The Pennsylvania Society of Architects has asked Grainger Bowman, resident principal of our Harrisburg office, to propose legislative amendments to solve the question of whether architectural firms may practice as limited liability companies in Pennsylvania, as one part of PSA's legislative agenda for the incoming session of the General Assembly.
The Limited Liability Company Law of 1994 expanded the types of business entities that are authorized under Pennsylvania law and introduced into Pennsylvania specific forms of limited liability companies that have gained favor in other jurisdictions. However, the Architects Licensure Law of 1982 expressly provides only five types of business entities under which an architectural firm is authorized to practice:
- Sole proprietorship;
- Partnership;
- Professional Association;
- Professional Corporation; or
- Business Corporation
At the request of PSA, Grainger Bowman will be proposing legislative housekeeping amendments to make limited liability companies expressly available to architectural firms. The PSA has its own staff of expert lobbyists who will be guided by the PSA's Executive Director in proposing these legislative amendments. Our Harrisburg office, as PSA's Legal Counsel, will be providing the analytical support for the proposed legislative change.