Real Estate Institute 2026 – Day One – Philadelphia

Mr. Morcom is a Member at McNees Wallace Nurick LLC in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and is also the chair of the firm’s State and Local Tax Group. He represents commercial and industrial entities in all areas of state and local taxation, with particular emphasis on real estate assessment appeals, corporate net income tax, capital stock/foreign franchise tax, and sales and use tax. Additionally, Mr. Morcom authors the leading treatise on Pennsylvania assessment law, “Assessment Law and Procedure in PA,” which is published by PBI every two years. In his twenty plus years of practicing law, he has successfully handled hundreds of assessment appeals throughout Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Mr. Young is a shareholder at CGA Law Firm and currently chairs the firm’s Bankruptcy Department. For 2020 – 2023, the CGA Bankruptcy Department has caused CGA to be ranked a Tier #1 Law Firm by U.S. News and World Report. He is certified as a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification. Mr. Young routinely handles representation of consumers in Chapter 7 and 13, and  representation in Chapter 11 filings for small businesses. From 2006 through 2020, he has been selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. He is currently a member of the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, having served as a Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 Trustee since 1978. Mr. Young is a past president of the York County Bar Association, the York County Bar Foundation, the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association and Central Pennsylvania Legal Services. He received his B.A. in 1971 from Colgate University and his J.D. in 1974 from Washington and Lee University Law School.

Jessica O’Neill is a Senior Attorney at PennFuture. She is based out of Philadelphia, and her work focuses on water quality and watershed protection as well as the creation and protection of green space for all. She also works on issues related to the petrochemical and fracking industries that threaten our health and environment across Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PennFuture, she was an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. She also worked as an environmental lawyer in private practice, where she primarily focused on clean water issues, and as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency in its Mid-Atlantic office, bringing administrative enforcement actions under federal hazardous waste and toxic chemical regulations. In 2010, she served as an assistant counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Ms. O’Neill clerked for the Honorable Louis H. Pollak on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Robert B. Kugler on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. She has an undergraduate degree in environmental studies from Brown University and graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Mr. Mandelbaum is a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Environmental Practice. His principal offices are in Philadelphia and Boston. His practice tends toward environmental litigation of various sorts, including some Superfund matters that the government characterizes as among its most significant. He also advises on compliance, regulatory and transactional issues. He served as Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Statewide Water Resources Committee and as a member of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Mr. Mandelbaum teaches “Superfund Litigation” and “Oil and Gas Law” in rotation at Temple Law School and the Superfund course at Suffolk (Boston) Law School. He was educated at Harvard University (A.B. 1980; J.D. 1983) and served as law clerk to Hon. Louis H. Pollak, then-United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a Regent of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

Mr. Lozoff worked as a real estate and corporate transactions attorney for 25+ years in several of Greater Philadelphia’s most sophisticated law firms before leaving the practice of law in 2014.  At that time, Mr. Lozoff joined Tactix as a broker, and has since been working exclusively as a representative of end-users of commercial real estate. Mr. Lozoff continues to put his legal training and experience to work for clients in a diverse set of industries, including financial services, law, life sciences, healthcare, tech, and manufacturing businesses, among others.  Mr. Lozoff’s brokerage engagements include headquarters work for Biomeme, Ghost Robotics, LLR Partners, LBC Credit Partners, LL Funds, Lubert-Adler Partners, Camping Management, Alli Fabrication, LIA Diagnostics, Context Therapeutics, Claim Therapeutics, Revitas, and SDI.  Mr. Lozoff also has had the privilege of representing several regional law firms, including Earp Cohn, Charlson Braber, Sansweet, Dearden and Burke, and Liss & Marion. In addition to his work with office, laboratory/R&D, and manufacturing users, Mr. Lozoff has also leant his skills to the region’s hospitality and food service industries—through continuing engagements with WorkMerk, DanDan, Fork, Cogito Coffee, and High Street Hospitality Group. For the last two years, Mr. Lozoff has also served on the Pennsylvania Advisory Broad of The Trust for Public Land and as a sponsor of, and advisor to, the Mentor Connect program created jointly by the Philadelphia Association for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Mr. Maffucci is an attorney with the firm Semanoff, Ormsby, Greenberg & Torchia, LLC, based in Huntingdon Valley. His focus is real estate, including both transactional matters and litigation. Mr. Maffucci’s litigation practice includes partition proceedings, mortgage-enforcement proceedings, landlord-tenant disputes, bankruptcy proceedings involving real estate, zoning and land-use proceedings, creditors’-rights proceedings, quiet-title proceedings, boundary disputes, other disputes involving adjoining or neighboring landowners, mechanics’-lien proceedings, construction litigation, buyer-seller litigation, and title disputes. He studied sociology and philosophy at the State University College in Oneonta, New York, earning his B.A. with high honors in 1980. Mr. Maffucci earned his J.D. in 1985 from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Buffalo Law Review. Prior to joining his current firm in February 2009, he was a partner in the real-estate practice group of a large Philadelphia law firm. Mr. Maffucci has written and spoken frequently about real-estate matters. He has also written and spoken frequently about, and is a crusader for, the use of plain English by lawyers.

