Representing Residential Landlords and Tenants in Pennsylvania – Overview 2026

Kimberly J. Kisner is the founder of Kisner Law LLC, where she focuses her practice on landlord-tenant, real estate, and property assessment matters throughout Western Pennsylvania. With nearly three decades of legal experience, Ms. Kisner represents property owners, investors, management companies, and businesses in all aspects of landlord-tenant law, including lease drafting and negotiation, compliance counseling, evictions, disputes, and litigation. Kim maintains two areas of practice emphasis through Kisner Law LLC: representing residential property owners and management companies in leasing, operational, and property tax assessment matters, and representing businesses in employment law matters. Ms. Kisner draws on her employment law experience to advise clients on fair housing, operational compliance, and risk management issues that arise in real estate and property management. She also brings decades of firsthand experience as a landlord, allowing her to provide practical, real-world guidance informed by both legal and operational perspectives. Ms. Kisner regularly appears before Magisterial District Courts and the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. When not presenting her own cases, she serves as a court-appointed arbitrator and mediator for landlord-tenant disputes in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. In addition, she has represented thousands of Allegheny County property owners in real estate tax assessment appeals, helping clients reduce property tax burdens and navigate the local assessment process. Kim has also served for approximately 15 years as a faculty member and course planner for Pennsylvania Bar Institute programs on representing residential landlords and tenants.

Ryan was born and raised in Central PA and has been a full-time real estate broker and real estate investor for many years. He is married, has two children and currently resides in Hampden Township, PA. He completed his undergraduate degree at Penn State University and graduated magna cum laude from Widener Commonwealth Law School with his juris doctorate. Ryan has played an integral role in thousands of real estate investment transactions in some or all capacities ranging from deal structuring, negotiation, acquisition, renovation, sale, and nearly every element in between. Additionally, as a founding member of HPMG, his knowledge of property management is vast and founded on years of experience; facilitating thousands of residential lease transactions, and accompanying on-going full-service management. Ryan is also a founding member of One Oak Legal, a Harrisburg-based law firm.

Ms. Thomas is the Director of the Housing Initiative at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, which provides legal services throughout the Philadelphia region, to individuals living with physical and mental disabilities. After several years practicing in family law, domestic violence, estate planning and public benefits, Ms. Thomas now concentrates her practice in tenants’ rights. She manages a team of housing attorneys and engages in systemic reform/policy advocacy through her work in the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project. Immediately prior to working in tenants’ rights, Ms. Thomas worked in South Asia, in anti-human trafficking efforts, including partnering in the prosecution of those perpetrating the crime. She is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Mr. Patel is a staff attorney in the Housing Unit at Community Legal Services (CLS) in Philadelphia and focuses on providing legal representation to indigent tenants facing eviction or other landlord-tenant issues. Prior to his time at CLS, he worked on a number of federal issues primarily focusing on intellectual property. Mr. Patel also drafted and analyzed legislation as the Majority Caucus Chair Analyst for the New Mexico State Senate. He graduated from the University Of New Mexico School Of Law in 2017 with the Dean’s Award. During that time, Mr. Patel also interned for the Honorable Jimmie V. Reyna at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Alex Stone-Tharp (he/him) is a supervising attorney working within the CLS Lawyer of the Day program. Prior to joining CLS, Alex spent five and half years as a staff attorney in the housing unit of the Legal Aid Society’s Brooklyn Neighborhood Office in NYC, and worked in many other positions including clerkships and private civil rights firm work. Alex graduated from NYU School of Law in 2011 and Sarah Lawrence College in 2006, where he got a liberal arts degree.

Jeremiah G. Werhoff has many years of experience representing clients in real estate matters, with a particular emphasis on landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, and lead disclosure claims. Jeremiah graduated with honors from West Virginia University in 2020 with a dual degree in Political Science and Philosophy. He then went on to obtain his Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2023 where he Jeremiah earned the Kohn Award for negotiating and advocacy. While pursuing his Juris Doctorate degree, Jeremiah worked for the Philadelphia Municipal Court where he specialized in small claims and landlord-tenant disputes. He developed a deep understanding of the court system, and has applied his knowledge representing owners and management companies in court, where he gained a reputation for his success in landlord-tenant disputes, lead claims, and lead disclosure issues. Such talents have made him the competent and pragmatic attorney he is today. Jeremiah excels in both effectively guiding clients through court procedures as well as reaching swift and just decisions in their matters.

