Rising to the top of the list of the Top 10 most notable lateral moves in 1997 was a former labor department head at Pepper Hamilton & Scheetz, who took much of his group with him to Klett Lieber & Schorling’s Philadelphia office.
Other lawyers making big moves included a well-known securities rainmaker who left Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young to join Drinker Biddle & Reath, and an intellectual property lawyer who left his co-chair position at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis to head Duane Morris & Heckscher’s group.
That was according to multiple sources The Legallntelligencer contacted over the last several weeks to determine who should be listed among the Top 10 lateral hires for 1997. Lawyers and legal community watchers interviewed included law firm leaders, legal organization officials, those who themselves have made visible moves in recent years and recruiters.
Those asked to nominate people were encouraged to name lawyers making prominent moves at competing firms, and courtroom adversaries, in addition to their friends and colleagues. For the most part, they cooperated.
Although many names were mentioned in the search for prominent lateral moves, after extensive reporting, 10 names rose to the surface, having been mentioned the most often by the largest number of apparently disinterested sources.
The research used for this story was admittedly unscientific. We purport here only to present the names of those who caused the most buzz about town.
And while there were 10 top vote getters, three additional attorneys received support, too, and are listed as runners-up…
On the plaintiffs’ side of the practice, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association President left in December to create a new firm, Golomb Spirt Grunfeld with Richard M. Golomb, who is vice president of PTLA.
The new firm areas of emphasis included medical professional liability, products liability and construction litigation, as well as victims’ rights in gender and race bias cases, and sexual harassment cases according to Golomb.
Golomb and Villari opened their own firm in September 1996, when they split off of Kreithen Baron Villari & Golomb.