Nitya Kumar Goyal focuses her practice on commercial real estate finance as a Partner at Dechert LLP. She represents banks, insurance companies, institutional lenders, and private credit investors in mortgage and mezzanine loan originations secured by commercial real estate assets, including office, industrial, multifamily, hotel, and retail properties, as well as loan participations, syndications, and co-lender arrangements. She is recognized by Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Lawyer” in real estate finance and is ranked by Chambers USA for real estate finance in Pennsylvania. She was named to the CRE Finance Council’s 20 Under 40 Class of 2025 and recognized as a “2025 Rising Star” in Real Estate by Law360. She earned her Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

After litigating for thirty-five years, Ms. Glidden opened her solo practice, Glidden ADR LLC, in 2022, which is based in West Chester. Her practice is devoted exclusively to the ADR processes of mediation and arbitration. She is a mediator and arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Roster of Neutrals, where she mediates and arbitrates construction, commercial, and consumer disputes. She is also a mediator on the DRS Panels, of the Tri-County Suburban Realtors Association, and the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors, where she mediates real estate disputes. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Drexel University Kline School of Law, and works with the arbitration competition teams. She also accepts mediation referrals from the Chester County Orphans Court. Ms. Glidden has been a Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer” for ADR since 2021, has been on the Pennsylvania Super Lawyer “Top 50 Women” list since 2025, and has been a Main Line Today “Top Lawyer” in ADR since 2018.She is President of the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators. In terms of education, she received a B.A. from Keene State College, University of New Hampshire; an M.A. from Columbia University; and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. She completed Advanced Mediation training at the Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution.

Steven G. Kalnoki, Esq., is a counsel at the global law firm Dechert LLP, in the firm’s finance and real estate group. He regularly represents lenders, loan servicers and borrowers, in the origination and servicing of large mortgage and mezzanine loans, financing a wide variety of commercial real estate assets. He also has extensive experience with workouts and restructurings of under-performing and non-performing loans. Mr. Kalnoki earned his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Glenn M. Campbell is a Principal in the firm’s Casualty Litigation Department and has over thirty-five years of litigation experience representing defendants in complex construction accident and injury, workplace and industrial accident, and products liability cases. His clients include self-insured commercial and residential construction companies, contractors and subcontractors, and industrial manufacturing companies, as well as insurers and third-party administrators. Mr. Campbell is a seasoned litigator that served as a senior attorney for multi-line insurer The Travelers Companies, Inc., where he oversaw litigation of major and catastrophic loss, construction injury, and products liability cases. He is experienced in matters that involve a variety of complexities, major injuries, and industry-specific codes and regulations. An active member of his community, Mr. Campbell volunteers his time with Scouting America and has served as a high school co-ed volleyball coach through his church. As Eucharistic Ministers, Mr. Campbell and his wife visit Delaware County, PA area nursing homes to give Communion a few times each month.
The Best Lawyers in America® recognized Mr. Campbell in its 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions in the Construction Litigation category. For information about this selection and an overview of common third-party publications, rankings, and lists methodologies,

Scott France, AICP, is the Executive Director for the Montgomery County Planning Commission where he oversees all aspects of planning – including county comprehensive planning, zoning and development reviews, municipal planning contracts, County Commissioner support, and relationships with regional and local planning partners. Scott has over twenty years of experience at the Planning Commission and he previously lead the county planning section where he worked on county-wide issues involving land use, comprehensive planning, revitalization, housing, demographics, farmland preservation, and zoning. Scott has worked on many economic development and housing projects for the Planning Commission including the Turnpike Corridor Study, the Transit-Oriented Development Model Ordinance, and the county’s Housing Blueprint, along with administering the annual Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program. Scott has a Masters in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is a resident in the Wynnewood section of Lower Merion. He has served as an appointed member of the Lower Merion Planning Commission Board since 2017, and has also held a board member seat on the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority since 2022.

Rachael Griffith is the Sustainability Director at the Chester County Planning Commission. She provides leadership and coordination between county departments, municipalities and a host of community partners to implement the County’s Climate Action Plan. She oversees the work of the Planning Commission’s Sustainability Division, which focuses on countywide environmental and energy planning and on supporting the county’s 73 municipalities in developing local plans and ordinances that employ best practices for energy conservation and deploying renewable energy. Rachael is a registered landscape architect and certified planner. She holds a BS in Landscape Architecture from Temple University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chase Hamilton (he/him/his) joined PLA in 2024 as a Staff Attorney in the Consumer Housing Unit. He graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science and International Development from Tulane University. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2018. He enjoys hiking, ultimate frisbee, playing piano, and attempting new recipes in the kitchen.

