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Marshall Dennehey Announces 2026 Shareholder Class and Special Counsel Promotions

December 15, 2025

Marshall Dennehey is pleased to announce that 16 attorneys have been elected shareholders of the firm effective Jan. 1, 2026. Additionally, two attorneys have been promoted from associate to special counsel. These new shareholders and special counsel represent the firm’s four core departments – Casualty, Professional Liability, Health Care and Workers’ Compensation – and come from 11 of the firm’s 19 offices. 

“We are delighted to welcome this outstanding class of newly elected shareholders,” said G. Mark Thompson, President & CEO of Marshall Dennehey. “Each of them has demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and leadership in advancing the interests of our clients and strengthening our firm. We look forward to the impact these individuals will make as leaders in our profession and contributors to our collective success.”

Promoted to Shareholder

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Holli K. Archer, Health Care Department (former Associate)
Holli defends health care practitioners, medical providers, and dental providers, against all manner of medical and dental malpractice suits. She also handles licensure matters before State Boards of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing. She is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations and is recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star and a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. She is a graduate of the University of Scranton and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. Holli is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jack A. Bennardo, Jr., Casualty Department (former Associate)
Jack primarily focuses his practice on construction injury and construction defect litigation, and trucking and transportation litigation. He provides legal counsel to construction companies and contractors, commercial property owners/managers, trucking companies, amusement parks and recreational facilities, and insurance companies in Pennsylvania. Jack also handles a wide array of serious loss cases where there is often catastrophic injury or death in the areas of premises liability, product liability, construction accident, construction defect, commercial trucking, insurance coverage, and sports, amusement and entertainment litigation. He is a graduate of Fordham University and Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York. 

Julianne M. Curry, Casualty Department (former Special Counsel)
Julianne has over 20 years of experience representing clients in a wide variety of high-exposure trucking, motor vehicle, construction accident, premises liability and construction defect litigation. She frequently litigates multiparty matters and has served as a certified arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. She is a graduate of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and Rutgers Law School. Julianne is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. 

KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Michael R. Duffy, Workers’ Compensation Department (former Associate)
Michael focuses his practice on defending employers and insurance carriers in matters related to workers’ compensation. He represents employers across numerous industries including trucking, construction, landscaping, manufacturing, hospitality and long-term care. Michael is a member of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Coalition, Brehon Law Society, Philadelphia Bar Association and Judge Alexander F. Barbieri Workers’ Compensation Inn of Court. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and his juris doctor from Widener University Delaware Law School. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Robert A. Morton, IV, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Rob concentrates his practice in the areas of construction accident and construction defect litigation, premises liability, trucking and commercial motor carrier liability, and veterinary malpractice and licensure defense. He regularly provides legal counsel to developers, general contractors, subcontractors, and hotel operators, as well as trucking companies and a national bus company. He is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and Widener University School of Law and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Nicholas A. Cerimele, Health Care Department (former Associate)
Nicholas devotes the entirety of his practice to the defense of physicians, nurses, hospitals, physicians assistants and physician practice groups in professional liability litigation. He has more than 20 years of experience representing health care providers in medical malpractice cases. Nicholas is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. 


MOUNT LAUREL, NEW JERSEY
Brielle K. Winkler, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Brielle provides legal counsel and representation in the areas of automobile liability, underinsured/uninsured motorists claims, premises liability and condominium/community association law. Her clients include small businesses, condominium associations, large public companies and insurance carriers. Brielle also handles personal injury matters related to auto liability on behalf of retail establishments, building owners, homeowners, drivers and businesses. She is a graduate of Towson University and Rutgers Law School, and she is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

ROSELAND, NEW JERSEY
Nataliana A. Guida, Health Care Department (former Associate)
Nataliana (Talia) devotes her practice to medical malpractice litigation, defending the interests of physicians, dentists, nurses, hospitals, and other healthcare providers and institutions. Talia is also experienced in handling licensing and disciplinary board matters. She is a graduate of Quinnipiac University and New York Law School, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey. 

