Legal Insights
What is a Municipal Authority?
If you live in Pennsylvania, odds are that you’re within the service area of at least one municipal or joint municipal authority. It has been estimated that Pennsylvania has roughly 2,000 active municipal authorities. Whether for water distribution, wastewater treatment, sewer, school, hospital, mass transit, recreation, business development, or some other purpose, most citizens get […]
Politcal Yard Signs and Your HOA
Political campaign signage and yard signs has always been a point of significant controversy in PA, which has only intensified in the recent years. Because our democracy depends upon the free exchange of ideas, the First Amendment forbids laws “abridging the freedom of speech.” The Supreme Court has long interpreted that the Amendment has a […]
Stolen Employee Data: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision Breaks New Ground
In late 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided that employees may sue employers for the release of stolen confidential employee data. The Court’s decision in the Dittman vs. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, allowed University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (“UPMC”) employees to bring a class action for negligence after a data breach from UPMC’s computer […]
Is Crowdfunding Taxed?
An elderly man beaten with a brick on July 4th in Los Angeles is in critical condition. A German Shepherd is beaten and shot while protecting his young owner during a burglary. Then, there is the little girl born prematurely who needs tests, treatments, doctors and surgeries to survive. In each of these situations, the […]
What is garden leave?
What is garden leave (also known as 'gardening leave')? The term sounds pastoral, but its use is practical. Very simply, it is an agreed-upon period when an employer pays a departing key employee not to work before the employee joins a competitor. Originating in England, it means that the employee is to stay “in the […]
Teen driver safety in Pennsylvania
Having recently represented a teen driver who had received a traffic citation, I was presented with a letter she had received from the Secretary of Transportation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania covering traffic laws and driver safety. In that thoughtful letter, the Secretary of Transportation reminded her that “personal responsibility and knowledge of our traffic […]
Starting or Relocating a Business: Watch Out for Local Requirements!
Anyone who starts or relocates a business goes through exciting and challenging times. It is understandable that the business owner’s primary focus is getting established and meeting customer needs. It stands to reason that a business plan will include big picture items such as marketing strategy and customer satisfaction, which in turn may lead to […]
Small business owners: Beware these recent developments in PA law!
For small business owners, the growth of a startup business can cause you to overlook the legal minutiae that come along the way. It is not unusual to see small businesses that started out using form contracts or invoices that may have done the trick at the time, but ten or more years later they […]
Limited Tort! = Limited Recovery?
Pennsylvania drivers, when presented with car insurance coverage choices, are given the “Limited Tort Option” – at a discount of some 15% to 20% on annual premiums. While such savings may be appealing at first glance, such a decision can have far reaching adverse consequences – and our firm strongly recommends that our clients select […]
Don’t Forget! 2019 Tax Appeal Deadlines Are Approaching
New assessment notices and tax bills have been arriving in property owners’ mailboxes throughout the spring and summer, and deadlines in a few counties in southeastern Pennsylvania are only a few cookouts or trips to the shore away. August 1 is the deadline for filing appeals in Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County, and Chester […]