As a local attorney, William F. Kerr, Jr. has a breadth of experience in real estate law in Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania counties. He was previously an Associate and a Partner in the Philadelphia law office of Blank Rome LLP. Mr. Kerr represents developers, property managers, and property owners with real estate and various transactions. He has assisted clients in obtaining multiple land development, subdivision, zoning, and related approvals and in different sale and leasing transactions. Kerr has extensive experience in successfully pursuing real estate tax assessment appeals, nonprofit real estate tax exemptions, Act 319 Agricultural Assessments, Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreements, and real estate tax abatements. Additionally, Kerr represents numerous Pennsylvania affordable housing developers, owners, and managers in various aspects of the affordable housing development process, including properties financed with Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. He has significant expertise in real estate tax assessment issues for affordable housing properties and was part of the affordable housing industry group that successfully pursued an amendment to Pennsylvania’s assessment law as it affects affordable housing. He has represented property owners in a variety of eminent domain matters and easement, restrictive covenant, real estate title, green building, and stormwater issues. He also has significant experience in the area of real estate valuation. Kerr serves as a Zoning Board Solicitor and has experience as special zoning and development counsel to several southeastern Pennsylvania municipalities.

Dan Ritterman brings over a decade of entrepreneurial, legal, and negotiation experience to Tactix. While in college, he founded Mainline Delivery, one of the region’s first restaurant delivery services, and served as its operating manager for more than ten years. In 2016, he successfully negotiated its sale to a publicly traded company. Following the acquisition, Dan continued to operate in the Philadelphia market, fueling his passion for helping businesses grow their revenues and maximize profitability. During this time, he also earned his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2014. Drawing on his experience as a founder and operator, Dan brings firsthand insight into the dedication and commitment required to build and sustain a business; skills he now applies to his commercial real estate practice. At Tactix, he has represented clients ranging from growth-stage technology startups to Am Law 100 firms to national logistics providers. In addition to his brokerage work, Dan remains active in the startup community, mentoring founders through several entrepreneurship programs.

Doug Simon is a Principal and one of three owners of Tactix Real Estate Advisors. Since leaving the active practice of law in 2001, Doug has dedicated his entire career to representing tenants and owner-occupiers in commercial real estate transactions. Over the past 25+ years, he has earned a reputation as one of the region’s top tenant representatives – trusted by clients for his sharp analysis, advocacy, and unwavering focus on their best interests. Drawing on his legal training and decades of experience, Doug brings a unique perspective to every negotiation. His understanding of both the business and legal complexities of leasing has made him a go-to advisor for many of Philadelphia’s most respected law firms, including Fox Rothschild, Blank Rome, and Cozen O’Connor, as well as leading nonprofit organizations such as Community Legal Services, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, HIAS Pennsylvania, and the Homeless Advocacy Project. While Doug is well known for his work with legal and nonprofit clients, his portfolio extends across a range of industries. From high-profile headquarters projects to complex build-to-suit transactions, he has consistently delivered market-setting outcomes throughout the Greater Philadelphia region and beyond. In addition to his work at Tactix, Doug serves on the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, the Board of Directors of Beyond Literacy, and the Grants Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

Richard J. Slavin is a partner in the Real Estate Practice at Hodgson Russ LLP in New York City. A Philadelphia native admitted in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, he practiced at established firms in both cities before joining Hodgson Russ. He handles commercial acquisitions, financings, leasing, and joint ventures for REITs, retailers, lenders, family offices, and real estate entrepreneurs, with significant work in both the Philadelphia and New York City markets. Rich has presented CLEs on commercial leases and purchase agreements, has written for Crain’s New York on ground leases, and has been named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2024–2026) and The Legal Intelligencer‘s Lawyers on the Fast Track. He holds his B.A., magna cum laude, and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

At McNees Wallace & Nurick, Loren represents municipal clients and property owners in a variety of zoning, land use, and real estate matters. He assists clients with land development projects before municipal boards and at public hearings to obtain final approvals. He has experience in contract preparation, reviewing front-end documents and non-technical specifications, and preparing contracts for various construction and procurement projects ranging in value from several thousand dollars to multimillion-dollar. In addition, Loren has extensive experience counseling and representing several Pennsylvania school districts in tax assessment appeal matters. Loren regularly negotiates, mediates, and settles tax assessment appeals and is routinely consulted on various tax assessment appeal issues in Montgomery County.

Carol Verish Houck serves as the Vice President Associate General Counsel for ACNB Bank. In this role, she is a legal advisor to senior executives and key stakeholders of the Bank. She advises on the laws, regulations, contractual relationships and legal proceedings affecting the Bank, as well as works to establish policies and assists with the implementation of procedures in all areas of the Bank. Prior to moving to an in-house roll, Carol was in private practice for many years, representing clients in transactional matters in the areas of real estate, business, corporate and tax law and banking and financial services. Focusing primarily on real estate, Carol represented buyers and sellers in commercial real estate deals, prepared and negotiated leases, drafted planned community and condominium documents and assisted with related matters. She is a licensed title agent with experience in closing commercial and residential transactions. Carol has represented large and small businesses in both simple and complex matters requiring detailed analysis and innovative solutions. She represented large and small businesses in all aspects of corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales and negotiation and execution of various types of contracts. Carol has experience negotiating financing, structuring financing documents, negotiating workouts and assisting with debt restructuring and collections. Earlier in her career, she was an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in San Antonio, TX where she was a business advisor and real estate transaction analyst to the Secretary of the Air Force Office of General Counsel for Installations and Environment and various Air Force clients. Carol began her career as a judicial law clerk at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

