Law Firm

Remember the 1993 movie "Philadelphia"? A lawyer played by Tom Hanks is fired from a Philadelphia law firm after it is revealed he has AIDS. William J. O'Brien, one of the city's premiere trial lawyers, had a similar case in 1994. He represented the law firm of Kohn Swift & Graf, which was sued in federal court by a 30-year-old lawyer who contended he was fired by the firm because he had HIV. Both the real case and the movie case wound up being settled out of court. For a lawyer renowned for his work on commercial litigation, involving such fields as product liability, insurance fraud, malpractice claims, government relations and the like, Bill was involved in a number of high-profile cases that made headlines.

Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz has hired three partners and four associates from a Pittsburgh law firm to launch an office in western Pennsylvania. The Center City firm, Philadelphia's third-largest, opened the Pittsburgh office yesterday. It is Pepper's fourth office in the state - the others are in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Berwyn - and 12th overall. The new office will be headed by three partners from the Pittsburgh firm of Doepken Keevican Weiss & Medved, including name partner George M. Medved, who concentrates his practice in construction litigation.

After growing at a rate of 10 percent a year for 10 years, the Center City law firm of Cozen & O'Connor has cut back. Late last week, it completed a months-long retooling in which it dropped six lawyers, 20 paralegals and more than 20 secretaries and administrative workers at offices around the country, said Stephen A. Cozen, chairman. The cuts were achieved through attrition, resignations and layoffs. The firm grew from 26 lawyers in one office in 1981 to 220 lawyers in eight offices in 1994.

Harold Cramer is leaving his job as chairman and CEO of Graduate Health System when that entity consolidates with Allegheny Health system, but he is not retiring. Cramer said yesterday that he would return to Mesirov Gelman Jaffe Cramer & Jamieson, the Center City law firm he left 20 years ago. "I'm still vigorous, and I'm very interested in health care," said Cramer, 69. "I don't expect to spend my time on the golf course or clipping coupons. " As a lawyer-adviser to health-care clients at the firm, Cramer said he would be in a position to help "in a practical way. I know how the system works.

Ronald D. Castille, the Republican Party leadership's choice for mayor, yesterday joined the Center City law firm of Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay - at a whopping raise over his salary as district attorney. David C. Auten, managing partner of Reed Smith's Philadelphia office, said he "expects Castille to be a significant contributor to the firm's litigation team. " He will make $130,000 a year. While he was district attorney from 1985 until he resigned Tuesday, his salary was $79,000 a year.

Two men were arrested yesterday and charged in the brazen slaying Dec. 20 of a receptionist in a busy Center City law firm. Two homicide detectives had been tracking the suspects for two months, a hunt that took them throughout the city and into several southern states, but led ultimately back to Germantown. Acting on a tip, Detectives Tommy Baker and Joe Fischer went to a house on Greene Street near Abbottsford Road shortly before 10 a.m. and flushed the fugitives out of a back bedroom on the third floor.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority paid at least $700,000 to a Washington lobbyist, channeling much of the money through the law firm Ballard, Spahr L.L.C., while repeatedly telling federal officials it wasn't engaged in lobbying, records show. The payments - a $10,000-a-month retainer - went to American Continental Group, whose president is David J. Urban, a former chief of staff for then-Sen. Arlen Specter. In an interview, Urban described his job as primarily "telling the story" of PHA and its executive director Carl R. Greene to Congress.

Saul Ewing L.L.P. of Center City said Monday it plans to merge with the Boston real estate and business law firm of Dionne & Gass L.L.P., effective July 1. The merger will bring seven new lawyers to Saul Ewing, five as partners, one as special counsel and another as an associate, and expand Saul Ewing's East Coast presence with its first office in Boston. The combined law firm will retain the Saul Ewing name and have 235 lawyers.    -Chris Mondics

While working as a secretary for the law firm of Paul, Reich & Myers in Center City, Kerri A. Stone somehow managed a rather lavish lifestyle. In January 1996, she chartered a private jet for $28,600 and flew with some friends to Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz., to see the Cowboys whip the Steelers, 27-17. Stone also had spent $29,300 that year to rent a summer house in Margate, N.J. The year before, she leased a BMW from the Don Rosen dealership in Bala Cynwyd for $19,000.

The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, which battles for social change in the arena of the courtroom, is looking for financial help. The nonprofit law firm, best known for prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to close the antiquated Pennhurst State Hospital, is trying to raise $50,000 by Jan. 31. If the goal is met, the Philadelphia Bar Association will pitch in an additional $25,000. Michael Churchill, PILCOP's chief counsel, and Clifford Haines, outgoing chancellor of the bar association, said yesterday that they were seeking contributions from foundations, businesses and - especially - law firms.

