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**Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP**
	Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. of Offices	12
No. of Attorneys	Approx. 700
Major Practice Areas	General practice
Key People	Alfred W. Putnam, chairman
Date Founded	1849
Founder	John Christian Bullitt
Company Type	Limited liability partnership
Website	drinkerbiddle.com

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is a national law firm founded in Philadelphia in 1849 by John Christian Bullitt. The firm has nearly 700 attorneys located in 12 offices in the United States: Philadelphia; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Florham Park; Princeton; New York City; Albany; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Berwyn; Milwaukee; and Wilmington. The firm maintains a broad range of practices, including commercial litigation, corporate and securities, corporate restructuring, government and regulatory affairs, labor and employment, environmental, communications litigation, products liability and mass tort litigation, healthcare, employee benefits and executive compensation, insurance coverage, investment management, life insurance and annuities, intellectual property and real estate.^[2]

Corporate Board Member magazine ranked Drinker Biddle as the #4 corporate law firm in the Philadelphia market (2005).^[3]

[edit] Firm History

[edit] Founding of the Firm by John C. Bullitt

John Christian Bullitt, a young Kentucky lawyer, arrived in Philadelphia on March 5, 1849, the day Zachary Taylor was sworn in as the 12th President of the United States. Bullitt had chosen to relocate to Philadelphia, an area with a population of 120,000, on the advice of Secretary of State James Buchanan, whom he had met on a tour in Washington, D.C. After his admission to the Philadelphia Bar on June 4, 1849, he opened the law offices of Bullitt and Fairthorne, Attorneys at Law. Bullitt's first client was the Bank of Kentucky, for which he spent the next 40 years collecting on a judgment in a fraudulent stock case.

Among his many accomplishments, he founded the Fourth Street National Bank in 1886, the only large bank founded in the city in the last quarter of the 19th century, and spearheaded the construction of the Bullitt Building on South Fourth Street. Drinker Biddle's founding partner practiced law in Philadelphia for more than 50 years until his death in 1902. William C. Bullitt,^[4] his direct descendent, is a partner in the firm's Private Client Practice Group.^[2]

[edit] Strategic Growth for the 21st Century

In the past several years, Drinker Biddle has undertaken a plan of strategic growth, strengthening practices and opening offices to provide first-tier services nationally in focused area, including, products liability and class action defense, intellectual property and bankruptcy. Key events marking Drinker's expansion have included the 1999 combination with the prominent New Jersey general practice firm of Shanley & Fisher, P.C., the 2001 combination with the Philadelphia intellectual property firm of Seidel, Gonda, Lavorgna & Monaco, and the 2001 combination with the San Francisco firm of Preuss Shanagher Zvoleff & Zimmer as well as the addition of lawyers from Haight, Brown & Bonesteel in Los Angeles, both with strong products liability and general litigation practices. In 2003, Drinker Biddle opened its office in Wilmington, Delaware with a focus on bankruptcy and litigation services. Drinker Biddle joined the ranks of the AmLaw 100 in 2003,^[5] and two years later opened its tenth office in Chicago.

[edit] Gardner Carton & Douglas Combination

On November 13, 2006, Drinker Biddle and Gardner Carton & Douglas announced their plans to combine. The merger of these two long-established, client-focused firms cemented a national footprint with more than 650 lawyers in 12 offices. The merger, effective January 1, 2007, also made the firm one of the 70 largest law firms in the United States. From the beginning of the merger Drinker Biddle and Gardner Carton shared in values of the highest standards in client service, legal work and professional ethics.

As a firm founded in 1910 in Chicago, Gardner Carton brought to the newly combined firm its nationally known practices in health law, bankruptcy, employee benefits and executive compensation, government and regulatory affairs, hedge funds and intellectual property, among others. In addition, the merger allowed Drinker Biddle to deepen and strengthen many addition core practice areas, including corporate, commercial litigation, and others.^[6]

[edit] Recent Developments

In 2008, the firm's strategic growth continued with the addition of several groups of lawyers, and the firm now includes nearly 700 lawyers in 12 offices nationwide. In January, Drinker Biddle officially welcomed 12 lawyers from Miller, Alfano & Raspanti P.C. to its Philadelphia office. The move further enhanced Drinker Biddle's capabilities to serve clients in securities, corporate governance and white collar criminal litigation. Miller Alfano's former managing partner Gregory P. Miller joined Drinker Biddle as a partner.

The following month, Drinker Biddle significantly enhanced its national labor and employment practice with the addition of 13 lawyers from Connelly Sheehan Harris LLP in Chicago. With the move, the firm counted nearly 75 lawyers across the country focusing on matter such as wage-and-hour class actions, unfair competitions, labor law, ERISA cases and discrimination litigation, in addition to offering full service in the areas of employee benefits and executive compensation. In late 2008, Drinker Biddle acquired six more lawyers from Thelen LLP to its Labor & Employment Practice Group in the Washington, D.C., office, significantly enhancing its capabilities in area of diversity counseling for corporations.

