Nicholas J. LePore, III Named the New Managing Partner of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP
On April 28, 2009 by Schnader in LitigationRalph G. Wellington will continue to serve as the Firm’s Chairman; former Managing Partner
Diana S. Donaldson will retire.
April 28, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA: Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP is pleased to announce that Nicholas J. LePore, III has been named to serve as the firm’s Managing Partner; he formerly served as chair of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workout and Business Reorganization Practice Group. Ralph G. Wellington will continue to serve as the Firm’s Chairman, and Diana S. Donaldson, who has served as the Firm’s Managing Partner for the past six and a half years, will retire.
“We are delighted that Nick has agreed to take on role of Managing Partner for the Firm,” said Wellington. “As chair of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workout and Business Reorganization practice group, Nick – an experienced and talented attorney – has provided impressive leadership and direction, has worked to grow the practice, and has done this while remaining true to the ideals that define the Schnader firm: the practice of law at the highest level, outstanding client service, and a commitment to public service. He will bring that same focus and commitment to his new role as Managing Partner.”
Wellington continued, “At the same time, I would like to express – on behalf of myself and the entire Firm – gratitude and appreciation for the remarkable job done by Diana Donaldson during the past six and a half years. As Managing Partner, Diana led the Firm with tenacity and strength, but also with grace, wisdom and compassion, all while maintaining an active litigation practice. Diana led by example, and remained dedicated to making time for public service activities, serving as co-chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee and taking on a variety of pro bono cases as well. Although she is retiring, she will always be a very special part of the Schnader family and her daily presence will be greatly missed. Diana will continue to work with the firm’s executive management on the firm’s diversity initiatives.”
“I agreed to take on this new role because I see it as a time of opportunity for the Firm. A byproduct of this economic environment is the impetus to restructure law practice in new and creative ways,” said LePore. “Law firms must begin to practice differently and better, becoming more efficient, finding ways to maximize productivity and becoming even more responsive to client demands. I believe that a Firm our size, and with our reputation for quality, is well positioned in this environment, and that my background will be useful in helping to drive an agenda for positive change. I am excited about the prospects for this Firm as it comes out of 2009.” Donaldson voiced her support for LePore, noting that, “Nick and I are both “lifers” at Schnader. I have known him for many years, and know that he is the perfect person to assume the position of managing partner.”
“Even though the economy has presented very distinct challenges – especially over the past year – and it is anticipated that the economic environment will continue to require all businesses to operate more efficiently, Schnader has been able to pursue a strategy of smart, calculated growth, adding attorneys, most recently in San Francisco and Pittsburgh”, said Wellington. “This allows us to operate in a dynamic and flexible manner and deliver the highest quality legal counsel to our clients. I have complete confidence that Nick will work well with the lawyers and staff in the Firm and with Firm management to build on the Firm’s successes.”
Mr. LePore is a member of the Business Services department of the Firm. His practice includes general corporate, commercial lending, and mergers and acquisitions, but he specializes in bankruptcy law. He has chaired the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Workout practice group for more than 15 years. Mr. LePore most frequently represents creditors and asset purchasers in these matters, but also represents debtors and committees. He recently represented Fastnet Corporation, an internet service provider, in the sales of its divisions under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Active in a variety of professional organizations, Mr. LePore is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Bankruptcy Conference of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Turnaround Management Association, and the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Bankruptcy Litigation and Bankruptcy Unsecured Creditors committees. He graduated from Temple University, magna cum laude, in 1976 and from Temple University Beasley School of Law, cum laude, in 1980.
In addition to her duties as Managing Partner, Ms. Donaldson was also co-chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee and an ex officio member of its Hiring Committee. She previously served as chair of its Summer Associates Committee, and as a member of its Recruiting Committee, Partner Evaluation Committee, and a number of other internal committees of the Firm. After a summer with the Firm between her second and third years in law school, Ms. Donaldson joined the Firm as an associate in 1976 following a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Max Rosenn of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Donaldson’s active and diverse litigation practice, at both trial and appellate levels, has included a wide variety of general commercial litigation matters, ranging from antitrust to securities to contract disputes. She has also specialized in litigating insurance coverage disputes on behalf of insureds. Ms. Donaldson is the co-author, with Dennis R. Suplee, of the popular practice guide, The Deposition Handbook, now in its fourth edition. She has served as a volunteer child advocate for the Support Center for Child Advocates (Philadelphia court system) and as a volunteer attorney for the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Homeless Advocacy Project. She graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Radcliffe College in 1967, and with a J.D., summa cum laude, from Ohio State University in 1975, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif.
ABOUT SCHNADER HARRISON SEGAL & LEWIS LLP
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP is a law firm of 200 attorneys with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, California, Washington, DC, New Jersey and Delaware. Schnader serves local, national and international clients ranging from large corporations to start-ups and entrepreneurs to individual clients in more than 40 areas of the law. In addition to the firm’s traditional strengths in complex litigation, commercial transactions, wealth management, and family law, the firm has significant experience and depth in intellectual property, international commerce and labor laws, financial services, construction law, real estate development, corporate governance, appellate services, technology-based companies, media and communications, government relations and regulatory affairs, aviation issues, business reorganization, and securities and shareholder litigation. For more information visit www.Schnader.com or contact Caroline Brobeil Nassan, Public Relations Manager for the firm.
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CONTACT: Caroline Brobeil Nassan
Public Relations Manager
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP