Levin, D. v. Prime Communications Inc.

2026 Pa. Super. 119
Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided June 9, 2026·No. 874 EDA 2025·Published·McLaughlin

Opinion

2026 PA Super 119

DAVID LEVIN : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

v. :

:

:

PRIME COMMUNICATIONS INC. AND :

AT&T :

: No. 874 EDA 2025

Appellants :

Appeal from the Order Entered March 10, 2025 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): November Term, 2023 No. 02081

BEFORE: BOWES, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E. * OPINION BY McLAUGHLIN, J.: FILED JUNE 9, 2026 Prime Communications Inc. (“Prime”)1 and AT&T (collectively, “Appellants”) appeal from the order overruling their preliminary objection seeking to compel arbitration. Appellants argue that the plaintiff, David Levin, electronically assented to an agreement to arbitrate. We vacate and remand.

Levin filed a complaint and two amended complaints against Appellants, asserting breach of an employment agreement and related claims. Levin’s second amended complaint alleged that Levin did “not recall ever signing an

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

1 The parties asserted below that Prime’s name was improperly pleaded as Prime Communications Inc. and is properly Prime Comms Retail, LLC. See Second Am. Complaint, 6/24/24, at 3, ¶¶ 4, 5; Prelim. Objs. of Defs. Prime Comms Retail LLC, Improperly Pled as, Prime Communications, Inc., and AT&T to Pltf.’s Second Am. Complaint (“Prelim. Objs.”), 7/15/24, at 1. However, the caption was not changed.

agreement to arbitrate” and “never signed any agreement to arbitrate[.]” Second Am. Complaint at 4, ¶¶ 11-12.

Appellants filed preliminary objections asking the court to dismiss the second amended complaint so the parties could pursue arbitration. 2 They averred that Levin’s employment was subject to an arbitration agreement. Prelim. Objs. at 3, ¶ 16. Appellants attached a document titled, “Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate” (“2022 MAA”). It relates to arbitration of claims relating to “employment or other relationship with Prime.” Id., Ex. F at 1 (unpaginated). The 2022 MAA text does not identify the applicable employee by name. It states,

I agree with Prime Comms retail, LLC, its related business affiliates, successors, assigns, benefit plans, benefit plan sponsors (the “Related Companies”) and/or any current or former employee, officer or other agent of Prime’s Related Companies (collectively, “Prime”),3 to use binding individual arbitration to resolve any “Covered Claims” that arise between Prime and me.

Id. It contains a signature page stating:

My electronic signature below confirms that:

 I am entering this Agreement voluntarily.

 I acknowledge that I have carefully read this Agreement and the I am HEARD program, and understand all the terms, and all understandings and agreements between Prime and me relating to our Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate, my Waiver of Right to

2 Appellants asserted other preliminary objections that are not at issue in this appeal.

3 Levin does not dispute that Appellants are covered by the arbitration agreements.

Jury or Trial by Judge, and my Waiver of Class, Collective, Consolidated, or Representative Claims are contained in this Agreement and the I am HEARD program. I did not rely on any promises or representations by Prime, other than those contained in this Agreement and the I am HEARD program.

 I also acknowledge that I have been given the opportunity to consult with my private legal counsel or other advisor before signing this Agreement, I [sic]

and have either done so or voluntarily decided to decline my opportunity to do so.

Id., Ex. F, at 6 (unpaginated). We will refer to this language as the “electronic signature statement.” Below the electronic signature statement is the signature of Prime’s Vice President of Human Resources. Although there are lines for “Employee Signature” and “Date,” they are blank. See id.

Appellants alleged that although Levin had alleged that he did not recall signing an arbitration agreement or in fact had not signed one, Levin had acknowledged the 2022 MAA. Id. at 4, ¶ 19. Appellants attached to their preliminary objections a February 6, 2024 “Policy Acknowledgment Status Report” bearing Levin’s name. See id., Ex. G, at 1 (unpaginated). It contains a table listing documents by “policy name” down the left column. Other columns list information for each document, including “Acknowledge Date.” The report lists an “Arbitration Agreement” with an “Acknowledge Date” of January 7, 2022.

Levin filed a response denying that he had “acknowledged” the 2022 MAA. He also pointed out that the 2022 MAA did not bear his signature. Response in Opposition to Prelim. Objs., 8/2/24, at 3, ¶¶ 16-17, 19-20. He also contended that the Policy Acknowledgement Form did not prove he signed

the 2022 MAA, post-dated his claims, and did not specify the “Arbitration Agreement” to which it refers. Id., ¶ 19. Levin argued that Appellants had failed to prove he was bound by the 2022 MAA. He did not attach any exhibits or affidavits to his response.

In reply, Appellants submitted the declaration of Prime’s associate director of human resources, Shanesta Jacobs. 4 Jacobs asserted that Levin was initially employed by another company, Spring, which Prime acquired on January 16, 2019. See Jacobs Decl. at 1, ¶¶ 4-5. She stated that Prime then offered employment to Levin and that he was given, among other things, a prior Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate (“2019 MAA”), which she appended to her declaration. Id., ¶ 6 & Ex. A. Like the 2022 MAA, the 2019 MAA includes the electronic signature statement. See id., Ex. A at 5. However, unlike the 2022 MAA, the 2019 MAA bears no signatures or signature lines under the electronic signature statement. See id.

Jacobs’s declaration stated that Levin had electronically agreed to the 2019 MAA. Jacobs maintained that Prime used an online human resources information system and Levin had a unique username and password to log

into it. Id. at 2, ¶ 7. She asserted that on February 13, 2019, Levin used his

4 See Reply Br. of Defs. Prime Comms Retail LLC, Improperly Pled as, Prime

Communications, Inc. in Support of Prelim. Objs. (“Reply Br.”), Ex. A (“Jacobs Decl.”). The beginning of the declaration states that Jacobs “declare[s] the following information under penalty of perjury.” Id. at 1. At the end, the declaration states that Jacobs “declare[s] that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, subject to the penalties of 18 Pa. Const. Stat. § 4904 relating to unsworn falsifications to authorities.” Id. at 4. At the end of the declaration is a signature for Jacobs.

username and password to sign into the system and “was prompted to review and acknowledge” the 2019 MAA. Id., ¶ 8. Jacobs stated the screen that “presented” the 2019 MAA had a prompt containing the electronic signature statement. Id., ¶ 10. She averred that “[a]n employee can agree to this signature statement by checking a box labelled ‘I agree’ immediately below this statement.” Id. According to Jacobs, Levin agreed by electronically checking the box labelled “I agree.” Id., ¶ 11. She stated that Levin was the only person with access to his username and password and “the only person who could have accessed his account and clicked the ‘I agree’ box[.]” Id., 3, ¶ 12.

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Levin, D. v. Prime Communications Inc., 2026 Pa. Super. 119 (Pa. Ct. App. 2026).

2026 Pa. Super. 119 (Levin, D. v. Prime Communications Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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