R. Rex Herder, Jr.

Biography

Rex Herder is an attorney in the firm’s Municipal Law and Land Use and Zoning practice groups. Over the past 30 years, Rex has developed a reputation as a talented municipal solicitor and a deft and skilled litigator. His experience includes:

• Negotiated purchase of wooded acreage from developer who had obtained approval to construct medical facility.
• Negotiated acquisition of wooded land from local, prominent nonprofit organization.
• Routinely advises clients on Sunshine Act and Right to Know Law matters.
• Successfully defended a municipal client in suit brought by resident alleging violation of Act for failure to allow resident to speak at public meeting.
• Successfully defended municipal clients in challenges to zoning ordinances.
• Guided municipal clients through multiple extensive zoning matters.
• Negotiated large scale redevelopment projects, including complex redevelopment agreements, TIF financing, and multi-party escrow agreements.
• Negotiated with developers to maximize economic return to the municipality through fees-in-lieu of public improvements, dedication of open space, and donation of recreational and other facilities.
• Routinely advise clients on day-to-day issues which arise in the governance of a municipality as well as more specialized issues such as tax anticipation loans, bond financing, employment matters, police issues, construction, building, land use, and other municipal code issues.

Rex began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Over the course of nearly a decade, he served in various capacities, including Chief of the Trials Division, Head of Special Investigations and Investigating Grand Jury Supervisor. Rex entered private practice in Ambler, Pennsylvania, where he concentrated his practice on municipal law and litigation.

He has maintained a municipal law practice continuously since 1992, and has accumulated extensive experience in a broad range of local government matters, including all aspects of zoning and land use law, municipal procurement, the Sunshine Act, the Right to Know Law, the Ethics Act, municipal procurement and public contracting law, municipal finance and taxation matters.

He has extensive experience in litigating in all of these and other areas, and has counseled local governments in large scale land development and zoning cases; assisted in the adoption of a local ordinance expanding protections under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and worked to preserve open space to the benefit of his clients.

He currently serves as Solicitor to the Upper Moreland-Hatboro Joint Sewer Authority and Bryn Athyn Borough.

Memberships

Rex is a member of the Pennsylvania and Montgomery County Bar Associations.

Bar Admission

Rex is admitted to practice in all Pennsylvania state courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Education

Rex received his Bachelor of Arts from St. Andrews Presbyterian College and his Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law.

Personal Data

Rex is married with three children. He and his wife reside in Bryn Athyn Borough.