John C. Ungar is a real estate and transactional attorney at High Swartz LLP. He concentrates his practice on affordable housing development, low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) financing, and commercial real estate transactions in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. John is particularly skilled at guiding developers through complex projects from concept to completion. This includes the entitlements process, construction administration, and government and investor compliance reporting. John’s perspective is shaped by firsthand experience. He has spent much of his career as both a nonprofit real estate developer and a commercial real estate landlord. John brings more than two decades of legal and executive leadership in affordable housing and community development. He previously served as in-house counsel and director of planning for Philadelphia-based nonprofit, NewCourtland. The organization manages a portfolio of more than 800 units of affordable senior housing and market rate units John led all legal and transactional aspects of development projects totaling more than $190 million. His work included acquisitions, financing construction contracts, joint venture agreements, and commercial lease negotiations.

Jay Wilkinson has over thirty years of experience in property title matters. His career began in the commercial real estate development arena in which he led a publicly held commercial real estate firm that focused on the adaptive re-use of historic properties. He got his start in the law as a second career at the Dickinson School of Law where he earned his J.D. degree and clerked for the Honorable Judge Kevin A. Hess, President Judge of the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. As an Oil and Gas lawyer he has assisted some of the top Texas based firms in expanding to meet the needs of their producer clients working in the Marcellus and Utica plays. He is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Ohio. In 2012, Attorney Wilkinson co-authored the first edition of Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Law and Practice, the only Pennsylvania specific treatise in this subject area, published by the George T. Bisel Company, Inc. (2012). www.bisel.com. His practice focuses primarily on title research and opinions relating to oil and gas, real property, and other mineral interests. He has served as lead counsel and second chair in Actions to Quiet Title that involve the disputed ownership of Subsurface rights in courtrooms across Pennsylvania. He offers his services pro-bono to many mineral owners who cannot afford legal services and volunteers often as a presenter on unique oil and gas title issues for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Jay grew up in center-city Philadelphia and received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College with a major in Economics and a minor in Geology. He enjoys spending time with his wife Laurie and young son Ayden as well as traveling, hiking, fishing, cycling and the occasional round of golf. His hobbies include researching the history and nature of original land titles, fine wood-working, and the restoration of classic cars.

Stefan Richter is a shareholder in Becker’s Doylestown, Pennsylvania office and a member of the firm’s Condo, Co-Op & HOA Practice Group. He focuses his practice on all aspects of community association law, including assessment collections, governing document interpretation and amendments, covenant enforcement, transition matters, and related litigation. He also has broad experience in civil litigation, including association, bankruptcy, construction, corporate, and insurance law. Admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Mr. Richter is also a trained mediator. Mr. Richter is an active leader within the community association industry. He is a past President of the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania and Delaware Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and currently serves on its Legislative Action and Communications Committees. Through his work with the Legislative Action Committee, he advocates for legislation that supports and protects homeowners in common interest communities. Mr. Richter is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), a prestigious organization established by CAI and limited to fewer than 180 attorneys nationwide who have distinguished themselves through their impact on the practice and evolution of community association law, as well as their commitment to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. A frequent speaker, Mr. Richter lectures homeowners, community association managers, legislators, and fellow attorneys on a wide range of association law topics, including governance and general legal principles. Above all, Stefan is committed to excellence and delivering timely, strategic, and solution-oriented counsel to condominium and homeowners associations throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Kathy Silcox is a senior counsel in the Saxton & Stump Municipal Law, Real Estate, and Attorney and Judicial Ethics and Discipline groups based in the York office. Before joining Saxton & Stump, Kathy served 12 years as the elected magisterial district judge for Hampden and Silver Spring townships – one of Cumberland County’s busiest courts. On the bench, she presided over criminal, civil, traffic, and summary matters, including numerous landlord-tenant disputes. She now applies her judicial experience to municipal counseling, land use and zoning issues, code enforcement matters, real estate disputes, and other related matters. Kathy further strengthened her municipal law background through six years of volunteer service on the Hampden Township Zoning Hearing Board, where she heard cases involving the interpretation, application, and enforcement of municipal ordinances, experience that deepened her understanding of local governance and regulatory decision-making. In addition to her municipal and real estate practice, Kathy maintains a significant part of her practice on representing judges across all levels of Pennsylvania’s courts in matters involving alleged ethics violations. As a former district justice, she understands firsthand the professional and personal stakes involved in these proceedings. Kathy provides steady, strategic counsel throughout the process, helping judges protect their reputations and continue serving with confidence. Drawing on her experience both on the bench and as an advocate, she also works proactively with members of the judiciary to identify risks, strengthen compliance practices, and help prevent issues before they arise. Her perspective is further informed by extensive prior government service. Earlier in her career, Kathy spent more than a decade with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, ultimately serving as attorney-in-charge of the Bureau of Consumer Protection and managing a team of 13. She gained extensive experience in civil litigation, investigations, regulatory matters, and complex multi-state actions, and also served on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Real Estate Commission, expanding her real estate knowledge. She began her legal career with the Office of General Counsel, assigned to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, first as a revenue research analyst and later as assistant counsel, where she provided legal counsel in the areas of corporate taxes, realty transfer tax, public utility realty tax, and cigarette tax. Kathy remains active in the legal community through long-standing service on the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, and the association awarded her its President’s Award in 2014 for outstanding commitment and leadership. Outside the profession, she has held leadership roles with the Boy Scouts, her children’s school PTO, and her church. She earned three degrees from Widener University: a J.D., an M.B.A., and a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Brandon assists real estate clients in navigating the intricate processes of securing a variety of permit and license entitlements from the City of Philadelphia and its suburbs. Representing developers, commercial tenants, and other property owners before the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA), Brandon has obtained zoning variances enabling the construction or renovation of hundreds of homes and apartment units as well as commercial and institutional buildings. He has expertise with Rental Licenses and the litany of other operational permits and licenses required of buildings in Philadelphia. Brandon has also completed complex representations in various Philadelphia-area suburbs, as detailed below. He has drafted documents and obtained approvals to create condominium and PUD (Planned Unit Development, or Planned Community) regimes involving both new and existing buildings. Leaning on his years of experience with the City of Philadelphia’s technical codes and its review processes, Brandon helps clients and their design consultants meet code requirements and avoid the need for zoning and other variances. His clients appreciate his laser focus on achieving project entitlements in a manner that is creative and efficient, aiming to avoid unnecessary public scrutiny and protecting clients’ reputations. Where zoning variances are necessary, Brandon’s counseling process starts with achieving a deep understanding of each client’s goals and preliminary plans. Brandon is a keen observer of guidance offered by legal precedent, elected officials, and civic leaders and leans on this knowledge when helping to design and present plans to the public. He frequently helps architects and civil engineers to revise plans to incorporate public input and win public support. Combining such attentiveness and flexibility with his deep knowledge of a landowner’s legal rights, Brandon maximizes his clients’ chances to obtain necessary variances.

