Corrections or additions?
These articles by Barbara Fox were prepared for the February 4,
2004 issue of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Life in the Fast Lane
Another large Pennsylvania firm has found a foothold in Princeton.
Sixteen attorneys including nine partners have left Smith Stratton
Wise Heher & Brennan for Stevens & Lee PC. They include Smith
Stratton’s entire estates group, the entire real estate group, and
many of the litigators in the business practice group. These attorneys
have not physically changed their Forrestal Center offices, but the
phone and fax are new, and their names and biographies have been added
to the Stevens & Lee website (www.stevenslee.com). Clients received
letters on Monday, February 2, announcing the change.
Richard J. Pinto (Yale, Class of 1975, and the University of Virginia)
will manage the Princeton office of Stevens & Lee and will head the
life science, emerging technology, and venture capital practices.
Christopher S. Tarr (Lafayette, Class of 1970, and Cornell) is the
lead partner in Princeton in charge of the real estate group, and Ann
Reichelderfer (Swarthmore, Class of 1972, and NYU) heads the estates
group.
“We’ve had the good fortune of having many major law firms come
knocking on our door, but Stevens & Lee is a one-of-a-kind firm,” says
Pinto, who emphasizes that the parting was amicable and points to how
the new firm is not moving out yet. “Stevens & Lee is regional, and
its lawyers are tied to the community, but it has the breadth and
depth of experience that one finds typically only in national firms.”
“They are incredibly good, incredibly focused, and incredibly well
managed,” says Pinto.
As to why the rest of the attorneys did not make the move, Pinto says
that those offers were made. But a hallmark of the Smith Stratton
litigation practice is to represent a number of insurers in complex
coverage matters. “Some of my partners who do litigation and focus
primarily, though not exclusively, with insurance companies thought it
would be best for them and their clients to operate independently,”
says Pinto. “In a big commercial firm there are many more
opportunities to have conflict of interest disputes with their
insurers.” Left unsaid is that, for cost reasons, many large insurers
are happier with a midsized firm.
Thomas E. Schorr (University of Virginia, Class of 1984, Phi Beta
Kappa, and UVA law school) is the managing partner at Smith Stratton,
and he issued a statement extending good wishes to his former
partners. “We look forward to continuing our 50-year tradition of
providing legal services throughout the state of New Jersey. In the
last several years, our additional offices in New York and
Philadelphia have allowed the firm to extend its litigation practice
into each of those jurisdictions, and we have also been pleased to
respond to clients’ requests to represent them in litigation venues in
other jurisdictions across the country. We believe that our current
size and structure will enhance the firm’s ability to provide its
legal services under innovative and flexible fee arrangements.”
Smith Stratton’s website as of February 2 listed 10 partners,
including William J. Brennan III (son of the late United States
Supreme Court justice), Schorr, Wendy L. Mager, Peter R. Freed, Thomas
E. Hastings, William E. McGrath, Jr., Gerald D. Wixted, Richard J.
Orr, Christine L. Nici, and Patrick J. Dwyer.
Other former Smith Stratton partners who left are Miyuki Kaneko,
Suzanne M. McSorley, Bradley L. Mitchell, Marsha E. Novick, Brian P.
Sullivan, and Megan E. Thomas. Those leaving also include four
associates (Nanette M. Embres, Laurajane B. Kastner, Priscilla Maye
Kugel and Christine Beyer Savoca) and three of-counsel attorneys
(Robert D. Frawley, John R. Heher and Robert C. Johnston).
Stevens & Lee employs more than 200 people in 11 offices . Its
practice areas are heavily weighted to business. Counting the new
additions from Smith Stratton, for example, Stevens & Lee lists 10
estate attorneys, 11 attorneys that focus on real estate, but 40
attorneys that work in the corporate finance area.
Stevens & Lee, a PA Professional Corporation, 600 CollegeRoad East, Suite 4400, Princeton 08540, 609-987-6655; fax,609-243-9333. Home page: www.stevenslee.com.Top Of PageCrosstown MovesAmerican List Counsel, the mailing list management service, is movingfrom 55,000 square feet in Building 5 to 55,000 feet in Building 2 at4300 Route 1. Building 2 had housed the top Dow Jones executives, saysCOO Susan Rappaport, who says that for now ALC will occupy 48,000square feet on one floor, with 7,000 feet yet to be built out on thesecond floor. The move takes place Friday, February 6, and the firstday of business in the new space will be Monday, February 9. ALC has160 workers at this location.American List Counsel, 4300 Route 1, Building 2, CN 5219,Princeton 08543-5219. Don Rappaport, CEO. 609-580-2800; fax,609-580-2888. Www.alc.comTop Of PageOut of BusinessComputer Training Center of Princeton, 401 Wall Street,Princeton 08540-1504. 609-921-7900; fax, 609-921-6908. Home page:www.ctcp.comOn Friday, January 30, the Computer Training Center of Princeton senta letter to its vendors stating that “effective immediately” it hasceased business operations.Founded in 1986, it had employed as many as 10 people. It had offeredtraining both on-site and at its offices.Top Of PageDeathsRobin D. Smith, on December 23. She had been an editor at OpinionResearch.Clara G. Lidz, 74, on January 14. She had been director of nursingeducation at Mercer County Community College.Patricia L. Tuck, 47, on January 16. She was an office manager atHealth Science at Research Park.Sandra Schreiber Berger 43, on January 18, in an auto accident. Aregistered nurse, she had worked at Mercer Medical Center and atBristol-Myers Squibb.Anne Marie Haltmeier, 58, on January 21. A registered nurse, she was achild health care coordinator for the Mercer County Division of Youthand Family Services.Joseph R. Logue Sr., 80, on January 23. He had been the sports editorfor the Trentonian.Bernard W. Leammari, 78, on January 23. He was the founder of GlendaleLiquors.Josephine Peiser on January 30. An interior designer, she worked atAltina’s Custom Interiors.Hans K. Sander, 79, on February 2. An architect, he had a firm onNassau Street.Jerome I. Bodin, 73, on February 2. He had directed R&D at the formerCarter-Wallace.Next StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
