Erich primarily represents clients before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and state and
federal courts. Erich’s clients include public utilities (electric, natural gas, water and sewer), pipeline
operators, large industrial customers, and municipalities. Erich also has several years of experience
defending clients in state and local tax controversies.
Erich is experienced in both appellate litigation and state tax, having previously served as a law clerk
to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer, Acting Chief of the
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s (“OAG”) Tax Litigation Section, and as a protégé of Lloyd
Persun, one of the grandfathers of the Pennsylvania tax bar.
Prior to joining HMS Legal, Erich served as Acting Chief Deputy Attorney General of OAG’s Tax
Litigation Section. In that position, Erich assisted in setting the Commonwealth’s overall tax litigation
strategy. He also carried a full caseload, representing the Commonwealth in appeals involving the
sales/use tax, the corporate net income and capital stock/foreign franchise taxes, and the personal
income tax. Erich also handled gross receipts and bank shares tax cases on behalf of the
Commonwealth. During his time with OAG, Erich successfully argued several cases before the
Commonwealth Court and was involved in appeals heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Before joining OAG, Erich served as a law clerk to Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn
Jubelirer and as a staff attorney in the Commonwealth Court’s Office of Chief Counsel. These
experiences contributed to Erich’s understanding of how to build a successful case on appeal.
Prior to his time with the Commonwealth Court, Erich was a shareholder at Persun & Hamlin, P.C.,
where he focused on state and local tax litigation. He represented businesses and individuals in a
range of tax matters—from local property and business privilege tax cases to multifaceted, high-
dollar state tax litigation.
Erich is a graduate of The Penn State Dickinson School of Law, where he was a member of the
Woolsack Honor Society and the Penn State Law Review. Prior to attending law school, Erich
graduated magna cum laude from Lafayette College with departmental honors in Government &
Law.
