Schnader Mourns the Loss of Partner and Friend Ira P. Tiger

July 5, 2012 – Philadelphia, PA: Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP is saddened to announce the passing of a long-time partner and valued friend, Ira P. Tiger, on June 2, 2012. Mr. Tiger joined Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP in 1960, and served as a partner from 1968 to 2002. He represented defendants in antitrust cases in a variety of industries and was the Administrative Chair and later the Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department.

“Ira was not only a terrific lawyer who shared many years with the Firm, but he was also a mentor and a friend to us all,” said David Smith, Chairman of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. “Ira was passionate about promoting other attorneys’ professional development. When he ran the Litigation Department, he kept detailed charts of every associate’s assignments to make sure that each was given assignments that promoted professional growth. He took the time to explain the background of every assignment he gave, to make constructive suggestions on how what he received could be improved upon, and to work collaboratively with everyone on the team to make the final product as good as it could be.”

Another of Mr. Tiger’s great strengths was his writing. He was known for his own persuasive briefs and loved to share pointers with others on how to improve their own written product. He had a knack for capturing the reader’s attention from the very beginning of the document. When someone was having trouble with a brief, Ira would supply a first sentence and the brief would practically write itself from there.

“He had a fascinating way of reading and studying and not talking for a very long time – and then, as if waking from a slumber – would emerge miles ahead of everyone else,” said Joe Tate, one of Mr. Tiger’s former colleagues.

Former colleague Chris Levin, recalls working on a civil RICO case with Ira in the 1980s. At the time, RICO did not contain a statute of limitations, so this was a case of first impression. Ira was arguing a motion for summary judgment. Chris, who was a young associate at the time, was selected to work on the case and thought she would get to do all of the research and write the brief. She went in to see Ira and started talking about her plan for the research. A big smile came over Ira’s face. He dropped his head and said, “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong, kid. I’m going to write the brief. You just go find me the cases.” Chris wondered how she would find cases that said what he wanted them to say. “What if they didn’t exist?”, Chris asked. Ira responded, “You can find a case that says anything.”

He said he had already thought through the issue and knew what he wanted to argue. Chris’ job would be to find the cases to fit Ira’s argument. Sure enough, she was able to find cases that did (that the four-year Statute of Limitations from the Sherman Antitrust Act should be imported into the RICO statute). The Court agreed, and Ira won the case for the client.

Mr. Tiger received his B.A., magna cum laude, in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, in 1956 and graduated in 1959 from Penn’s law school where he was editor of the Law Review from 1958 to 1959. Tiger was a member of the American Bar Association, and of its Antitrust and Litigation Sections; the American Judicature Society; and the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar associations. He was a lifetime board member of Temple Sinai in Dresher; past president of Elkins Park House Counsel; and a former member of the planning advisory board of Upper Dublin Township. He was also listed in Who’s Who in the East, in America and the World.

He was a devoted father who was very involved with raising his children, particularly after his first wife’s ultimately unsuccessful fight with cancer. Prior to his passing, he was a resident of Elkins Park. Mr. Tiger is survived by his wife, the former Ann Mae Gersh, daughters Ruth Tiger and Lori Bennington, sons Jimmie, Randy, and Richie Riesenberg, sister Sheila Silverman, and five grandchildren.

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, D.C., 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 and employment laws, financial services, construction law, real estate development, corporate governance, appellate services, technology-based companies, media and communications, environmental, energy, nonprofit, government relations and regulatory affairs, aviation issues, business reorganization, and securities and shareholder litigation. For more information visit www.Schnader.com or contact Julie P. Meyers, Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Client Relations for the Firm.

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