Commercial Law
• Elder Law
• Employment Law
• Estate Planning and Administration
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation
• Nonprofit Organization
• Real Estate
• Tax Law
• Zoning and Land Use

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGKH attorneys Dwight Yoder and Robin White, along with paralegal Susan Clarke, are providing pro bono legal representation to oppose an application for a pumped storage facility along the Susquehanna River at Cuffs Run, York County. The representation includes filing an official protest with FERC highlighting valuable ecological, historical and recreational resources at stake.
• Keystone Trails AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGKH is providing pro bono representation to the association to protect hiking trails threatened by proposed pumped storage facility development along the Susquehanna River.
• Mason-Dixon Trail System, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGKH is providing pro bono representation to protect the popular Mason-Dixon Trail from proposed development that would eliminate a portion of the trail system.
• Lancaster County ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in organizing resistance to proposed development project. Filed with FERC jointly with Susquehanna National Heritage Area, Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation offering compelling grounds to deny the application.
• Susquehanna National Heritage AreamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint filing with Lancaster County Conservancy and other organizations to oppose development project. The region has been designated for conservation by state and federal government.
• Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in joint filing to oppose pumped storage facility application.
• Chesapeake Bay FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in joint filing to oppose pumped storage facility application.
• Adorers of the Blood of ChristminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2018 to 2021, GKH partners Dwight Yoder and Sheila O'Rourke, along with paralegal Susan Clarke, represented this group of Catholic nuns in federal court seeking to prevent a large fossil fuel company from installing a pipeline across the Sisters' private property in Lancaster County.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Barley Snyder: Lancaster, PA-based full-service law firm with a comparable mid-size headcount and overlapping practice areas including corporate, real estate, employment, and litigation. Most direct head-to-head competitor in GKH's home market.
• Saxton & Stump: Lancaster, PA-headquartered full-service firm that has grown rapidly via lateral hiring into complementary practices. Competes with GKH for regional mid-market corporate, healthcare, and litigation work in central PA.
• McNees Wallace & Nurick: Harrisburg, PA-based mid-size full-service firm serving central and south-central Pennsylvania with corporate, litigation, employment, real estate, and government services practices — directly mirroring GKH's geographic and practice-area footprint.
• Stevens & Lee: Reading, PA-rooted mid-size full-service firm with strong corporate, finance, employment, and litigation practices across Pennsylvania. Comparable in regional orientation and full-service breadth to GKH.
• Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg: Philadelphia-based full-service firm serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York with corporate, real estate, litigation, and employment practices. Similar mid-size full-service profile operating in GKH's broader Pennsylvania footprint.
• Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel: Philadelphia-based full-service firm with comparable practice breadth in corporate, real estate, employment, litigation, and estate planning. Competes for Pennsylvania-based mid-market clients.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania-headquartered defense litigation firm with broad statewide presence. Comparable Pennsylvania-centric operating model, though more defense-oriented than GKH's mixed plaintiff/defendant practice.

Broad incumbents

• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Pittsburgh-headquartered national firm with deep Pennsylvania presence across corporate, litigation, real estate, and government relations practices. Larger, broader incumbent competing with GKH for Pennsylvania-based corporate work.
• Fox Rothschild: Philadelphia-based national full-service firm with extensive Pennsylvania offices. Larger incumbent that competes with GKH for mid-market corporate, real estate, and nonprofit clients across the region.
• Troutman Pepper: National law firm with a substantial Philadelphia and Pennsylvania platform after the 2020 merger. Competes with GKH for Pennsylvania-based business clients in corporate, finance, real estate, and litigation matters at the larger end of the market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCK_GvJImJkl_-dWz8-69EgA
• Facebookfacebook.com/GKHLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gibbel-kraybill-and-hess-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GKH