As Chair of Dilworth’s Zoning & Land Use Group, Meredith Ferleger focuses on zoning, land use and transactional real estate law, representing residential, commercial, financial, and institutional clients. She has extensive experience navigating the development process in Philadelphia and surrounding municipalities including interacting with various municipal agencies and government stakeholders. Meredith routinely seeks approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, suburban Zoning Hearing Boards, and other municipal approval boards. She has assisted in the formation of several condominiums and Planned Unit Developments. She has also pursued and defended appeals to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas of land use approvals involving landmark legal principles. Additionally, Meredith counsels buyers and sellers of commercial real estate, and she endeavors to help her clients navigate all aspects of the land development process from acquisition, development, and taxation to eventual disposition. Furthermore, Meredith routinely pursues real estate tax appeals resulting in the reduction in millions of dollars of assessed property value. She has also represented residential and commercial landlords throughout the City to comply with licensing and disclosure requirements as well as seeking tenant evictions through Municipal Court. Meredith is a graduate of the Villanova University School of Law and School of Business where she earned her joint Law and Master of Business Administration degrees. She earned joint Bachelor of Science degrees from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Meredith is also active politically, serving as the appointed Solicitor to the Montgomery County Treasurer’s Office and holding elected office as a Commissioner in Upper Dublin Township.

Frank Kosir, Jr., is a partner with Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate and Lending, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Construction Law, and Energy and Mineral Rights Groups. He has significant civil litigation and general practice experience in all areas of real property law, and acquired extensive experience in all facets of real estate development, sales, construction, and leasing prior to entering the practice of law. Mr. Kosir represents clients in a wide range of matters including commercial and residential real estate tax assessment appeals, commercial and residential sales and leasing, oil and gas lease negotiations, title defense, commercial and residential landlord-tenant proceedings, and zoning and land use issues. He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education programs. Mr. Kosir was recognized five times as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® Rising Star® in real property law, and has been recognized five times as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® Super Lawyer. Mr. Kosir has also twice been recognized in Best Lawyers in America. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the Washington County Bar Association. Mr. Kosir received his B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College in 1998, and his J.D. from the Duquesne University School of Law in 2001. He resides in Peters Township, Pennsylvania, where he formerly served as a member of the Township Planning Commission and is now in his ninth year as an elected Township Councilman.

