Joseph Clement is a Partner with Wisler Pearlstine, concentrating his practice in the areas of Municipal Law, Real Estate, Zoning, and Land Development, Business, Corporate, and Tax, and Intellectual Property. Mr. Clement’s experience comprises:

• Counseling municipalities and authorities in all aspects of their operations
• Guiding public-private land development project partnerships
• Assisting developers to navigate the nuances of local ordinances and zoning regulations
• Counseling artists, inventors, and business owners regarding the protection, licensing, and assignment of their intellectual property
• Preparing contracts for the sale and license of intellectual property
• Advising clients regarding the fine line between “fair use” and infringement of intellectual property rights

Mr. Clement received both his law degree and his Master of Laws from Franklin Pierce Law School where he won the ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property. While attending law school, Mr. Clement worked in the Office of the General Counsel for a leading manufacturer of commercial and military avionics and electro-optic systems and he clerked for a well-respected intellectual property boutique law firm. Mr. Clement received his undergraduate degree in biological science from the University of Vermont. Prior to joining Wisler Pearlstine, he worked for Merck & Co. Inc. for 7 years.

Representative Matters

• Participates in connection with the representation of the following municipal clients of the firm:
  • Borough of Lansdale
  • Lansdale Parking Authority (attorney primarily responsible for attending all public meetings)
  • Borough of Red Hill
  • Lower Salford Township
  • Lower Gwynedd Township
  • Cheltenham Township
  • Borough of Collegeville
  • Rockledge Zoning Hearing Board
  • Springfield Township

• Assisted lead counsel in a landmark decision overturning a Pennsylvania Office of Open Records Final Determination by ruling that public officials’ private emails are not public records under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. Silberstein v. MacNeal (York County Court of Common Pleas).
• Obtained federal copyright registration for various works including corporate logos.
• Obtained federal trademark registration for various trademarks.
• Successfully negotiated a settlement between two business involving trademark infringement, domain name registration, and cybersquatting.
• Assisted lead counsel in a successful arbitration that reinstated a limited liability company managing member’s shareholder interest after she was frozen out by the majority shareholder.

Speeches and Publications

• “Lansdale Reborn – A Model for Local Redevelopment.” The Legal Intelligencer. January 18, 2018.
• On March 26, 2012, Mr. Clement presented a two-hour training session to Lansdale Borough elected and appointed officials. He focused on the role of the Sunshine Act in promoting open meetings as well as the court decisions under the Right-to-Know Law which make emails sent or received from personal email accounts public documents when used for agency business.

Personal Interests

• Mr. Clement enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, hiking, skiing, and photography.