PURCHASE, NEW YORK
Sanford G. Jacobs, Casualty Department (former Special Counsel)
Sanford has over 30 years of experience in trucking and transportation liability, general liability, premises liability, motor vehicle liability, construction injury litigation, product liability and toxic torts. His extensive experience includes handling cases from inception through jury trial throughout the New York Metropolitan area, upstate New York and the state of Florida. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oneonta and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York, the District of Columbia and Florida.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
Seth B. Altman, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Seth focuses his practice on representing and defending clients in insurance coverage and first-party property matters. Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey, Seth served as in-house counsel for two insurance companies where he litigated first-party property cases and was a member of the assignment of benefits and catastrophe (hurricane) divisions. Seth is also experienced in investigation, and he counseled and instructed his former claims departments in pre-suit matters. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Albany Law School and is admitted to practice in Florida and New York. 

Holly M. Hamilton, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Holly focuses on a wide variety of professional liability litigation matters in state and federal court. A significant portion of her practice includes the defense of a variety of employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims from the administrative (i.e., EEOC) stage through litigation. Another significant part of her practice consists of director and officer disputes in not-for-profit condominium and other community associations. She is a graduate of Florida International University and the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University. Holly is admitted to practice in Florida, New Jersey and New York. 

Matthew J. Wildner, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Matthew focuses his practice on commercial litigation, construction defect litigation and a wide variety of professional liability litigation matters. Litigating in both state and federal courts, he defends design and construction professionals independently as well as through their insurance carriers in complex construction defect suits involving a variety of claims, such as building and design-related deficiencies, code violations, negligence, breach of contract and fraud, as well as insurance coverage claims under GL policies. Matthew additionally represents condominium associations, directors, officers, and property managers in matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, violations of governing documents, and construction and maintenance obligations. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Stetson University College of Law and is admitted to practice in Florida. 

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Kathleen A. Carlson, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Kathleen focuses her practice on automobile liability matters with an emphasis on uninsured/underinsured motorist claims. She also represents a wide array of clients in general liability matters. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida. 

Taylor A. Naughton, Professional Liability Department (former Associate)
Taylor focuses his practice on construction defect litigation, representing contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, developers and design professionals when claims are made against them. He routinely counsels clients in construction disputes, handling pre-suit investigations, multi-party claims, code violations, negligence and breach of contract claims. He is a graduate of Jacksonville University and Florida Coastal School of Law. Taylor is admitted to practice in Florida. 

ORLANDO
Carolin A. Pacheco, Professional Liability (former Associate)
Carolin defends insurance carriers in first-party insurance coverage claims and complex matters pertaining to coverage and bad faith claims. She also represents condominium association boards in directors and officers suits, as well as real estate agents, brokers, and appraisers in errors and omissions claims. She also litigates FDCPA claims and suits brought by debtors against the collection services assigned to recover the debt. Carolin is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and Stetson University College of Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida. 

TAMPA, FLORIDA
Sean P. Greenwalt, Casualty Department (former Associate)
Sean focuses his practice on amusement, sports, and recreation matters as well as fraud and personal injury protection (PIP) disputes. He litigates a variety of complex matters on behalf of corporations involving premises liability, commercial auto liability, catastrophic loss, wrongful death and commercial contract disputes. He also has experience defending first-party auto coverage suits and conducting examinations under oath. Sean is a member of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association and Claims Litigation Management Alliance. A graduate of Old Dominion University and Ave Maria School of Law, he is admitted to practice in Florida. 

Associates Promoted to Special Counsel

MELVILLE, NEW YORK
Ian L. Glick, Casualty Department
Ian handles cases from inception through resolution involving New York State Labor Law, construction accidents, premises liability, product liability, auto liability, general liability and subrogation claims. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and St. John’s University School of Law. Ian is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. 

Noriel L. Sta. Maria, M.D., Casualty Department
Noriel concentrates his practice in the areas of asbestos and toxic tort litigation. As both a physician and an attorney, he leverages his deep medical expertise to strengthen legal defenses, offering a distinct advantage in cases where medicine plays a critical role. Noriel is a graduate of the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and obtained his juris doctor from Fordham University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in New York. 