Mr. Sugarman is a partner in the law firm, Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, and chairs the firm’s Community Association Law Department. He concentrates his practice in the field of community association law, real estate and construction litigation. Mr. Sugarman is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers and a past president of the Community Associations Institute (CAI), Keystone Chapter. He has been awarded Martindale Hubbell’s highest AV preeminent peer review rating and has been selected by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America® and for inclusion in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® every year since 2007. A former chairman of CAI’s Legislative Action Committee in Pennsylvania, Mr. Sugarman continues to participate actively in the review and drafting of amendments to Pennsylvania’s legislation governing common interest communities, and his writings include the article, “Setting the Standard of Care in Premises Liability Cases,” published in CAI’s Journal of Community Association Law. Mr. Sugarman is an adjunct professor at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, where he developed and teaches the course “Condominium and Homeowner Association Law.” He also serves as an expert witness on community association matters brought before Pennsylvania’s courts and its General Assembly and as a mediator in community association disputes. A frequent lecturer at the local and national levels on real estate and community association matters, Mr. Sugarman has planned courses and presented numerous programs for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), including “Assessing the Law of Assessments in Condominium and Homeowner Associations;” “From the Developer to the Association: Tackling the Transition in the Community Association;” “How the Uniform Planned Community Act Really Works;” “Dealing with Developers’ Liabilities in Condominium and Homeowner Associations;” “New Issues in Condominium and Homeowner Associations: Conflicts and the Courts;” “Dealing with Condominium and Homeowner Associations in a Down Economy;” “Condominium and Homeowner Associations: Lessons on Liabilities, Liens and Litigation;” “Fixing the Failed Development in the Common Interest Community;” “Litigating Condominium and Homeowner Association Cases;” “The Ins and Outs of “Over 55″ Housing in Community Association;” and “Buying and Selling in Condominiums and Homeowners Associations.” Mr. Sugarman earned his B.A. from Cornell University and his J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

Mr. Hume is a Shareholder in the Harrisburg office of Saxton & Stump, a full-service Lancaster-based law firm. He is Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Group and a member of the Business and Corporate Law Group. In his practice, Mr. Hume advises clients through all aspects of real estate transactions and development. He represents landowners and developers in the sale, acquisition, leasing, financing, and development of commercial and residential real estate. His practice also includes the creation, development, and administration of commercial and residential condominiums and planned communities. In addition to his real estate practice, Mr. Hume also has significant experience in oil, gas, and mineral law matters and in commercial loan origination. He is a licensed title agent. Mr. Hume has presented several times on issues related to real estate law including easements, condominiums and planned communities, stormwater management, oil and gas law, and pipelines. He received his B.A. in Government from Lehigh University and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Mr. Hume served as a law clerk to the Hon. Michael A. Georgelis of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.

Mr. Granor practices law at Granor and Granor, P.C. in Horsham, concentrating in the areas of community association law and real estate transactions. He is a member of the Solo and Small Firm Section Council, is a Past Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and the Minority Bar Committee. He was a principal author of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Planned Community Act. Mr. Granor is a member of the Montgomery, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations and of Community Associations Institute. He is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers and has taught continuing education courses at CAI’s National Community Association Law Seminar. Marshal holds Pennsylvania and New Jersey licenses as a real estate broker and title insurance agent, as well as a license as a Pennsylvania Real Estate Instructor. Mr. Granor frequently teaches continuing education courses for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute including at the annual Real Estate Institute. He has served as an expert witness on community association and real estate matters in Pennsylvania courts, and has testified on community association legislation before committees of the General Assembly. He also teaches continuing education courses for real estate licensees, title insurance agents, and community association professionals. For 14 years, he and his wife, Tamar, served as co-presidents of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia, where they remain active on its Board of Directors. In May of 2024, he received the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s President’s Award for his work on the enactment of Act 54 of 2023, Repudiation of Discriminatory Real Estate Covenants, and received the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2025 Annual Award. Mr. Granor received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Temple University Law School.

Mr. Menchyk has been a member of Stepanian & Menchyk LLP since 2003 and has been a partner since 2009. He has experience in all of the firm’s practice areas and focuses on municipal, land development, real estate, construction, corporate, and employment law. Mr. Menchyk is a member of the Butler County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Over the course of his career, Mr. Menchyk has represented clients in the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas throughout Pennsylvania in jury and non-jury trial proceedings as well as numerous arbitration proceedings. He has handled matters in other forums including the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, Pennsylvania Bureau of Worker’s Compensation, and Pennsylvania Bureau of Unemployment Compensation. Mr. Menchyk was born and raised in Butler and graduated from Butler High School in 1993. He then attended the University of West Virginia where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1997. After graduation, Mr. Menchyk attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and earned his law degree in 2000. Prior to joining Stepanian & Menchyk, Mr. Menchyk practiced as an associate attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm where he focused his practice on real estate and general business law. In 2010-2011, 2013-2014 Mr. Menchyk was recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Magazine as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in the area of real estate. In 2021 Mr. Menchyk was recognized by Pennsylvania Lawyers Magazine as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.  Mr. Menchyk currently represents approximately 15 municipalities and authorities, including two county housing authorities.

