The Top Lateral Hires of 2018
The Legal Intelligencer recently published a special supplement on "The Top Lateral Hires of 2018." The following Blank Rome lateral moves were featured:
- Andrew K. Fletcher: Blank Rome Welcomes Veteran Litigator in Pittsburgh
- Charles S. Marion: Blank Rome Welcomes Accomplished Litigation Partner in Philadelphia
- James T. Giles: Blank Rome Welcomes Prominent Former Chief Judge James T. Giles as Of Counsel in Philadelphia
Supplement Excerpt:
A former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania retired from Pepper Hamilton—but only to take another law firm position at Blank Rome.
Former Judge James Giles was hired as of counsel to Blank Rome’s commercial litigation group. He had been of counsel at Pepper Hamilton since 2008, when he retired from the bench.
“It’s one thing to plan a retirement, but it’s another thing to look it in the face,” Giles said. “I decided I still had a lot to offer. The timing was right, and I was encouraged to come out of retirement” by colleagues at Blank Rome.
Giles joined Blank Rome on the heels of two other commercial litigation hires from Pepper Hamilton.
Blank Rome brought on partner Charles Marion in Philadelphia, and partner Andrew Fletcher in Pittsburgh as well. Marion’s practice focuses on intellectual property, franchise, securities, products liability and complex business disputes. Fletcher worked on intellectual property litigation as well, and complex business suits.
Grant Palmer, who chaired Blank Rome’s litigation practice, said the group will continue to grow, particularly in Pittsburgh. He said litigation has generally been busy, and especially in trade secret and noncompetition matters and in large mass tort cases.
"The Top Lateral Hires of 2018," by Kristie Rearick was published in The Legal Intelligencer on March 15, 2019.