In March 2009, a group of 10 litigation and real estate lawyers, including five partners, officially joined the Wilmington office of Drinker Biddle & Reath. With this addition, Drinker Biddle offers clients significant skill, depth and experience in handling complex business and white collar criminal cases, as well as deep local roots in zoning, land use and other real estate matters. The group of lawyers was previously with WolfBlock LLP.^[7]

[edit] Notable Lawyers & Alumni

Henry Drinker, was a dominant presence of the firm since his arrival in 1904, asked by Georg von Trapp to intervene when the family was detained at Ellis Island with visa problems.
Charles J. Biddle, joined the firm as its first lateral partner in 1924, and had a huge impact on the firm's future. Biddle also rose to the rank of major when he fought in World War I.
Thomas Reath, joined the firm in 1919 and served in the Army Ordnance Department in World War I. He embarked on a long process of negotiating a compromise on a $1 million tax lien and reorganizing Cramp shipyard in Philadelphia, at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Lewis H. Van Dusen, joined the firm in 1935 and, for decades, was viewed as a leader of the firm. He served in World War II as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and was awarded numerous decorations, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Van Dusen was later asked to return to the army to serve as a representative to NATO.^[8] He also helped organize the formation of SEPTA in the 1960s.
Henry W. Sawyer III, joined the firm after military service in World War II, and later worked on the Marshall Plan in Europe. Sawyer represented many alleged communists during the McCarthy Hearings.
Bernard M. Shanley, founded the New Jersey firm Shanley & Fisher that combined with Drinker Biddle in 1999, and served former-President Dwight D. Eisenhower as Deputy Chief of Staff, Appointments Secretary and Special Counsel to the President.
Seamus Duffy, Chair of the Communications Litigation Practice Group and a managing partner of the firm, represented AT&T in the well-known case regarding early termination fees.^[9]
Deborah T. Poritz, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, currently of counsel to the firm's Princeton office.^[10]
Arthur Seidel, recognized as a "legend" in Intellectual Property Law in Pennsylvania, and named the first recipient of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association's Outstanding Achievement Award.^[11]
Wilson M. Brown III, serves as a managing partner of the firm and as chair of the firm's national Commercial Litigation Practice Group. AV peer review rated by Martindale Hubbell.^[12] Worked on the famous Herring case, and involved in cutting-edge issues of coverage for asbestos-related claims.^[13]
Stephanie Wickouski, co-vice chair of the firm's Corporate Restructuring Practice Group and leads the firm's Corporate Trust practice. She has recently served or currently serves as lead bankruptcy counsel to indenture trustees in several notable cases.^[14]
Lawrence J. Fox, former chairman of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. He participated as counsel in one of the longest SEC Rule 10b-5 trials, was one of the earliest participants in the minitrial process,^[15] has extensive publications, and also teaches many law classes.^[16]
Andrew C. Kassner, joined the firm in 1986, serves as the executive partner and a managing partner of the firm. Andy is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, in the specialty of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, and he has given many lectures on the subject, as well as appeared on CNN's managing with Lou Dobbs.^[17]
Gregg R. Melinson, chief marketing partner at Drinker, former deputy general counsel to Governor Tom Ridge, who appointed Melinson to serve on Pennsylvania's Voting Modernization Task Force. Melinson appears regularly on WPVI-TV's Inside Story, and hosts his own radio broadcast on The Big Talker 1210, WPHT.^[18]
Gregory P. Miller, current partner and former managing partner of Miller, Alfano & Raspanti PC. Miller has been involved in many landmark cases,^[19] such as: United States v. Greber; Foster v. Alexander & Alexander; In re: Diet Drugs Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1203; and the protection of Act 6 from any revisions.^[20]

[edit] Notable Cases

School District of Abington Twp v. Schempp 374 U.S. 203 (1963)
United States v. Greber, 760 F.2d 68 3d Cir. Pa. (1985)^[21]
Zarin v. Commissioner 916 F.2d 110 (1990)
In Re: Latex Gloves Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1148, 152 F. Supp.2d 667 (2001)
U.S. v. Reynolds 345 U.S. 1 (1953, 2003)
Crawford v. Midway Games et al., 2:07-cv-00967, U.S. Dist Ct. California, Central, Dist. (2008)

[edit] First Year Program

In 2009, Drinker Biddle launched a ground-breaking training program for first year lawyers. Unlike any other large national law firm, Drinker Biddle began an era in the training and professional development of its first year lawyers. The program increased the quality and intensity of its new lawyers' training, while lowering the first years' billable requirements and rates. The new program was a direct response to the Association of Corporate Counsel's Value Challenge. Through the ACC and other venues, clients made it clear that things needed to change, and the status quo was unacceptable. Drinker Biddle developed their new training program as a result. The training program is meant to last six months, during which the new lawyers' time will be divided into three main parts: a core curriculum, practice-specific training and an "apprenticeship". One of the ways Drinker Biddle was able to provide the time for such training was the decision to free the new lawyers from any requirements regarding billable work for clients during the program. At the end of the program in spring 2010, Drinker Biddle anticipates that the new first years will be ahead of the game and ready to succeed.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

[0] Putnam's firm bio

[dbhistory-1] History of Drinker Biddle & Reath

[2] Microsoft Word - Corporate Board Member.doc

[3] Bullitt's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[4] AmLaw 100

[5] Chambers Associate

[6] Wilmington Office Press Release from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[7] Answers.com--Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

[8] Duffy's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[9] Poritz's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[10] Drinker Biddle Press Release

[11] Martindale Hubbell Ratings

[12] Brown's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[13] Wickouski's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[14] Minitrial Process

[15] Fox's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[16] Kassner's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[17] Melinson's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[18] Legal Span

[19] Miller's firm bio from Drinker Biddle & Reath

[20] United States v. Greber

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