On July 24, 2022, Siana Law Partner, Sherry Brown, completed a 65-mile bike ride from the Ben Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, to Atlantic City, New Jersey – otherwise known as the Ben to the Shore (formerly Tour de Shore) along with 2100 other riders. Although the weather was a little warm – with heat records being…
DetailsDo Pennsylvania municipalities have any power to regulate firearms? According to a recent Commonwealth Court decision, they do not. In Firearm Owners Against Crime v. City of Pittsburgh, 1754 C.D. 2019 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2022), gun-rights organizations and individuals challenged three Pittsburgh firearms regulations. The first prohibited the discharge, loading, brandishing, displaying or pointing at a…
DetailsSiana Law Attorneys, Christopher P. Gerber, Andrew M. Rongaus, Michael G. Crotty and Eric M. Brown look forward to presenting the following seminars at the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs 2022 PA Municipal Legal Update, scheduled for July 27th & July 28th in Hershey, PA. Visit the PSAB website to register and view the full…
DetailsSiana Law attorney Christopher P. Gerber is proud to partner with PSAB to present the following online learning series that covers three essential areas of police department management. View the description (originally published on the PSAB website) below: 1. Municipal Police Department Supervision Tuesday, June 7, 2022 – 10-11:30 am Part One will be an overview…
DetailsSiana Law Partner, Christopher P. Gerber, is proud to present the following seminars at the 2022 Annual Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs Conference, May 22 – May 25th at Hershey Lodge. Police Department Operations Tuesday, May 24th, 3:15 – 4:15 pm Chris Gerber, Esq., Siana Law and Ashley Heiberger, Police Practices Advisor & Adjunct Professor.…
DetailsSiana Law attorneys Michael G. Crotty and Andrew M. Rongaus look forward to attending the 2022 Annual PSATS Educational Conference & Exhibit Show, April 24-27 at Hershey Lodge and presenting the following seminars: Mr. Rongaus will present with Steve Wheeler from SRW Strategies, “Issues in Policing 2022 – A Briefing for Public Officials” Mr. Crotty…
DetailsSiana Law Partner, Christopher P. Gerber and former Police Captain Ashley Heiberger will present the course, Municipal Police Department Supervision and Oversight, on Wednesday, April 6th, 2022. This course will provide an overview of the legal framework in which police departments work in PA and present an overview of the elements necessary for an effective…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to welcome Douglas Rintoul to the firm. Originally from, Orlando Florida, Mr. Rintoul currently resides in Malvern. Douglas is a 2018 graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, and a 2014 graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science…
DetailsAs part of his continued involvement with the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Siana Law Partner, Chris Gerber, will serve as the moderator at the March 18th Legislative Round Table. Siana Law is a proud sponsor of this event. “Western Chester County Chamber’s annual Legislative Roundtable brings together elected officials and business owners to…
DetailsSiana Law Partner, Christopher P. Gerber, is proud to present Building Trust in Law Enforcement – With Effective Internal Affairs Policies to the PA Chiefs of Police Association. Chris and Associate Executive Director, Scott Bohn, will host this virtual lunch-n-learn on March 9th at 11am. Register here: https://www.pachiefs.org/training-events-calendar All rights reserved. This publication may…
DetailsIn determining that the public’s trust outweighed an officers’ right to free speech, the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania dismissed police officers’ claims that their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights against the City of Philadelphia were violated. The free speech at issue included posted content on Facebook ranging from racial slurs, anti-Muslim rhetoric, homophobic comments,…
DetailsFollowing a three day jury trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Siana Law partner Sherry Brown recently obtained a jury verdict in favor of its client for over $313,000 in a breach of contract claim. Additionally, the Court Amended the Judgment to include over $189,000 worth of contractual interest; and granted the Motion for…
DetailsOn Thursday, January 20th, 2022, Siana Law attorneys Chris Gerber and Andrew Rongaus will present, Best Practices for Municipal Employers, as part of an ongoing webinar series and collaboration with PIRMA. This online training will provide essential information for both experienced and new local elected officials. As originally described on the webinar registration page, it…
DetailsChristopher P. Gerber’s article, CODE BLUE, Building Trust In Law Enforcement: Recommendations for Local Elected Officials on Constitutional Policing and Transparency, is featured in the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association 2021 Winter Bulletin. Read the full article below: Chris Gerber 2021 Building Trust In Law Enforcement All rights reserved. This publication may…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to welcome Associate Attorney, Paul Verduci, to the Firm. Mr. Verduci is a native of Chester County and currently resides in Phoenixville. He is a 1995 graduate of the Widener school of law, and a 1992 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a BA in political science. His desire…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to welcome Associate Attorney, Robert T. Sing, to the Firm. Mr. Sing is a native of Glen Mills, PA and currently resides in Wynnewood, PA. He is a 2019 graduate of Widener University Delaware Law School, and a 2016 graduate of Widener University, where he earned a BA in Criminal Justice…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to be the presenting sponsor for this year’s Local Government 101 event on November 20th, 2021. The Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee offers this in-person series of workshops to elected officials at no cost. The event will feature training sessions by professionals from a variety of fields,…