Krista Kochosky chairs the Real Estate Practice at The Lynch Law Group and brings more than 25 years of experience advising real estate investors, developers, builders, landlords, and property owners on complex transactions, business formation, acquisitions, sales, leasing, zoning, and land use. She represents clients in state and federal courts in matters involving residential and commercial sales contracts, title disputes, land use appeals, defective construction, and consumer protection claims. Krista’s practice spans the full lifecycle of real estate ownership and investment, including commercial leasing and property management, residential rentals, and short-term rental arrangements. Her combination of transactional and litigation experience allows her to guide clients through complex property matters, resolve disputes, and navigate the legal challenges associated with real estate development, ownership, and transfers. A frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and national legal education programs, Krista shares her experience on a variety of real estate and business law topics. Her recent presentations include “Quiet Title Actions: Primer in PA,” “Drafting and Modifying Agreements of Sale,” “The Role of Insurance and Indemnity in Business Litigation,” “Drafting & Modifying Residential Agreements of Sale,” and “Airbnb, VRBO and Short-Term Rental Leases.” Krista is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of West Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania. She earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1997, where she represented the university in Trial Advocacy.

Ms. Kotzen is a Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr’s Tax Group in their Philadelphia office. She advises clients on the taxation of all types of real estate transactions, has an extensive background in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia realty transfer tax planning, and advises clients on mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Kotzen is also experienced working with REITs; real estate partnerships (both for developers and investors); leasing transactions, including sale-leasebacks; Pennsylvania state tax incentives; and structuring like-kind exchanges (forward, reverse, and TIC exchanges). Ms. Kotzen represents clients before federal, state, and local tax agencies contesting proposed adjustments and in connection with obtaining rulings on tax issues. She provides tax advice in labor and other litigation matters and withholding tax issues. She also regularly advises on Pennsylvania state and local tax planning and opportunities. Through 2018, Ms. Kotzen has focused on the new Qualified Opportunity Zone tax incentive to assist clients to form and structure qualified opportunity funds.

Mr. Jones is the co-leader of the Tax Group and advises clients on a wide range of federal, state, and local tax matters. His practice at Ballard Spahr LLP, in Philadelphia, includes advising clients regarding the tax consequences of complex transactions and associated planning opportunities. Additionally, Mr. Jones assists clients in federal, state, and local tax audits and controversies and has represented clients in administrative appeals and in court. He provides clients tax advice in labor and other litigation matters including withholding tax and information reporting issues. Mr. Jones also regularly counsels nonprofit organizations on a wide range of issues, including formation, federal and state compliance, unrelated business taxable income, and joint ventures. He has represented nonprofit organizations in IRS exempt status, employment, and information reporting audits.

Ms. McCormick is a partner in the Real Estate practice group of the Philadelphia office of Ballard Spahr LLP. Her practice focuses on all aspects of transactional commercial real estate, including all phases of leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, development transactions, and joint venture and fund work. Ms. McCormick is a member of bars of Pennsylvania and Texas. Ms. McCormick received her undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University (2002), her law degree from The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University (2005), and her LLM (in taxation) from New York University (2006).

Mr. Granger is a shareholder in The Granger Firm in Paoli, where he concentrates his practice on real estate issues. The firm actively handles litigation involving title disputes, construction defects, failure to disclose and failed real estate deals in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania. Clients include real estate and commercial brokerages, developers, builders, landlords, tenants, homeowners, business owners and individuals engaged in sophisticated transactions or litigation. Mr. Granger handles claims on behalf of several major title insurers for their insured owners and lenders and has litigated numerous complex title claims. He is a frequent lecturer for attorneys and other real estate professionals on real estate topics. Mr. Granger has served as the course planner and/or lecturer for numerous PBI seminars, including: Litigating the Failed Real Estate Deal; Advanced Title Insurance Issues; Marking Up Title and Handling Title Issues at Settlement; Title Insurance: From Commitment to Claim; Boundary Law in Pennsylvania; Trial Tactics; Handling the Failure to Disclose Case; Handling the Residential Construction Litigation Case; The Uniform Construction Code; and the annual Year in Review at the Real Estate Institute. He has taught several real estate courses for consumers at Montgomery County Community College. Mr. Granger has published numerous articles on real estate related topics for the Pennsylvania Law Journal and for the title industry in Common Ground magazine. He received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law.

Ms. Blanton is a partner at the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, member of the firm’s Executive Committee, chair of the firm’s Finance Practice Group and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. She represents financial institutions in various types of residential, retail and office development projects, syndicated secured real estate credit facilities and the structuring, drafting and negotiation of workout and forbearance agreements. Ms. Blanton also represents investors and institutional clients in complex real estate sales and acquisitions and has significant experience representing landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University and her B.S., summa cum laude, from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Blanton is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Forum of Executive Women and is a Child Advocate Attorney for the Support Center for Child Advocates. Ms. Blanton was included in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, has been selected as a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star” for real estate, 2010-2018 and was one of Pennsylvania’s “Lawyers on the Fast Track” by The Legal Intelligencer in 2013. Ms. Blanton was also recognized by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia as the “Business on Board Volunteer Leader of the Year” in 2013.  Ms. Blanton currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fleisher Art Memorial and Perkins Center for the Arts.

