High Swartz LLP

09/11/2026

We are proud to announce that 11 attorneys from High Swartz LLP have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America!

William F. Kerr, Jr.: Litigation - Real Estate, Municipal Law, Real Estate Law
Thomas E. Panzer: Land Use and Zoning Law, Workers' Compensation Law
Shari Gelfont Williams: Family Law
Mary Cushing Doherty: Family Law, Family Law Arbitration and Mediation
Gilbert P. High: Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Litigation - Municipal, Litigation - Real Estate, Municipal Law
Thomas D. Rees: Education Law, Employment Law, Litigation - Labor and Employment
Donald Petrille, Jr.: Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Mark R. Fischer: Land Use and Zoning Law
Matthew T. Hovey: Land Use and Zoning Law
Richard C. Sokorai: Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Hannah E. Posencheg, Esq.: Ones to Watch - Real Estate Law

09/08/2026

And that's a wrap on the first weekend of the Polish - American Festival, Czestochowa Shrine, Doylestown, PA! It was a beautiful weekend full of smiling faces, delicious food and top-notch entertainment. Stop by to see us next weekend, Renata Pabisz and the High Swartz team are looking forward to meeting you!

09/05/2026

Join us at the 60th Annual Polish American Festival & County Fair at The National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Czestochowa in Doylestown this holiday weekend! We will be there through Monday, September 7th and back again on September 13th and 14th. Stop by booth C8 to meet Attorney Renata Pabisz and some of the High Swartz team. We hope to see you there!

06/24/2026

Summer is prime time for tree law!

Our very own Gilbert High Jr. has seen just about every tree dispute Pennsylvania can throw at a property owner. His walks through the key questions around property line trees, hazard trees, and who's responsible when a municipal street tree becomes a problem.

If you've got a landscaper on a power trip or a neighbor eyeing your tree line, Gil's article is worth the read.

Here's a primer on Pennsylvania tree laws regarding trees along property lines and public rights of way in PA municipalities.

06/23/2026

Affordable housing projects move forward one agreement at a time.

High Swartz real estate attorney John Ungar recently helped Pathways Housing Wellness Corporation (PHWC) on the construction contract for Phase II of the 17th Street Community Corridor in Philadelphia's Sharswood neighborhood.

John drew on his experience with AIA form construction contracts and his background as a developer. The result: a project on track to deliver 38 deeply affordable housing units beginning in 2027.

Read more about John's work and the project on the High Swartz website. https://highswartz.com/uncategorized/affordable-housing-project-in-philadelphia/

05/29/2026

High Swartz partner Shari Williams recently attended the Federal Courts Reception at the Bucks County Bar Association and A Woman's Place, Bucks County 50th Anniversary Golden Soirée at the Pearl S. Buck House in Perkasie.

For 50 years, A Woman's Place has been Bucks County's only domestic violence response organization. AWP's work is grounded in six core values: courage, creativity, equality, integrity, respect, and social justice.

05/29/2026

Paige Phillips rounds out our summer law clerk team!

Paige is a rising 3L at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law with a background in sports compliance.

Growing up in Ohio, Paige played Division III soccer at Baldwin Wallace University and earned a degree in Sports Management. That path led her to compliance roles in the athletics departments at both Villanova and the University of Pennsylvania.

https://highswartz.com/high-swartz-news/paige-phillips-summer-law-clerk-high-swartz/

Welcome to the firm, Paige!

05/28/2026

We are excited to welcome Jennifer Chen to the firm!

Jennifer is a rising 3L at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law with a background that spans continents and practice areas.

This summer, Jennifer hopes to focus on transactional law while gaining exposure to the full range of matters we handle.

https://highswartz.com/high-swartz-news/jennifer-chen-summer-law-clerk-high-swartz/

Welcome to the team. Jen!

05/22/2026

We'd like to congratulate the nine attorneys named to the 2026 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list.

Kevin Cornish, Mary Cushing Doherty, Mark R. Fischer Jr., Gilbert P. High Jr., Thomas E. Panzer, Thomas D. Rees, Joel D. Rosen, Richard C. Sokorai, and Shari R. Gelfont Williams each earned this recognition through outstanding legal work and a commitment to their clients.

https://highswartz.com/high-swartz-news/super-lawyers/

The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more than 5 percent of attorneys in each state.