PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

The Philadelphia law firm of Schnader Harrison & Lewis announced this

week that attorneys from boutique complex litigation firm Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards LLC have joined the practice.

Partners Ken Trujillo, Lisa J. Rodriguez, Ira Neil Richards and Pedro A. Ramos, along with associates Nicole Miles Acchione and Gary M. Goldstein, were expected to join Schnader Harrison effective July 31.

Trujillo and his team have represented clients in government, education, nonprofit, commercial, antitrust, securities and international litigation.

The lawyers also specialize in social sector work.

“This is a stellar group of lawyers. Each is a leader in the profession and in the community,” Schnader Harrison Chairman David Smith said in a statement. “In addition to their premier litigation skills, they bring deep experience in public/private transactions and government relations. We are proud to have them join us.”

In his own statement, Trujillo said his team joining the Schnader Harrison team represents a “great alignment for our clients, which include midsized to Fortune 500 companies in need of Schnader’s broad platform and wealth of talent.

“We have partnered with Schnader on many projects over the years,” Trujillo stated. “We know the firm’s culture is one that will fit well with ours. We look forward to joining Schnader’s commitment to excellence.”

Trujillo and colleague Ramos each previously served as solicitor for the City of Philadelphia, while Richards is known nationally for complex litigation issues.

Rodriguez most recently served as president of the Federal Bar Association of New Jersey.

All of the lawyers will work out of Schnader Harrison’s Philadelphia office except for Rodriguez and Acchione, who will be based at the law firm’s office in Cherry Hill, N.J.

The merger was hailed as a positive move by area players.

“This value added combination brings together skilled lawyers with unique experiences that enable them to navigate complex matters, particularly across the business, government and nonprofit sectors,” Lon Greenberg, chairman of the board of UGI Corp., said in a statement. “Clients of both firms will certainly benefit from the enhanced skill set resulting from the combination. I congratulate both firms in making this forward looking move.”

Greenberg said that he has worked with lawyers from both firms throughout the years.

David L. Cohen, the executive vice president of Comcast Corp. and a well-known attorney in the Philadelphia region, released his own statement in which he said that the addition of “top notch, innovative lawyers with deep experience in business and government will deepen an already impressive bench at the Schnader firm.”

Aside from having served as Philadelphia Solicitor, Trujillo previously served as an assistant United States attorney and has personally represented a number of public officials and governmental entities, according to an online biography.

The lawyer with experience in antitrust, securities, consumer litigation and white-collar criminal defense has also represented Native American tribes in civil and criminal matters.

Trujillo represented the City of Philadelphia during the development of the Eagles football stadium and the Phillies ballpark, and he spent time as a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board commissioner.

Trujillo also teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Ramos, the other former solicitor of Philadelphia, currently chairs the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

Ramos was the president of the Philadelphia School Board before the district was taken over by the state. He also spent time as the vice president and chief of staff to the president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis is a 180-lawyer firm with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, California, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

The firm’s clients range from large corporations to start-up businesses and entrepreneurs to individuals.

The firm specializes in everything from complex litigation and commercial transactions and to wealth management.