Reager & Adler, PC Blog

Reager & Adler Attorneys to Serve with the PMTA

jshull — Tue, 08 Jan 2025 19:40:14 GMT

Reager & Adler, P.C. is pleased to announce that Michael Traxler, Esquire has been retained to serve as General Counsel to the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association. In addition, Lane Brody, Esquire was elected to serve on the Board of the South Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association. Formed in 1928, the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is part of a national integrated network of trucking associations and affiliates. PMTA identifies key issues that impact the trucking industry and fights to preserve and strengthen the trucking industry and its jobs in Pennsylvania. These positions represent the commitment of Reager & Adler, P.C. to being involved in the industries that it serves.

Tom Williams Re-Elected as Board Member to Associated Builders and Contractors

jshull — Tue, 08 Jan 2025 19:08:27 GMT

Reager & Adler, P.C. is pleased to announce that shareholder, Tom Williams, has been re-elected to a 3 year term as a board member to the Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. The Keystone Chapter has a membership of over 500 construction related companies. This position represents the commitment of Reager & Adler, P.C. to being involved in the industries that it serves.

Tom Williams Presents Seminars on the Recent Changes to CASPA Affecting Contractors and Subcontractors

jshull — Wed, 07 Nov 2024 21:05:11 GMT

Tom Williams of the firm recently presented a series of seminars instructing contractors and subcontractors on payment issues and the recent significant changes to the Pennsylvania Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act. Tom also provided timely information on strategies involved in converting at risk receivables into payments to the over 120 construction industry professionals in attendance. The seminars were hosted by the Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors where Tom also serves as a member of the Board of Directors.

Pennsylvania Superior Court Clarifies the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law Requirements

jshull — Thu, 19 Jul 2025 17:24:55 GMT

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (“RESDL”) was passed in 2000. Under this enactment, sellers of residential real estate are required to disclose to buyers any material defects with the property known to the seller by completing and providing a disclosure statement. The Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission has developed the disclosure form for use by all sellers. Over the years since the passage of the law there has been a belief by some that the disclosure requirements of the law could be circumvented by simply including the words “as is” in the real estate sales agreement. Though it has taken nearly 18 years, the Pennsylvania Superior Court has recently made clear that the requirement that sellers provide buyers with disclosures of all known material defects in the disclosure form may not be avoided simply by including the words “as is.” The recent case of Phelps v. Caperoon has settled the question and, in doing so, has reinforced the Pennsylvania legislature’s intent that home purchasing in Pennsylvania shall not be governed by the principle of caveat emptor.

Protecting Your Profits: Yet Another Helpful Tip

jshull — Tue, 15 May 2025 14:03:59 GMT

A phone call I recently received brought back to me an issue that, for contractors, comes up often, yet unpredictably. That is, the escalation of costs of materials to be incorporated into a project between the time a bid is submitted and the time the work is completed, whether that be steel or concrete price increases for general contractors, drywall costs for drywaller specialty contractors, or copper price increases for electricians.

So, what can contractors do? Or are they powerless to head off what could be a devastating blow to the bottom line? Actually, contractors of all levels and trades have a tool at their disposal to counteract a possible material price time bomb. With proper crafting of a price escalation provision in bids and contracts addressing the possibility of significant price increases, construction professionals can reduce or eliminate entirely the costly impact of price escalations. Like a doctor providing an inoculation shot, with proper planning, contractors can employ this antidote to protect their hard-earned profits.

As always, we are prepared to assist you in protecting your profits and look forward to helping you with this issue, or any other issue, concerning your construction projects.

Reager & Adler Attorney Quoted in Central Penn Business Journal Article

jshull — Thu, 12 Apr 2025 19:39:15 GMT

Reager & Adler, PC Founding Shareholder, Ted Adler, was quoted by the Central Penn Business Journal in regard to a recent Commonwealth Court ruling analyzing the bid process to be followed when awarding state contracts. Ted represented an insurer in a prior dispute challenging the bid process for awarding contracts under the Commonwealth’s Medicaid managed care program.

Click here to read the article: "State Court Upholds Challenge to Medicaid Contracts"

Reager & Adler Names New Shareholder

jshull — Thu, 08 Feb 2025 20:13:00 GMT

Reager & Adler is pleased to announce that Michael T. Traxler has become a shareholder of the firm. Mike’s legal practice focuses on transportation law, construction law, insurance defense, and commercial motor vehicle accident litigation. He has extensive litigation experience in both state and federal courts. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mike is active in the community as a volunteer with the Susquehanna River Trail Association, Inc. and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Central Pennsylvania Chapter.

Tom Williams Presents Seminar "Protecting Your Profits"

jshull — Wed, 24 Jan 2025 13:53:50 GMT

Tom Williams, a member of the firm’s dispute resolution group, presented a seminar titled Protecting Your Profits. Tom was invited to speak to a group of construction and developer professionals by the accounting firm of RKL LLC as part of RKL’s Construction Real Estate Seminar held on January 18, 2018. Those who attended were provided with a variety of tips and techniques to be implemented during pre-contract negotiations, construction and post-construction stages to help assure profitability.

REAGER & ADLER, PC ATTORNEYS ELECTED TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

jshull — Wed, 26 Jul 2025 19:41:21 GMT

Reager & Adler is proud to announce that David W. Reager and Michael T. Traxler have been elected to leadership positions with nonprofit organizations.

Dave Reager has been elected to the Board of Governors of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM). Established in 1965, the CBMM is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. Serving nearly 80,000 guests each year, CBMM’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbor. For more information, visit cbmm.org.