DetailsOn July 14, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 57 of 2020 into law which is intended to provide police departments with information regarding an officer’s prior work history to make reasoned hiring decisions. It also prevents officers with disciplinary issues from moving to another Department to find employment without knowledge of the officer’s…
DetailsThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently clarified the scope of the “deliberative process exception” to agencies’ obligation to disclose records pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. The case takes place in the context of the ongoing “water wars” in southern Chester and Delaware Counties. For 150 years, the Chester Water Authority has provided water to…
DetailsSiana Law recognizes Christopher P. Gerber, Esquire for his article, Legal Implications of Mandatory Mental Health Evaluations for PA Police Officers, which is featured in the August 2021 issue of the PA State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), Borough News Magazine. Chris’s Bio | Areas of Practice | Contact Us All rights reserved. This publication may…
DetailsSiana Law recognizes Andrew M. Rongaus, Esquire for his recent article, Proof of COVID-19 Vaccines: What Your Borough Needs to Know which is featured in the August 2021 issue of the PA State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), Borough News Magazine. Andrew’s Bio | Areas of Practice | Contact Us All rights reserved. This publication may…
DetailsThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court has written the ending chapter of a bike race accident case stretching back to May of 2015. The finale is a lesson in caution. Municipalities cannot rely on releases alone in hosting, allowing or condoning third party events on municipal property (including roads). In Degliomini v. City of Philadelphia, a cyclist…
DetailsChristopher P. Gerber, Esquire is proud to join Ashely Heiberger at the PSAB PA Municipal Legal Update on Wednesday, August 5th to present, Conducting a Proper Internal Affairs Investigation (1:30 – 2:30 pm). Visit the PSAB website for further details about the upcoming Virtual Legal Update. All rights reserved. This publication…
DetailsChristopher P. Gerber, Esquire is proud to participate in the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 2021 Municipal Colloquium. Mr. Gerber will present, Use of Force and Other Policing Issues, with James E. Gavin, Esquire on Friday, June 18th from 11:20 – 12:20 pm. Registration information and a complete description of the seminar can be found via PBI.org. This…
DetailsSiana Law attorney Christopher P. Gerber is proud to collaborate with PSAB on the three-part online learning series: Proper Supervision of Municipal Police Departments. The program runs from May 4th, 2021 to May 18th, 2021. Visit the PSAB website to register. The program description below was originally published on the PSAB website: Operating a police…
DetailsAs government officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continue to relax restrictions for individuals who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, many employers are looking for guidance to determine if they can legally obtain information regarding the vaccination status of their employees. There are many reasons that an employer may wish to maintain…
DetailsPSAB Webinar on 04/21/21 at 12:00 pm: Proper Supervision of Municipal Police Departments Local law enforcement has been the target of the national news media as municipalities around the country contend with allegations of police misconduct and acts of violence committed against police. There is no better time than the present for local governments to…
DetailsVirtual Class Presented by PSATS | Live webinar on 04/09/2021 at 10:00 AM (EDT) New Developments In Police Liability & How To Evaluate Your Police Department In this virtual class, Chris Gerber of Siana Law and Captain Ashley Heiberger (Ret.) will address new developments in police liability with a practical approach that allows for an…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to welcome Associate Attorney, Connie E. Henderson, to the Firm. Ms. Henderson is a native of Quakertown, PA and currently resides in Honey Brook, PA. She is a 2019 graduate of Widener University Delaware School of Law, and a 2015 graduate of West Chester University. In law school, Ms. Henderson was…
DetailsDid the FBI find a legendary cache of Civil War gold buried in the hills of Elk County? Thanks to a recent Commonwealth Court decision and a mysterious federal court Order, we may never know. According to legend, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln sent a wagon train carrying two tons of gold from Wheeling, West Virginia,…
DetailsSiana Law is pleased to announce the admission of Andrew M. Rongaus as a Partner to the Firm. Mr. Rongaus concentrates his practice in the areas of civil rights, public official and police liability, internal investigations, law enforcement operations, municipal law, labor law, and employment law. As a member of the Firm’s litigation team, Mr.…
DetailsEmployment Law Update by Christopher P. Gerber, Esquire and D. Addison Murray, Law Clerk Management of Personnel Files Every Pennsylvania employer should be aware that the management of employee personnel files is governed by the Personnel Files Act. Relevant portions of the statute are set forth below: Who is an “Employee?” The following definitions are…
DetailsThe Robots are Coming! On November 1, 2020 the General Assembly brought Pennsylvania a step closer to a future of automated delivery robots. Act 106 of 2020 addresses “personal delivery devices” (“PDDs”)—Ground delivery devices that transport cargo or goods and are operated by a remote or autonomous driving system. 75 P.C.S. § 102. The Act…
