HARRISBURG, PA — House Bill 323 was passed by the House of Representatives this week. The legislation would authorize the creation of specialized commerce courts in the superior court and court of common pleas across the Commonwealth.

House Bill 323 would authorize the creation of commerce court programs; commerce court judges would be dedicated to hearing and deciding complex business-related cases, including: acquisitions, mergers, dissolutions and liquidations, among other items. Commerce courts are already used in the Philadelphia and Allegheny County Courts of Common Pleas.

Sponsor representative Seth Grove said, “Business lawsuits are often extremely complex; having dedicated judges to handle these cases will provide an efficient and transparent process. Businesses want to know that they can trust the integrity of the legal system and that is a large factor in where they decide to locate themselves.

“My legislation will attract businesses to Pennsylvania and will lead to more jobs. We need to follow the example of Delaware, as their courts have been a key component of why so many companies do business there.”