Allison Fihma Drachman Named to Schnader Partnership

PHILADELPHIA & NEW YORK – Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP is pleased to announce that Allison Fihma Drachman and Lauren A. Schmidt have been elected to partnership. Ms. Drachman is a member of the Litigation Services Department and resident in the New York office. Ms. Schmidt is a member of the Business Services Department and resident in the Philadelphia office.

Ms. Fihma Drachman has more than 10 years of litigation, arbitration and mediation experience. She handles a variety of cases involving product liability, toxic tort, premises liability and construction defect claims. Her practice also includes insurance coverage work, analyzing issues related to allegations of breaches of professional liability. Her clients range from small “mom-and-pop” shops and private individuals to multi-national corporations, municipalities, manufacturers and suppliers.

Ms. Fihma Drachman serves as Schnader’s Pro Bono Coordinator in New York. She organizes the provision of pro bono services in areas including immigration assistance, animal welfare, veterans’ assistance, gender discrimination and Superstorm Sandy relief. 

Prior to joining Schnader, Ms. Fihma Drachman worked for the New York City Law Department/Office of Corporation Counsel and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. Ms. Fihma Drachman received her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2004 and her B.A. from the University of Vermont in 2001.

Ms. Schmidt is a member of the Intellectual Property and Corporate Practice Groups and concentrates her practice on counseling companies in a variety of technology-based transactions in areas including licensing, software development, application service provider and hosting services,  support services/maintenance, software escrow, consulting and professional services, and other outsourcing arrangements for managed IT. She has worked with both technology-based companies as well as companies outside of the technology industry that are acquiring software or services for use in their business. Ms. Schmidt also has experience in e-commerce and data privacy, including counseling clients regarding website content, website terms of use and privacy policies, and compliance with data privacy and data security laws. 

In addition, she has counseled a wide range of clients, from international companies to small, family-owned business, in various general corporate, business and contractual matters. 

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Schmidt was an auditor in a public accounting firm and is a certified public accountant. She received her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2005, her M.B.A. from Temple University in 2005 and her B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999.