2026 Shareholder Class

Firm Highlights

Thought Leadership

Commonwealth Court Holds That a Claimant Who Was Struck By a Car While Crossing the Street During an Unpaid Break Was In the Course and Scope of Employment

This case involved a claim petition filed by a claimant who sustained injuries after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in front of the employer’s premises. The employer denied the claim based on course and scope, as the accident occurred during one of two mandatory fifteen (15) minute breaks provided to the claimant. The claimant would punch out at the beginning of a break and punch back in when the break was over.  On the date of the incident, the claimant punched out and left the building to get lunch at a restaurant, which required her to cross the employer’s parking lot, and then a public street, where the injury occurred. The Workers Compensation Judge (WCJ) dismissed the petition, noting that that during the two mandatory fifteen-minute breaks per shift allowed by the employer, the claimant was free to leave the employer’s premises, and during breaks, permitted to engage in whatever activity she desired. The WCJ found that at the time of the accident, the claimant was on her own time, in the middle of the street, and going to get lunch.   The claimant filed an appeal with the Worker’s Compensation Appeal Board (Board), and the Board reversed.  According to the Board, the claimant’s location was still on the employer’s premises, as the claimant was taking her customary route while using a reasonable ingress/egress from the employer.  Further, the Board found that the “Personal Comfort Doctrine” applied, as the claimant was on a momentary departure to take care of her personal comfort, within the window of time she was allotted for her break.  The Board remanded the case, and a WCJ granted the claim petition.  The Board affirmed, and the employer appealed to the Commonwealth Court. Before the Court, the employer argued that the claimant was not in the course and scope of her employment, because the injury did not occur on its premises, and the claimant was outside the bounds of the Personal Comfort Doctrine. The Court, however, rejected these arguments, and dismissed the employer’s appeal.  The Court noted that the break given to the claimant was so cursory, when she set out to relieve her hunger for her own personal comfort,  she remained in the course of her employment when she sustained her injuries.  A Petition for Allowance of Appeal in the Supreme Court has been filed by the Employer, Giant Eagle.

