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It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Bill Roberts.

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Bill joined Blank Rome 1972 in our litigation department, following his graduation from Penn Law School and a judicial clerkship. For 49 years, Bill guided our clients and our firm through challenges and opportunities alike. From associate, to partner, to serving as our firm’s General Counsel from 2009 until his retirement in 2021, Bill exemplified our Blank Rome culture in everything he did.

As Bill was transitioning to his well-deserved retirement, we compiled a book of personal notes from colleagues across the firm and some of the words that were used to describe Bill included&nbsp;wise, Renaissance man, distinguished, calm, patient, friend, brilliant, mentor, inspirational, sage, ethical, pragmatic, supportive, kind, funny, honest,&nbsp;and&nbsp;reliable.

Blank Rome would not be where it is today without Bill’s unmatched contributions, sound advice, and steadfast commitment to the success of his colleagues and the firm. The same is true for many of us who were fortunate enough to call him our colleague and friend.

Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. He will be sorely missed by our Blank Rome community.&nbsp;

Read&nbsp;The Legal Intelligencer's&nbsp;article about Bill here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2024/09/06/scientist-scholar-lawyer-remembering-blank-romes-first-general-counsel-william-roberts/">Scientist, Scholar, Lawyer: Remembering Blank Rome's First General Counsel William Roberts</a>

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WILLIAM (“BILL”) H. ROBERTS, ESQ&nbsp;(June 14, 1945–August 30, 2024)

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Beloved Philadelphia Attorney, Classicist, Musician, Botanist, Philanthropist

William (“Bill”) H. Roberts, Esq., a long-time partner at Blank Rome LLP, where he practiced prior to retirement for nearly a half century, and a passionate classicist, botanist, musician, and philanthropist, died peacefully in Philadelphia on August 30, 2024, after a brief illness. Bill was born June 14, 1945, in Buffalo, NY, the cherished son of Esther Creagh Roberts and William H. Roberts, Jr.

In 1972, he joined Blank Rome, LLP (then known as Blank Rome Comisky &amp; McCauley) as an associate, following a clerkship with The Honorable Malcom Muir, in the federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and a state court clerkship with President Judge Clinton Budd Palmer of the Northampton Court of Common Pleas.

At the firm, Bill quickly developed a reputation as “a lawyer’s lawyer” in the finest Philadelphia legal tradition and ascended to Partner in Blank Rome’s formidable litigation department. He specialized in antitrust litigation and counseling, international cartel litigation, defamation and First Amendment issues, professional responsibility and legal malpractice, and federal election campaign finance law. Bill represented national and international corporations and individuals, in countless, highly complex, high-profile cases, in both civil and criminal antitrust litigation, including international cartel cases and defense of private class actions alleging price-fixing.

Lauded for his exemplary legal acumen, universally respected throughout the firm, Bill was tapped to serve as the first General Counsel of Blank Rome from 2009 to 2021, a period of significant growth for the firm in the U.S. and abroad. In that role, Bill established the Office of General Counsel which expanded to include additional attorneys and a staff dedicated to managing the firm’s risk management needs. His partners described Bill as “the lethal weapon (in a velvet glove)” aimed at protecting the firm while simultaneously advancing partner and client goals. When Bill retired in 2021 after 49 years, in a firm tribute colleagues described him as “wise,” “a Renaissance man,” “distinguished,” “inspirational,” “sage,” “honest,” “reliable,” “funny,” “ethical,” and “honest.” From 2021 to 2024, Bill was recognized in&nbsp;The Best Lawyers in America&nbsp;for Antitrust Law in Philadelphia. Throughout his career, he was a proud member of both the Philadelphia Bar Association and the American Bar Association.&nbsp;

Bill attended Harvard University from which he graduated&nbsp;cum laude, majoring in Philosophy. He received his juris doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.

In addition to his long and distinguished legal career, Bill pursued richly varied interests with unabashed singularity. Chief among these interests were: botany (the Academy of Natural Sciences lists him as a&nbsp;<a href="https://ansp.org/research/systematics-evolution/botany/botany-staff/">Research Associate)</a>; trout fishing (only using a fly rod); international travel (most recently Paris and the West Coast of Newfoundland and Labrador); philosophy; playing violin and lute (he was enthralled by Early Music); politics; and Greek and Latin literature (particularly Homer, Theocritus, and Virgil in their original texts).&nbsp;

He was passionate about the arts, having served over decades on the boards of a number of organizations, including the Curtis Institute, the Walnut Street Theater, and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, where he served as the President of the Board of Directors for many years. At the time of his death, he was a trustee of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Marlboro Music School and Festival in Marlboro, Vermont. He was also a board member of Tempesta di Mare Baroque Chamber Orchestra. Deeply connected to Harvard since graduation, Bill chaired the Board of Trustees for&nbsp;The Harvard Review of Philosophy. He was a member of The Philadelphia Club and the Harvard Club of New York.&nbsp;

Bill was predeceased by his sister, Martha Roberts Detwiler and is survived by his niece, Lisa Detwiler (Don Mahoney), his nephew, Bill Detwiler (Michelle) and two great nephews, William A. Detwiler and Jack P. Detwiler.

Donations in Bill’s memory might be considered for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvardphilosophy.com/">The Harvard Review of Philosophy</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marlboromusic.org/">Marlboro Music School and Festival</a>. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in Philadelphia in November.

In Memoriam: William H. Roberts

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In Memoriam: William H. Roberts

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