DLA Piper announced today that Alva Mather has joined the firm’s Litigation practice as a partner in Philadelphia. Mather joins DLA Piper from Pepper Hamilton LLP, where she served as chair of the firm’s Alcoholic Beverage Industry practice and co-chair of its Food and Beverage and Cannabis Industry practices.  More >>

Cozen O’Connor announced today that three nationally recognized commercial litigators — Michael J. Miller, Gregory J. Star, and Stephen R. Harris — along with 11 others have left Drinker Biddle to join Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation practice. Highly regarded as accomplished trial lawyers in the financial services and software industries, Miller, Star, and Harris, will join the firm as partners and will work out of Cozen O’Connor’s Philadelphia office. Miller will serve as Chair and Star as Vice-Chair of the firm’s newly created Life Insurance and Annuities Practice Group. Miller and Star will also Co-Chair the firm’s newly formed Software Industry team. More >>

The Philadelphia office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added trial lawyer Keith E. Smith as a shareholder in its Litigation Practice, which is more than 600 lawyers strong firmwide. Smith joins from Eckert Seamans.

“Keith was attracted to GT’s established footprint in class action defense and products liability litigation. We are confident that he is a great fit for GT’s entrepreneurial and collaborative culture. He has already had the opportunity to bring in other GT litigation lawyers on several national cases. GT’s platform and footprint is the right fit for professionals like Keith who are leaders in their field and want to develop further their already robust practices.” said Michael L. Lehr, a regional operating shareholder resident in the firm’s Philadelphia office, and Curtis B. Toll, the office’s operating shareholder. “Keith brings real synergies to the office’s Litigation and Environmental Practices. He is currently serving as national counsel for a large industrial manufacturer of fire-fighting foam alleged to contain perfluorinated compounds, which the EPA has designated as emerging contaminants, and as class action counsel for a Global 200 conglomerate in advertising and labeling litigation.”

Smith focuses his practice on the defense of national class actions, commercial litigation, and products liability. He has wide-ranging experience as a both an advisor and trial counsel for regional, national, and international clients.

“Greenberg Traurig’s dynamic and award-winning Litigation Practice is a point of pride for the firm and we are very excited about the opportunity to add Keith’s experience and vision to the wide-ranging and multi-national litigation resources we offer clients in key markets and industries,” said shareholders Lori Cohen and Jeff Scott, co-chairs of the firm’s Global Litigation Practice.

Smith also represents energy resellers in variable rate energy and TCPA class actions and manufacturers in class actions alleging product defect, warranty, consumer fraud, premature wear, product misrepresentations, and antitrust violations. He has represented national and international manufacturers of commercial and industrial machinery, plumbing products, consumer products, automobiles and component parts, food and food products, tobacco, textiles, and alloy, carbon, and composite piping.

“Greenberg Traurig’s reputation in the litigation arena, combined with its cultural values, practice and geographic diversity, and responsible management made this team the clear choice for my clients and my practice,” Smith said. “I look forward to contributing to the firm and my clients have a great deal to benefit from the talent here.”

Smith received his J.D. in 1992 from Villanova University School of Law where he was a member of the Villanova Law Review, and his B.A. in 1989 from Villanova University. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, where he served as Membership Chair of the Class Action Specialized Litigation Group. He served as president of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Board of Advisors, 2016-2017.

Goldberg Segalla welcomed partners Robert J. Hafner and Elizabeth A. Weill to the firm’s Product Liability and Toxic Tort Practice Groups in Philadelphia. With a collective six decades of experience handling complex and high-value torts for a variety of leading manufacturers and other companies, these partners are the firm’s second major hire in Philadelphia this year following the addition in late August of seven attorneys focusing on toxic torts and environmental law. More >>

Jeremy “Jerry” A. Spector, nationally recognized for his work in public finance tax law and a former member with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., has joined the Philadelphia office of Cozen O’Connor in the firm’s Public and Project Finance practice. More >>

R. Stephen Stigall—the former Attorney-in-Charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in Camden—has joined Ballard Spahr as a partner in the firm’s New Jersey and Philadelphia offices, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today. More >>

Barry L. Klein joins Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as the Chair of the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice and as a partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office. He is a member of the firm’s Employment and ERISA practice groups. Klein was previously a partner in the Philadelphia office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka. More >>

Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP today announced that Justin C. Danilewitz has joined the firm as a partner in the White Collar and Government Litigation Practice, resident in the Philadelphia, Pa. office. More >>

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to welcome veteran long-term care insurance attorney Michael Rafalko to the firm’s Global Insurance Department. He joins as a member and will be resident in the Philadelphia office. Rafalko joins Cozen O’Connor from Drinker Biddle, where he served as co-chair of the firm’s long-term care insurance practice. More >>