Sarah Morrison is admitted to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Youngstown State University where she was a member of the Women’s golf team and Zeta Tau Alpha. Following graduation at Youngstown State University, Sarah attended Duquesne University School of Law. During her time as a solo practitioner, Sarah gained extensive knowledge in the landlord tenant field including helping clients navigate the restrictions put into place by Covid-19 and developing plans by which her clients could still make progress on their cases. Along with landlord tenant issues Sarah’s practice includes homeowners and condominium associations, transactional matters relating to the sale and purchase of real estate, residential and commercial leasing, land use and zoning issue, estate planning, and general civil litigation. Outside of work, Sarah sits on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Beaver County and serves as the head girls golf coach of North Allegheny High School.

Rita Turpin Porterfield is a Senior Investigator at the City of Pittsburgh, PA. Porterfield’s professional focus centers on investigative work within municipal government. In her role as Senior Investigator, she contributes to the operational integrity and public service delivery of the City of Pittsburgh. This position leverages analytical skills and a deep understanding of governmental processes to address complex issues. Prior to her current role, Porterfield gained foundational experience in legal and administrative support. She served as an Audio Clerk for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, managing critical court documentation. Earlier, Porterfield acted as a Certified Legal Intern at the Allegheny County Bar Association, where she was certified by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and gained practical experience in legal procedures, including motions research and handling guilty pleas. Her background also includes a role as a Law Library Assistant at Duquesne University, supporting research and circulation operations.

After more than 20 years as a member of a law firm with 400 lawyers, Tom Gacki decided to return to his roots as a solo practitioner. He joined a large firm to gain experience with more complex transactions and larger estate matters and accomplished those goals. By going solo, Tom is able to offer his expertise to his clients at much more reasonable rates and without the Big Law bureaucracy. Responsiveness and creativity are Tom’s watchwords. He looks for the simplest, most cost-effective solutions to his clients’ problems. Tom is licensed to Practice in Pennsylvania and the Federal Court—Middle District of PA. He received his Juris Doctor in 1985 from Dickinson School of Law. Tom is past President and current Treasurer, Dauphin County Bar Association. 2021 President’s Distinguished Service Award. He is also past President of the Dauphin County Historical Society and the Central PA Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Tom is Solicitor to the Housing Authority of the County of Dauphin and former Solicitor to the Dauphin County Register of Wills.

Mr. Edger is a Senior Deputy Attorney General in Charge of the Harrisburg region of the Bureau of Consumer Protection with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Additionally, Mr. Edger also serves as an Instructor of the Commonwealth Investigator Training Program, conducted at the PSP Academy in Hershey, PA. Prior to joining the Attorney General, Mr. Edger was a Regional Managing Attorney at MidPenn Legal Services, a non-profit legal aid firm for over seven years, representing clients and overseeing all services in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and Fulton counties. Mr. Edger was also an Adjunct Professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, teaching in the areas of family law, property, employment law, and trial skills. Mr. Edger has been recognized for his accomplishment by receiving numerous awards throughout his career. In 2026 he was awarded the Frances H. Del Duca President’s Award by the Cumberland County Bar Association for his numerous leadership positions and service to the state and county bar, and working first-hand to better the local community. In 2025 he was awarded the Verdina Showell Award for his work as one of the three Wills for Heroes Statewide Directors for Pennsylvania, and in 2024 he was awarded the C. Dale McClain Quality of Life Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association for his leadership in providing volunteer opportunities to assist other individuals, providing others with a sustainable quality of life. He also received a Special Achievement Award in 2024 from PBA President Michael McDonald for his service as a co-Vice-Chair on the newly formed Technology Committee. In 2023 Mr. Edger received the Michael K. Smith Excellence Award from the PBA Young Lawyers Division for service to youth. Mr. Edger currently serves as the Zone 3 Governor of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, representing lawyers in nine counties throughout Central PA. He previously served as the Chair of the PBA Young Lawyers Division from 2021-22, and served a three-year term on the PBA Board of Governors. Mr. Edger is also one of three Statewide Directors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Wills for Heroes program. Mr. Edger is currently President of the Cumberland County Bar Association. Mr. Edger graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Elizabethtown College and earned his Juris Doctor from the Widener University School of Law. He lives in Carlisle with his wife Katelynn and his sons Connor and Aiden.