News

106 Marshall Dennehey Attorneys Recognized in the 2027 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America

Marshall Dennehey is proud to highlight the firm’s 106 attorneys who have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Less than 6% of all practicing lawyers in the U.S. were selected by their peers for this recognition. Additionally, four of the firm’s attorneys received the Best Lawyers® 2027 “Lawyer of the Year” awards in their respective practice areas and demographic regions. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For more information, please visit https://www.bestlawyers.com/. OUR 2027 LAWYERS OF THE YEAR Harrisburg, PA Christopher Reeser, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Kacey Wiedt, Workers Compensation Law - Employers Roseland, NJ Justin F. Johnson, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Leonard Leicht, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants   OUR 2026 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA Philadelphia, PA Nicholas D. Bowers, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Josh J. T. Byrne, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Jefferey J. Chomko, Insurance Law James H. Cole, Insurance Law John J. Delany III, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Laurianne Falcone, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants John P. Gonzales, Employment Law - Management John Hare, Appellate Practice Daniel D. Krebbs, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Michele Punturi, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Bradley D. Remick, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Andrea Cicero Rock, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Robin M. Romano, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Daniel J. Ryan, Jr., Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Gary M. Samms, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Christopher N. Santoro, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation -Defendants Josh D. Scheets, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Robert P. Schenk, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Robert E. Smith, Insurance Law Robin Snyder, Litigation - Health Care Michael L. Turner, Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Claire Breaux Ventola, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Pittsburgh, PA Melissa Devich Cochran, Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants  John F. Deasy, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Daniel W. Deitrick, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Douglas C. LaSota, Litigation - Construction; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Joseph V. Lesinski, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants   Christian D. Marquis, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Patricia A. Monahan, Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance Patrick T. Reilly, Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Brett C. Shear, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Teresa O. Sirianni, Education Law; Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment Stuart Sostmann, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Danielle M. Vugrinovich, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Scranton, PA Sarah E. Argo, Litigation - Insurance Michael J. Connolly, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Matthew Keris, Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants John T. McGrath, Jr., Insurance Law; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants William J. McPartland, Insurance Law John R. Nealon, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Victoria Scanlon, Health Care Law; Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Michael A. Sebastian, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Thomas A. Specht, Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance Suzanne Tighe, Litigation Insurance Harrisburg , PA Casey Alan Coyle, Administrative/Regulatory Law; Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation Brittany E. Bakshi, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Shannon P. Fellin, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Allison Krupp, Insurance Law John R. Ninosky, Litigation – Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Christopher Reeser, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Kacey Wiedt, Workers' Compensation Law – Employers King of Prussia, PA  Michael L. Detweiler, Construction Law Joseph L. Hoynoski III, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Gregory J. Kelley, Construction Law, Litigation - Construction Anthony Natale III, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Francis X. Wickersham, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers A. Judd Woytek, Workers' Compensation Law – Employers Erie, PA Patrick M. Carey, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Joel M. Snavely, Health Care Law; Insurance Law New Haven, CT Michael Wrona, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy  Mount Laurel, NJ David D. Blake, Litigation - Insurance Barbara Davis, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Lynne Nahmani, Litigation - Health Care John H. Osorio, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants John L. Slimm, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants Roseland, NJ Robert T. Evers, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Justin F. Johnson, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Julia Klubenspies, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Leonard C. Leicht, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Patricia M. McDonagh, Appellate Practice Sunny Sparano, Litigation - Construction Randall S. Watts, Health Care Law New York, NY Tonya M. Lindsey, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Tampa, FL Michael Archibald, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Lindsay G. McCormick, Litigation – Construction Orlando, FL Thomas F. Brown, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Dante C. Rohr, Commercial Litigation Fort Lauderdale, FL Kimberly Kanoff Berman, Appellate Practice Patrick M. Delong, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Jacksonville, FL  Heather Byrer Carbone, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Linda Wagner Farrell, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Elizabeth B. Ferguson, Litigation - Construction James P. Hanratty, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Wilmington, DE Sarah B. Cole, Litigation - Insurance Benjamin K. Durstein, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Maria R. Granaudo, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants  Keri L. Morris-Johnston, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Cincinnati, OH Timothy B. Schenkel, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants David E. Williamson, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Cleveland, OH Vincent E. Cononico, Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Jillian L. Dinehart, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants David J. Fagnilli, Insurance Law Jason P. Ferrante, Health Care Law, Litigation - Health Care Andrew H. Isakoff, Transportation Law Leslie M. Jenny, Litigation - Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendant OUR 2026 BEST LAWYERS: ONES TO WATCH Jacksonville, FL Sean J. Reeves, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Orlando, FL Carolin A. Pacheco, Insurance Law Mount Laurel Stacey Gorin, Insurance Law Melville, NY Kimberly Gitlin, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Matthew A. Gray, Insurance Law; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Philadelphia, PA Holli K. Archer, Health Care Law; Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law Emily Pritchyk, Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Pittsburgh, PA Taylor E. Kosko, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Alana Staniszewski, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers Michael D. Winsko, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Transportation Law King of Prussia, PA Richard Lechette, Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Thought Leadership

Pennsylvania Superior Court Confirms RESDL Claims Are Subject to a Two-Year Statute of Repose

The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently concluded that claims under the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (“RESDL”) are subject to a two-year statute of repose running from the settlement date. This decision will further assist defending errors and omission claims against real estate agents as it bars any RESDL action commenced more than two years after the settlement date regardless of when the defect was discovered.  In Hollinger v. Deitrich, 2026 Pa. Super. LEXIS 328 (June 23, 2026), the buyers entered into an agreement of sale in April of 2017 to purchase a residential property. The settlement occurred in June of 2017. The buyers reviewed the seller disclosures that revealed the property had a sump pump in working order and a sump pit. The disclosures further noted no water infiltration into the basement, but disclosed rehab, an addition to the property and prior sewage backup.  Shortly after the settlement and closing, the buyers experienced flooding in their basement. In March of 2020, the buyers filed suit against the seller, the buyers’ real estate agent and broker and the seller’s real estate agent and broker alleging various causes of action including a violation of RESDL. The buyers alleged that they sought assurances from the agent defendants that no water infiltration occurred on the property. They further alleged that both agents lived in the area and should have known about the neighborhood water infiltration issues. The trial court granted summary judgment for the seller and the seller’s agents and dismissed the RESDL violation.  Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Gidor v. Mangus d/b/a Mangus Inspections, 345 A.3d 629 (Pa. 2025), the court explained that a statute of limitation begins to run from the time of the injurious occurrence or a discovery of the same. However, a statute of repose runs for a statutorily determined period after a definitively established event. Notably, a statute of repose eliminates a cause of action regardless of when the claim accrues. Because of this, a plaintiff may not invoke the discovery rule or other equitable tolling considerations.  RESDL requires that an action for damages, as a result of a violation of this chapter, must be commenced within two years after the date of final settlement. The court found that Section 7311(b) was clear and unambiguous that an action for damages pursuant to this chapter must be commenced within a certain time after a definitely established event that is independent of any injury or discovery of any injury. Since the buyers sued over two years after closing on the property, their statutory claims were time-barred. The court explained that the seller disclosure statement could not support common law or consumer protection claims, as using it would improperly expand remedies beyond the statute’s terms. Accordingly, the court upheld the trial court’s summary judgment ruling that the buyers’ claims under RESDL were barred by the statute of repose.  Accordingly, defense counsel should scrutinize complaints involving RESDL claims to ensure that such claims have been timely brought within two-years of the settlement date. A plaintiff will no longer be able to invoke the discovery roll to expand the time frame.

