GERRI L. SPERLING
Gerri’s practice is concentrated in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation and adoption work.

In her work with employers, Gerri routinely provides counsel on a myriad of employment issues, including hiring and firing decisions, employment practices, unemployment compensation matters, discrimination and sexual harassment issues, drug testing, leave issues, and wage and hour questions. She has extensive experience handling cases filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations. Gerri also has had experience representing employers in unemployment compensation hearings and in federal and state court proceedings involving sexual harassment and discrimination, disability discrimination, wrongful discharge, breach of contract and breach of covenants not to compete. However, she is most fulfilled by counseling her clients regarding employment practices and providing on-site training to management employees on sexual harassment, discrimination and employment conditions so that her clients avoid litigation.

Additionally, Gerri represents a myriad of corporate clients and individuals in litigation matters and has had substantial litigation experience in federal and state court in numerous jurisdictions. She has handled appeals before several federal circuit courts of appeal and in state court in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and has represented clients in proceedings before the United States Supreme Court. Gerri has also represented clients in arbitration and mediation proceedings. The types of cases that she routinely handles include health and insurance coverage matters, claims for benefits under ERISA, civil rights litigation, payment disputes and land use and employment cases.

A large part of Gerri’s practice has been in adoption. She has handled over four hundred adoptions, including domestic, interstate, international and step-parent adoptions. She also represents intended parents and surrogates in surrogate parenting arrangements. Her personal experience as an adoptive parent gives her a compelling perspective on this area of law.

Practice Areas
• Commercial Litigation
• Employment Law
• Health Law
• Insurance Law
• Adoption

Representative Matters
• Successfully represented real estate developers in Third Circuit appeal and
subsequent trial on First Amendment retaliation claim against Township.
• Successfully represented adoption agency in involuntarily terminating parental rights
of birth fathers who contested termination of parental rights.
• Handled and settled class actions brought by health care providers against third party
payors in federal and state court.
• Represented employer in federal sexual harassment and discrimination claim
brought by former employee and obtained favorable settlement for client.

Experience
• 2005  Metz Lewis LLC
Compliance Officer
• 1981  Springer Bush & Perry, P.C.

Education
• 1981  J.D., Boston University
Editor-in-Chief, Boston University Legislative Services, 1980
• 1978  B.A., cum laude, English, International Relations and History,
University of Pennsylvania

Admissions
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Professional Affiliations and Honors
• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Allegheny County Bar Association, Chair, Adoption Committee
• Advisory Board, New Choices, Carlow University
• Board of Directors, School Facilities Management Corporation
• Board of Directors, the Pace School
• Recognized as an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell peer review