Margaret A. Morris

Margaret A. Morris, Partner in the Firm’s Philadelphia Office, brings more than 40 years of experience and knowledge to the various aspects of her practice. Ms. Morris works on a wide variety of utility and transportation matters at the state administrative and municipal agencies levels. She has extensive experience handling utility customer complaints, service-related issues, rail crossing and passenger and property motor carrier matters. She routinely represents regulated electric, water and waste water utilities and transportation companies before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and Philadelphia Parking Authority.

As Chair of the firm’s Utility Group, Ms. Morris represents and advises clients on an ongoing basis in connection with legislative and regulatory developments affecting electric, gas, water and wastewater companies. Ms. Morris has an extensive background in the utility field, having worked at both the Michigan and Pennsylvania Public Service Commissions where she provided legal analysis and opinions, policy advice and strategic guidance with respect to the telecommunications, water, gas, waste water, motor carrier and energy sectors. 

In her transportation and logistics practice, Ms. Morris handles a full range of issues frequently encountered by property and passenger carriers, as well as manufacturers and distributors in their use of carriers. Particularly with respect to owner-managed businesses (often family-owned and operated businesses), Ms. Morris assists clients in planning and executing the transition of businesses to the next generation or, alternatively, in preparing the business for sale and transfer application when there is to be no such transition.

Ms. Morris handles a broad range of matters for transportation companies, including:

• company governance, bank and financing issues, corporate control contests
• long-term service or supply agreements, purchase orders, equipment leases and other contracts
• employment and personnel issues and arrangements
• evaluation and planning of business expansion and contraction, as well as sales, acquisitions and mergers
• consulting with, advising, and acting as senior counsel and sounding board on strategic and everyday business and personal issues

In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Morris devotes a significant amount of her time to pro bono legal work. Under her supervision, the Firm has adopted the Eliza Shirley Center, a center city shelter for homeless women and children. Through her involvement as Co-coordinator and Supervisor for Pro Bono Legal Services, Ms. Morris assists those in need of legal assistance in a wide range of matters, including social security disability matters, custody-related issues, birth certificate assistance, Philadelphia Housing Authority hearings and much more. Additionally, Ms. Morris was the President of the Board of Directors for the Homeless Advocacy Project. Ms. Morris also serves as Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono and Diversity Committees.