Thought Leadership

Not So Fast. . . The Limitations of the Pennsylvania RELRA in Plaintiffs’ Civil Actions Against Real Estate Broker and Licensee Defendants

Much has been made of the importance and weight of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act, 63 P.S. §§ 455.101, et. seq. (RELRA or Act). After all, a real estate broker generally cannot recover any commission absent a signed agreement that complies with RELRA. But can a plaintiff rely on RELRA as a distinct cause of action in a civil action as to a real estate broker or licensee defendant? The Superior Court has emphatically held that he or she cannot. In the unpublished opinion P. Perez Real Est. Holdings, LLC et. al. v. Home Sale Real Est. Servs., Inc., et al., No. 256 MDA 2025, 2025 WL 35389888 (Pa. Super. Ct. December 10, 2025), the Superior Court held that the Act “does not contemplate private actions for money damages as an enforcement mechanism and consequently, does not create a private cause of action.” citing Schwarzwaelder v. Fox, 895 A.2d 614, 620 (Pa. Super. 2006). While the Act authorizes the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, State Real Estate Commission, to regulate the conduct governed by RELRA, the Act alone does not create a stand-alone legal cause of action as to a broker-defendant in a civil action. See P. Perez, citing Schwarwaelder at 620. Nor can it be stated that RELRA creates or imposes any legally cognizable duties on real estate brokers or licensees. While the Act contains and refers to general concepts of duty (e.g. the agent must “exercise reasonable professional skill and care which meets the practice standards required by this act” and “to deal honestly and in good faith” 63 P.S. §§606.1 (a)(1),(2), or the broker has a duty to the buyer of property to take “action that is consistent with the buyer’s interest in transaction.”  63 P.S. §§606.3 (1)), these general concepts are secondary to the duties imposed by the required written agreement between the broker and consumer. For example, in P. Perez, a case in which the buyers-plaintiffs argued that the real estate broker failed to investigate recent legislation that would affect buyer’s intentions to convert the property to commercial space, the agreement between buyer and broker contained the following provision in the “Buyer’s Due Diligence” clause: Buyer acknowledges that Brokers, their licensees, employees, officers or partners have not made an independent examination or determination of the structural soundness of the property, the age or condition of the components, environmental conditions, the permitted uses, nor of conditions existing in the locale where the property is situated. . . Accordingly, the broker defendants expressly disclaimed any duty to buyers to inform them or determine whether any applicable zoning classifications, laws, or ordinances in the township applied to the properties in question. Moreover, the Superior Court refused to read provisions of the Act into the Agreement, citing Skiff re Buss, Inc. v. Buckingham Review, LP, 991 A.2d 956 (Pa. Super. 2010). In defending civil actions it is important for the defense attorney to identify any causes of action predicated solely on RELRA. Preliminary objections may be warranted to the extent that the plaintiff asserts RELRA as a stand-alone cause of action for monetary damages, a position struck down by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in P. Perez.  Moreover, any attempt to create or heighten duties as to the broker defendants may be countered by the general proposition that the courts will not inject the vague concepts of “reasonable professional skill” or “good faith” where the written agreement has express provisions regarding the duties of the parties. Ironically, although RELRA is an important Act with which all realtors, brokers, and licensees should be familiar to guarantee that their commissions are in fact timely paid, it is not a strong stand-alone mechanism for a plaintiff’s attempts to recover monetary damages in a civil action.