DetailsIt has been a different year for all of us, and a difficult year for many. Despite the unforeseen challenges of 2020, we found ways to stay connected to family and friends, worked together to support essential community workers and businesses, and have prioritized keeping one another safe. The members of Siana Law are grateful…
DetailsSiana Law is proud to welcome D. Addison Murray to the firm. Mr. Murray is a native of Hershey, PA and currently residents in Plymouth Meeting, PA. He is a 2017 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University College of the Liberal Arts, and a 2020 graduate of Penn State Law, where he concentrated his studies…
DetailsSiana Law recognizes Christopher P. Gerber, Esquire for his recent article, Building Trust in Law Enforcement – Recommendations on Constitutional Policing and Transparency, which is featured in the October 2020 issue of Borough News Magazine. Read the full article here: 10.20 Borough News – Building Trust in Law Enforcement by Christopher P. Gerber, Esquire Christopher’s…
DetailsSiana Law attorney, Christopher P. Gerber, is proud to participate in the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs’ 2020 Fall Conference Experience. Mr. Gerber will present Police Department Management & Community Engagement Amid Increased Public Scrutiny on Tuesday, October 20th at 5:30 pm. To learn more about this year’s online conference experience and view the agenda, click…
DetailsMichael G. Crotty, Esquire recently contributed to the feature article, What You Need to Know About Personal Liability, Township Officials Can Combat Lawsuits with Knowledge, Best Practices, and Insurance, which was published in the August 2020 issue of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors‘ PA Township News. “There is such a range of claims that…
DetailsAccording to a 2019 report released by PreciseSecurity.com, the U.S. has the highest number of CCTV cameras per person in the world. In fact, one billion surveillance cameras will be watching us around the world in 2021, with the Americas accounting for 18% of all installed surveillance cameras according to a report from ISH Markit…
DetailsTownships, boroughs and cities now have another tool in the fight against blight and for economic redevelopment. Act 61 of 2020, The Tax Exemption and Mixed-Use Incentive Program Act, was enacted on July 14, 2020, lowering barriers for localized economic development initiatives. Generally, it allows local taxing authorities to designate “deteriorated areas” within their communities,…
DetailsIn the wake of recent events, which have spurred protests, riots, and an apparent loss of confidence in law enforcement, it is critical for local elected officials to take immediate action to ensure that police services are provided in accordance with the United States Constitution and federal and state law. In an arena that involves…
DetailsOn July 14, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 57 of 2020 into law which represents Pennsylvania’s first law enforcement reform in response to the recent claims of excessive force by police and widespread protests over the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.…
DetailsCharting A Course to Restore Local Government Operations As we look ahead to re-opening Pennsylvania during a protracted fight against the coronavirus, local governments should implement a strategic plan designed to optimize safe and efficient public services while protecting the health of municipal employees. This effort requires a careful balancing of individual liberty and privacy…
DetailsGov. Tom Wolf now has legislation on his desk that contains emergency measures to help local governments respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and includes a provision addressing a popular state education tax credit program. The bill was unanimously approved by both the state Senate and House, and has been presented to the Governor…
DetailsSiana Law is pleased to announce the admission of Christopher P. Gerber and Michael G. Crotty as General Partners to the Firm. Having joined the Firm in 1998, Mr. Gerber has an accomplished record of successfully representing public and private entities as well as individuals in the areas of civil rights, police liability, and labor…
DetailsMARCH 30, 2020 The United States Department of Labor issued guidance in response to the enactment of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to address whether law enforcement personnel are exempt from the benefits afforded under the Act. Specifically, the Act exempted “emergency responders” from the extended paid sick leave and extended family medical leave.…
DetailsMARCH 19, 2020 On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was enacted into law. And went into effect on April 1, 2020. It is important to note that most employers will be impacted by the Emergency Sick Leave Act and Emergency FMLA provisions put into place by the federal government in response…
DetailsIn accordance with the latest guidance offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, employees and visitors are not required to wear a mask when entering or working inside the building at Siana Law. Employees and visitors are welcome to continue to wear a mask as they deem appropriate…
DetailsThe article, PA Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Web-Based Rentals, by Thomas J. Grant, Esquire, was featured in the January 2020 issue of The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs’, Borough News Magazine. The article discusses the PA Supreme Court’s recent decision in Slice of Life, LLC v. Hamilton Tp. ZHB and how it reinforces “the…
DetailsSiana Law attorney Michael G. Crotty is proud to participate in the PSATS Fall Forum. Don’t miss his seminar, Blessing or Curse – Townships and Social Media on Monday, November 18, 2019 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm.
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