Monthly Archives: July 2011

Choosing the Right Auto Insurance Coverage

Accidents happen, so you need adequate protection.  That is why you must be smart about the type of auto insurance coverage you purchase.  The trend we see in our personal injury practice is that more and more people are either eliminating or drastically lowering key… Continue reading

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Municipal Official’s Appeal from Bribery Conviction

In a case of interest and importance to municipal officials in Pennsylvania (Commonwealth v. Moran), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from a township official’s bribery conviction in connection with a sale of township-owned real estate. According to the trial judge,… Continue reading

Medical Malpractice Cases Decline Steeply

  Lawyers have been accustomed to being blamed for many of our culture’s ills, and we’ve all heard the endless series of lawyers’ jokes.  In fairness, often the damage has been self-inflicted. In one area in particular over the past decade the criticism has been… Continue reading

Estate Planning for Pets

In the 1970 Disney Movie The Aristocats, Madame Adelaide Bonfamille wishes for her fortune to be left to her cats, which will retain it until their deaths, at which time the fortune is to pass to Edgar, her long-time, yet unscrupulous butler.  Life then imitated… Continue reading

Mortgages in Bankruptcy

Individuals who file for bankruptcy are generally seeking a “fresh start,” with the ultimate goal being a discharge of the individual’s debts.  At the end of the bankruptcy, those debts simply disappear, or so the debtor thinks. However, the bankruptcy discharge may not be nearly… Continue reading

Queen’s English June Musings

Cliché Alert.  English will always evolve, and clichés are a part of the process.  When first used (invented) a phrase which is to become a cliché may sound colorful and clever; it may be a perfectly useful but obscure word that suddenly “catches on”.  Angst is a… Continue reading

Decennial Filings – Save Your Business Name

Generally, registering your corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership with the Pennsylvania Corporation Bureau ensures that no other entity will be able to take on or use that name within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  While this is a boon to the business or nonprofit… Continue reading

Another Legal Shibboleth to Bite the Dust?

In a lawsuit involving a tort (which is a civil wrong such as negligence in an automobile accident) where there is more than one defendant (such as in a multi-vehicle accident), there is a doctrine which imposes joint and several liability in Pennsylvania. In many… Continue reading

Personal Guarantees of Payment and Performance

While the economy continues to improve slowly, we are still seeing an increased level of defaults and litigation involving businesses which go bad, especially small undercapitalized operations. Whether you are a lender, landlord or a seller of goods or services you need to protect yourself… Continue reading

Noble Principle, Unpopular In Its Application

The English Judge, Robert Rolfe, is credited with the often quoted legal maxim “Hard cases make bad law”. A classic illustration of the maxim’s application is found in a recent US Supreme Court decision in Snyder v. Phelps.  The Court ruled, 8 to 1, that… Continue reading