HARRISBURG - The top staff aide to Gov. Corbett is leaving the administration for a new job. Corbett said Thursday he would nominate his chief of staff, William F. Ward, to fill a vacancy on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Ward will be replaced by Stephen Aichele, a lawyer from Chester County who currently works as Corbett's chief counsel. The governor made his announcement in a prepared statement that gave no hint of the political turmoil that was said to have preceded the moves.

A new firm, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld L.L.C., announced that it would officially begin representing clients June 1 and would be based in Conshohocken. The firm will be led by founders John E. Royer Jr., Neil A. Cooper, Barry L. Cohen, and Roger Braunfeld. The name partners focus on transactional law, business and corporate law, intellectual property, emerging growth companies and other matters. The firm will start with a total complement of nine lawyers. — Chris Mondics

Stephen E. Markert Jr. has been hired by Philadelphia-based Switzenbaum & Associates as chief operating officer and chief financial officer, and as a partner of the real estate development and management firm. He most recently was CEO of Vitacost.com in Boca Raton, Fla., and served 11 years as chief financial officer of C & D Technologies in Blue Bell.   SteegeThomson Communications, a Philadelphia agency specializing in marketing and development communications for nonprofit organizations, hired Denise H. Portner as a senior vice president.

Remember the 1993 movie "Philadelphia"? A lawyer played by Tom Hanks is fired from a Philadelphia law firm after it is revealed he has AIDS. William J. O'Brien, one of the city's premiere trial lawyers, had a similar case in 1994. He represented the law firm of Kohn Swift & Graf, which was sued in federal court by a 30-year-old lawyer who contended he was fired by the firm because he had HIV. Both the real case and the movie case wound up being settled out of court. For a lawyer renowned for his work on commercial litigation, involving such fields as product liability, insurance fraud, malpractice claims, government relations and the like, Bill was involved in a number of high-profile cases that made headlines.

The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit, business-led civic organization, has elected Rick Altman chair of its board. He is executive vice president and chief risk officer at Radian Group, Philadelphia. Robert J. McNeill, partner-in-charge of the audit practice for the Greater Philadelphia Region at Deloitte, Philadelphia, has been elected vice-chair. Additionally, the following have been named to the board of directors: Daniel J. Astolfi, senior vice president and team leader at RBS Citizens, Philadelphia.

The son of former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo has filed suit against a South Jersey restaurateur for allegedly breaching the terms of deals in which Fumo paid $205,000 for shares of two restaurants, one of them at Philadelphia International Airport. In complaints filed Thursday in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Vincent E. Fumo II said he had written a personal check for $150,000 to buy a 30 percent share in a new Philly cheesesteak venture, completed in 2009 in the connector between the airport's B and C Terminals.

Mary A. Confoy O'Donnell, 89, formerly of Springfield, Delaware County, retired assistant to the dean of Villanova University Law School, died of complications of dementia Tuesday, March 27, at White Horse Village in Newtown Square. For 15 years, before raising a family, Mrs. O'Donnell was a secretary at the law firm Schnader, Harris, Segal & Lewis in Philadelphia. In 1975, after her children were grown, she went to work for a professor at Villanova Law School. From 1977 to 1983, she was assistant to law school dean J. Willard O'Brien and was later assistant to his successors, John E. Murray Jr. and Steven P. Frankino.

In the Region PSE&G won't report payment histories Public Service Electric & Gas Co. on Monday agreed not to report its 2 million customers' payment histories to a credit-rating agency. The New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel sued in November 2010 to block the utility's proposal, which PSE&G said was needed to curb delinquencies. "Under the laws of this state, PSE&G has no right to disclose individual customer information to a third party without their consent," said Stefanie Brand, rate counsel director.

The University of Pennsylvania law school on Monday officially dedicated a new courtroom at Golkin Hall that was funded by Philadelphia plaintiffs lawyers Thomas Kline and Shanin Specter, on behalf of their law firm, Kline & Specter P.C. The courtroom will be used for student education and includes the latest in courtroom technology, the law firm said. Golkin Hall, a newly constructed 40,000 square foot addition to the law school campus, itself will be officially dedicated April 5 at an event to be attended by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

In late January 2000, two young men who would later participate in the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings and attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon met with a young Saudi in San Diego. The Saudi, Omar al-Bayoumi, had earlier been the focus of a Federal Bureau of Investigation antiterrorism probe and had close ties to the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles. He offered to put up the two hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, in his apartment for a short time, helped them find a place of their own, and gave them money.