Commerce Court 101: Navigating Pennsylvania’s Business Court 2026

Ms. Packer is the director of the Commerce Court Program of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. She has been with the Commerce Program for over 23 years. Prior to working for the court, she was a commercial litigator and corporate attorney in Philadelphia for seven years and in New York City for four years. Ms. Packer graduated magna cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. She received a Bachelor of Arts with high honors in history from Swarthmore College.

Judge Patrick is a presiding judge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was elected in November 2003 to the Court of Common Pleas and has served nearly two decades in the largest court system in the State. Judge Patrick has served in the juvenile, family, criminal, and civil divisions of the Court. She has adjudicated more than 20,000 cases in her career and has written more than 600 opinions to the three Pennsylvania appellate courts. Judge Patrick is currently assigned to the Civil Motions Program as Judicial Team Leader where she oversees, supervises and manages a caseload of over 2,000 matters annually. She has proven expertise in case management and administration with a high-volume caseload. Judge Patrick is known for her judicial efficiency and her ability to meet challenges head on, resolve complex problems, and adapt quickly to changing priorities. She is a strong leader who works well under pressure and exudes positivity. She is well respected by both her peers on the bench and attorneys who come before her. In 2015, Judge Patrick was also appointed City Commissioner for one year to oversee and manage Philadelphia elections. In her judicial career, Judge Patrick has been a member of many professional, civic and charitable organizations, including the Federalist Society. She participates on state and national committees dedicated to professional development of members of the bench. Prior to her election, Judge Patrick was a solo practitioner for almost ten years with a general litigation practice in the areas of personal injury, worker’s compensation, family law, criminal defense and municipal bond finance. She also served for two years as adjunct faculty of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at LaSalle University. While there, she taught undergraduate courses in criminal law and the court system. During her tenure as an attorney and college instructor, Judge Patrick received countless awards and honors from professional, civic, religious and social groups. Judge Patrick is a native North Carolinian having graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also graduated from the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law receiving her Juris Doctorate. Judge Patrick is passionate about the rule of law with a commitment to obeying and defending both the Constitution of the United States and Pennsylvania. She refuses to legislate from the bench and is committed to utilizing skills to help others while working to bring justice to all citizens of the Commonwealth with the highest integrity. Judge Patrick is the mother of one son and is an active participant in her church and the community.

Hon. James Crumlish III is a judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He assumed office on January 6, 2020. Crumlish attended St. Thomas College in Minnesota and earned his B.A. from St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia in 1978. He earned his J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1981. As of his 2019 campaign for the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Crumlish had 35 plus years in public service, trial practice, and litigation in criminal, civil, appellate, and administrative agency law.

The Hon. Michael E. Erdos is a judge for the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania He was elected to the bench in 2007 and retained in 2017. Prior to his election, Erdos served as an assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia County District Attorney’s Office. During his tenure there, he led a team tasked with seizing property from drug dealers. He also handled cases involving identity theft and other economic crimes. Erdos earned a BA from Dickinson College in 1987. He then completed an MA at Oxford University (1990) and a J.D. at Yale Law School (1994).

Ms. Patti is a staff attorney for the Commerce Court Program of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District. She has been with the Commerce Program for 23 years. Recently, Ms. Patti has been serving as a JPT for certain cases filed in the Commerce Program. Prior to working for the Court, she was a general practitioner with a focus on civil rights litigation for 13 years. Ms. Patti graduated from Temple University School of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph’s University.

Jonathan Hugg is a member in the Philadelphia Office of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. Jonathan’s practice focuses on commercial litigation, frequently in the Philadelphia Commerce Program, and also business courts up and down the Northeast Corridor. Jonathan is the Co-Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Business Litigation Committee. He graduated from Boston College Law School and Swarthmore College.