Phila. trial lawyer Robert Heim appointed to Pa. Supreme Court Civil Procedural Rules Committee

Veteran Philadelphia trial lawyer and past Philadelphia Bar Association chancellor

Robert C. Heim has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee, the high court announced Nov. 1.

Heim, a partner with Dechert LLP who focuses on antitrust, securities and other complex commercial litigation, was tapped to serve out a three-year term on the committee, which is the oldest of the high court’s eight rules committees.

This particular committee, which consists of 15 members, all of whom are attorneys and judges, assists the Supreme Court in the preparation, revision, publication and administration of the Rules of Civil Procedure.

The work undertaken by the members includes the entire spectrum of civil matters in the state’s various Courts of Common Pleas except for matters involving Orphans’ Court and Family Court.

Committee members are unpaid.

According to his biography on Dechert’s website, Heim has represented many corporations in trial and appellate matters both at the state level and federally.

Some of his clients have included Fortune 100 companies such as Pfizer, Verizon Communications, Comcast and BP Amoco.

Heim is also past president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, he is an elected fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and he has been listed by The Best Lawyers in America for antitrust, arbitration, commercial litigation and mass tort litigation/class action defense, his bio states.

Heim was also previously appointed by the late U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and has also been chair of Pennsylvania’s Continuing Legal Education Board.

Heim has additionally lectured on the topics of trial and appellate advocacy and has taught appellate advocacy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.