Mike Traxler has been elected as President of the Susquehanna River Trail Association, Inc. (SRTA). Founded in 2000, the SRTA is an all-volunteer organization responsible for maintaining 25 primitive island campsites throughout the 54 mile stretch of the Susquehanna River between Sunbury and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The work of the SRTA provides water bound recreational opportunities at no cost to the public. In addition, the SRTA promotes sustainable use of the River and works toward its ongoing stewardship with a goal of a continuous water trail the length of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. More information can be found at susquehannarivertrail.org.

Tom Williams Presents Seminars on Mechanic's Lien Law

jshull — Wed, 26 Jul 2025 19:38:05 GMT

Tom Williams of the firm recently completed a series of seminars addressing Mechanic’s Lien issues and the recent changes to the Mechanic’s Lien Law requiring project owners and potential claimants to access the newly created Construction Notices Directory. He also provided timely information on how to convert bad receivables to payment to the over 130 construction industry professionals in attendance. The seminars were hosted by the Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors.

Reager & Adler Attorneys Recognized as Industry Leaders

jshull — Wed, 19 Jul 2025 18:53:04 GMT

Reager & Adler is proud to report that two attorneys from the firm have been recognized as leaders in their respective practice areas.

Ted Adler, for the 12th consecutive year, has been recognized by SuperLawyers and Law and Politics Magazine in the area of construction litigation. In addition, Ted has been selected as a Fellow by the Construction Lawyers Society of America. The Construction Lawyers Society of America is an invitation-only, selective and limited membership international association of the world's best construction lawyers. Ted is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel America, an Honorary Society of the 3,500 best trial lawyers in the country. Less than one half of 1% of American lawyers are invited to become a Fellow.

In addition, for the fourth consecutive year, Reager & Adler’s transportation attorney, Lane Brody, has been selected as a 2017 Pennsylvania Rising Star by SuperLawyers and Law and Politics Magazine. Rising stars are the top 2% of attorneys in Pennsylvania who are 40 years old and younger, or have been in practice for 10 years or less. Lane recently joined the firm as a senior associate. He concentrates his practice in the area of commercial motor vehicle defense as well as transportation, distribution and logistics.

Reager & Adler Welcomes Lane Brody

dbrenneman — Mon, 20 Mar 2025 15:14:01 GMT

Reager & Adler, PC, is pleased to announce that Lane Brody has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Lane's practice will concentrate in the areas of Commercial Motor Vehicle Litigation, Transportation Regulatory Law, Distribution and Logistics, Commercial Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation, Subrogation, Insurance Defense, Employment and Construction Litigation.

Prior to joining Reager & Adler, Lane was a litigator for ten years for prominent Philadelphia insurance defense firms. Lane is a graduate of Widener University of School and lives with his wife and daughter in Mechanicsburg. CLICK HERE to view Lane's full bio.

Please join us in welcoming Lane to the firm! Lane can be reached by email at LBrody@ReagerAdlerPC.com or by phone at (717) 727-7525.

In Philly, Salary History Now the New Don't Ask Don't Tell

jshull — Fri, 03 Feb 2025 16:27:55 GMT

Earlier this month, Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia signed a City ordinance prohibiting employers from asking job candidates about their salary histories. City Council members and the Mayor say that this new measure is designed to ameliorate the disparity in pay between men and women doing the same job. They point to statistics which indicate that women in Pennsylvania are paid $.79 for each dollar their male counterparts make for the same work. Women, they say, are at a substantial disadvantage in salary negotiations due to, among other things, gaps in their professional careers due to child raising responsibilities.

Philadelphia's ordinance is roughly modeled after an existing statute enacted by the legislature of Massachusetts. While strictly prohibiting employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history, employers remain free to ask job candidates about their salary expectations. One could certainly see the cat and mouse game that would ensue as the hiring manager and the job candidate artfully dance around the subject in a highly choreographed discussion where the “s” word is only referred to in the future tense, both skillfully avoiding any historical reference. Under the ordinance, job candidates are also free to offer information concerning their job salary histories if they so choose. Although this new ordinance may not end wage discrimination in Philadelphia, because of the prospect of defending claims and the possibility of substantial penalties authorized in the ordinance, the negotiating balance of power between employer and prospective employee will likely tilt toward the prospective employee.

Because large cities are often the incubators for novel legislation like the ordinance discussed here; these ordinances or laws are often the harbingers of future state statutes. As such, it is entirely possible that the Pennsylvania legislature may follow the lead of Massachusetts and the city of brotherly love in legislating employer/employee salary negotiations.

Construction Notices Directory Seminar

jshull — Fri, 27 Jan 2025 16:49:11 GMT

Tom Williams of the firm was pleased to present a seminar for over 60 construction industry professionals on January 25, 2025 which was hosted by the Keystone Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. The presentation, entitled "Danger Ahead! Don’t Forfeit Your Mechanic’s lien Rights!" provided the contractors and material suppliers in attendance with information about the amendments to the Pennsylvania Mechanic's Lien Law, the new Construction Notices Directory, and how to preserve their rights to file mechanic’s liens. As the new construction notices directory presents new obligations on those in the construction industry relating to mechanic’s liens, there was a lengthy question and answer session. Tom encourages those who still may have questions to contact him at twilliams@reageradlerpc.com or (717) 763-1383.

Reager & Adler sponsor of WITF’s Smart Talk Road Trip

jshull — Wed, 02 Nov 2024 18:06:13 GMT

Reager & Adler, PC is pleased to have been a sponsor of WITF’s recent live broadcast, Smart Talk Road Trip: Election Edition. Dave Reager and Mike Traxler were in attendance for a spirited discussion concerning the 2016 Election.