Since clerking for Commonwealth Court Judge Theodore Rogers in 1977-1978, Mr. Garrity has spent his entire legal career at Wisler Pearlstine.  He chairs the municipal/land use law department. His practice is divided almost equally between the representation of commercial developers in land development matters (particularly shopping center, office and multi-family development) in Montgomery, Bucks and Chester Counties, and his responsibilities as the Solicitor to four Montgomery County Townships (Lower Gwynedd, Lower Salford, Worcester and Whitpain).  His commercial work has included the representation of owners and developers in numerous large land use appeals which have required argument before the Commonwealth Court and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.  He has also been retained to act as Special Counsel on numerous zoning ordinance validity challenges and curative amendments in: Skippack Township (Montgomery County); Marlborough Township (Montgomery County); Northampton Township (Bucks County); Warrington Township (Bucks County); Upper Pottsgrove Township (Montgomery County); Upper Salford Township (Montgomery County). A past Chairman of the Montgomery Bar Association Committees on Real Estate, Zoning and Land Use, and Municipal Law, Mr. Garrity is frequently called upon to speak at Continuing Legal Education and Township Supervisor/Commissioner seminars on a variety of land use, zoning and real estate development topics. A 1977 graduate of Villanova University Law School, and one of the editors of its Law Review, Mr. Garrity received his undergraduate degree cum laude from Georgetown University (B.A. 1974).

Recent Representative Matters:

• Represented the successful Appellant in a highly controversial, eight year long land use battle called “the most significant municipal bad faith case in many years”.  Highway Materials, Inc. v. Whitemarsh Township (Commonwealth Court of PA, 2009).
• Represented municipality in successful rejection of one of the longest (over 50 hearings) curative amendment challenges in the history of the Commonwealth.  Goodman Properties v. Lower Gwynedd Township (Commonwealth Court of PA, 2001).
• Represented Developer throughout the rezoning and approval process for over 200 acres to permit the construction of a 550,000 square foot shopping center, 5 apartment buildings with over 250 units, a single family home subdivision of houses, a hotel and a large restaurant.
• Assisted a large School District in locating its bus parking facility on a new site notwithstanding several land use appeals and an equity action commenced by neighboring property owners.
• Assisted a corporate landowner in the rezoning and development of over 100 acres in two Townships to permit two shopping centers totaling in excess of 300,000 square feet, 126 carriage homes, and a 15 acre Township park.
• Helped a Township negotiate through five years of litigation involving eight separate law suits to successfully acquire and develop a 76 acre park for both passive and active recreation.