It takes a strong foundation to succeed in business, and for 125 years and counting, Marsh Schaaf Attorneys has been a trusted partner of business owners for legal expertise.
From business to family matters, Marsh Schaaf and its distinguished attorneys have helped its clients through many of life’s ups and downs — everything from wills and estate administration, to assisting business owners with getting their companies started, expanding their operations, dealing with the unexpected and planning for what’s ahead.
The firm maintains an active business and corporate law practice, representing sole proprietorships, partnerships, and both large and small corporations and limited liability companies for other entities for small businesses and real estate investors. These clients
— a variety of mom-and-pop shops, manufacturers, regional banks, real- estate companies and others — can be found in Erie, Crawford, Venango, Mercer, Warren, Forrest, McKean, Potter and Elk Counties, stretching from Erie to Pittsburgh along the Interstate 79 corridor.
“As businesses have changed, so has our firm,” explains Partner Eugene Sundberg Jr., who has been practicing law for the past 30-plus years. “We’ve grown with our clients along the way.”
Indeed, the growth and longevity of Marsh Schaaf Attorneys is a testament to its legal team. The firm boasts a reputable list of partners, including Sundberg and his brother Kurt, Atchley Holmes, Of Counsel Charles Agresti, Michael Agresti, Edwin Smith, Gary Skiba, Jim Marsh (who has 50 years of law experience), Kevin Monahan, Bud Stark, Rachel George, Steven George, Thomas Myers, and a support staff of 15 professionals, many with 20 or more years of service, ready to support clients’ needs.
The firm also has been active in recruiting new talent, recently welcoming a new associate Julia Gromacki, an Erie native who earned her Juris Doctor from Barry University and Master of Laws in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University, Caruso School of Law, and clerked for Erie County Court of Common Pleas Judge Erin Connelly Marucci.
“At Marsh Schaaf, we want to make sure that the attorneys who join our firm are committed to this area — that they have family and business ties to northwest Pennsylvania,” says Sundberg.
A Proud History
Marsh Schaaf Attorneys has built its practice as one of the most respected, reliable and prestigious law firms in the region thanks to the strong foundation set in 1897. At that time, Ritchie T. Marsh and Charles C. Eaton founded the distinguished law firm at Seventh and State Streets then known as Marsh and Eaton.
Over the years, the firm expanded with the addition of partners John A. Spaeder and James E. Marsh. After World War II, Robert S paeder and Will Schaaf joined the practice, which became known as Marsh Spaeder Baur Spaeder & Schaaf. By 1985, the firm relocated from the Baldwin Building to its present-day offices at 300 State Street near the bustling bayfront of downtown Erie and a hub of recent revitalization efforts.
In 2020, the firm again made another notable move with a name change to the shorter Marsh Schaaf, LLP. “We became more than just the five founders,” explains Sundberg,” and we wanted to convey that we were changing and developing with the community that we were serving.”
Today, Marsh Schaaf Attorneys considers itself right sized — not too large or too small — to stay nimble, attentive and attuned to its clients’ needs. The firm’s attorneys can respond effectively to any situation for which an individual or company may require legal services.
The firm also considers itself to be extremely reasonable and fair when it comes to billing — a big difference that can be a huge cost-savings for clients. “Many times, our clients will never see emails, text message or short communications reflected on their bills,” says Partner Michael Agresti. The firm also does not charge or pass on to clients copying, postage or long distance phone calls.
Agresti, for one, has been one of the top attorneys in the region, helping clients with their real estate matters and more. “We try to fashion ourselves as outside general counsel,” he explains. “There are a lot of businesses that need somebody they can call at any time, day or night, weekends, text messages because their business is important. If they have a labor or customer issue, a real estate issue or something personal, they can call us because we are their family lawyer too.”
Marsh Schaaf Attorneys is indeed a law firm that prides itself on representing its clients with the highest standard of legal service for the long term. “We’ve been here for 125 years,” says Sundberg, “and we’re making sure that we’re here for another 125 years.”