Mr. Troy joined the Montgomery County law firm of Kane, Pugh, Knoell, Troy & Kramer, LLP in 1991. He focuses his practice on the defense of professional liability and medical malpractice litigation. He has tried over 100 cases to verdict. Mr. Troy is a graduate of The Dickinson School of Law and was a law clerk to the Honorable Albert R. Subers in Montgomery County before entering private practice. Mr. Troy is a past President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He has also served two terms on the Pennsylvania Bar Association Board of Governors, having served as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division and later as Chair of the House of Delegates. He is a past Co-Chair of the PBA Bar Leadership Institute. He has previously served as either Chair or Vice-Chair of the PBA Health Care Law Committee from 2000 until 2010. Mr. Troy was President of the Montgomery Bar Association in 2012. He was President of the Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Section in 2003. In 2011, Mr. Troy was honored by the Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association by being named “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” He gives several presentations annually to County Bar Associations and private firms on the subject of Avoiding Professional Liability. In 2018, Mr. Troy was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Robert (“Bob”) J. Iannozzi Jr. is a partner at Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin & Maxwell, P.C. He has decades of experience representing municipalities, school districts, large commercial developers, and residential property owners in zoning, land development, real estate matters, municipal law, tax assessments (School District & Taxpayer Appeals), and right-to-know law. He also has notable experience in wills and estates. Bob is solicitor to Towamencin Township, Towamencin Municipal Authority, Horsham Township Zoning Hearing Board and serves as Special Right-to-Know Counsel for Central Bucks School District. Recognized annually for his leadership in the law, since 2019, Bob has been selected to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List for Estate Planning & Probate, Land Use & Zoning, and Real Estate. In 2008 and from 2010-2015, Bob was annually named to the Pennsylvania Rising Stars List for the same practice areas (only 2.5% of the total lawyers under 40 in Pennsylvania receive this distinction annually). A cum laude graduate of Villanova University in 1998, Bob received his law degree from Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law in 2001. He is a member of the Justinian Society (Philadelphia chapter) and the American, Pennsylvania, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Bar Associations. Immediately following law school, Bob served as a Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Alan M. Rubenstein, a former Bucks County District Attorney from 2001 – 2005 and, to the Honorable Edward “Pete” Biester, Jr., a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania, and United States Congressman, 1967-1977. He is a current resident of Bucks County.

Mr. Stanfield is a Partner at Meyer Unkovic & Scott LLP, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He regularly assists clients with contract drafting and interpretation; business acquisitions, sales, and divestitures; commercial real estate acquisition and sales; commercial real estate leasing and licensing arrangements; financing arrangements; exempt-securities transactions; franchise agreements; business entity formation and structure; and nonprofit organization matters. Within his entertainment practice, Mr. Stanfield assists production companies, marketing and branding agencies, artists, entertainers, fashion designers, and other creative industry professionals with all aspects of their art form and their business – from advising on general business and intellectual property matters to assisting with any of the needs mentioned above. Within the firm, Mr. Stanfield is a member of the Corporate & Business Law, Real Estate & Lending, Intellectual Property, and Nonprofit Practice Groups. Prior to joining Meyer Unkovic & Scott, he was an associate with the Corporate, Hospitality and Real Estate Finance practice groups at a large national law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh. Mr. Briskman Stanfield received his J.D. from Southwestern Law School, and his B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College.

Dr. Gillen is a Senior Research Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating in urban economics and real estate finance. Dr. Gillen’s dissertation won awards from both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy. He has testified on matters of real estate policy to Philadelphia City Council, the Pennsylvania State Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Dr. Gillen’s quarterly reports on the state of the Philadelphia region’s housing market have received prominent placement in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, and The Financial Times.

Jaden Rankin-Wahlers is an Associate in Meyer, Unkovic & Scott’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Jaden previously worked as an In-house Legal Intern for American Eagle Outfitters, where she was recognized for her contract negotiations, resulting in securing key transportation logistics. Additionally, she assisted with trademark registrations and provided counsel for regulatory compliance standards and spear-headed multi-department policy development initiatives. Prior to that, Jaden assisted with contract negotiations and complex federal funding regulations while a Legal Extern at the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences in Washington, D.C., and partnered with the F.B.I. through an interdisciplinary team tackling the history and trajectory of domestic terrorism as a Research Associate at the Ridgeway Center for International Security Studies. Jaden has also worked as a research assistant through the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was a Court Operations Clerk for the Bucks County Juvenile Probation Court. Jaden received her J.D. in 2022 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship, recognized as a Pro Bono Leader, and was named as the Distinguished Public Interest Scholar. Jaden is a native of Doylestown, Pennsylvania and enjoys spending her free time reading, cooking, and camping.

Gregory F. Mitsch, Esq., has been a criminal defense attorney for 30 years and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1996. He currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders. He provides Continuing Legal Education presentations to lawyers, judges, and law students. His professional and academic background underscores a longstanding dedication to zealous client representation, legal scholarship, and service to the profession. Prior to his current position, he was a peer volunteer for Lawyers concerned for Lawyers for nine years and was actively involved in the annual volunteer conference. He received his undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 1993 and earned his Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in 1996.