Pepper Hamilton LLP
Encyclopedia
Pepper Hamilton LLP is a U.S. law firm
with 11 offices and around 500 attorneys
. The firm is ranked among the 100 largest firms by revenue in the United States
. The firm’s largest practices include defense of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in product liability litigation and related matters, corporate transactions and commercial litigation.
in 1940. In 1960, another merger brought in the firm of Moffett, Frye & Leopold. The firm grew significantly in the 1980s, 1990s and in recent years. In 2007, the partnership elected Nina M. Gussack as chairwoman of Pepper’s Executive Committee, the first woman to be elected to that position. Pepper partner A. Michael Pratt became the Philadelphia Bar Association’s 81st Chancellor in 2008. He is the third person of color to serve in that office since the Association’s founding in 1802.
Thus the complaint alleged that Pepper "foreseeably contributed to the financial demise of SFC" and caused "hundreds of millions of dollars of harm."
In the second lawsuit, Royal Indemnity made malpractice claims against Pepper Hamilton and Gagne, as well as two accounting firms, Freed Maxick & Battaglia and McGladrey & Pullen, alleging that the lawyers and accountants garnered millions in fees from SFC and were effective "SFC insiders" who "had every incentive to ensure the success of SFC's fraud."
Pepper settled the lawsuits in late 2007.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
with 11 offices and around 500 attorneys
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. The firm is ranked among the 100 largest firms by revenue in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The firm’s largest practices include defense of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in product liability litigation and related matters, corporate transactions and commercial litigation.
History
The firm was founded in 1890 in Philadelphia by George Wharton Pepper, who joined the practice of Bayard Henry. Pepper emerged as a leading lawyer in Philadelphia and the nation, and was prominent in Republican politics. In 1954, the Pepper firm and another Philadelphia law firm — Evans, Bayard & Frick — merged as Pepper, Bodine, Frick, Scheetz & Hamilton creating a 35-lawyer entity. Shortly after the merger of the Pepper and Evans firms, George Wharton Pepper retired from practice because of failing health. In 1955, he was succeeded as chairman of the firm by John D.M. Hamilton, who was chairman of the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
in 1940. In 1960, another merger brought in the firm of Moffett, Frye & Leopold. The firm grew significantly in the 1980s, 1990s and in recent years. In 2007, the partnership elected Nina M. Gussack as chairwoman of Pepper’s Executive Committee, the first woman to be elected to that position. Pepper partner A. Michael Pratt became the Philadelphia Bar Association’s 81st Chancellor in 2008. He is the third person of color to serve in that office since the Association’s founding in 1802.
Controversies
In 2004-2005, Pepper was hit with lawsuits first in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and then the District Court in Delaware. The first lawsuit alleged that "Pepper Hamilton's simultaneous representation of SFC and its affiliates, as well as its insurer, Royal Indemnity, and the Gagne family members as investors, created a situation in which the law firm had 'unavoidable and inevitable divided loyalties.'"Thus the complaint alleged that Pepper "foreseeably contributed to the financial demise of SFC" and caused "hundreds of millions of dollars of harm."
In the second lawsuit, Royal Indemnity made malpractice claims against Pepper Hamilton and Gagne, as well as two accounting firms, Freed Maxick & Battaglia and McGladrey & Pullen, alleging that the lawyers and accountants garnered millions in fees from SFC and were effective "SFC insiders" who "had every incentive to ensure the success of SFC's fraud."
Pepper settled the lawsuits in late 2007.
Notable cases
- Federal Baseball Club v. National LeagueFederal Baseball Club v. National LeagueFederal Baseball Club v. National League, , is a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Sherman Antitrust Act did not apply to Major League Baseball.-Background:...
- Myers v. United StatesMyers v. United StatesMyers v. United States, , was a United States Supreme Court decision ruling that the President has the exclusive power to remove executive branch officials, and does not need the approval of the Senate or any other legislative body....
- United States v. Smith, 286 U.S. 6 (1932)
- Sugar Monopoly Case
- Northern Securities Case
- Standard Oil Company and United States Steel anti-monopolyMonopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
defenses - Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School DistrictKitzmiller v. Dover Area School DistrictTammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. was the first direct challenge brought in the United States federal courts testing a public school district policy that required the teaching of intelligent design...
(plaintiff's rep) - Representation of Guantanamo Bay Detainees
- Eli Lilly and CompanyEli Lilly and CompanyEli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
and State of AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Settle Zyprexa Lawsuit Eli Lilly -
Offices
- 1890 - Philadelphia, PA
- 1969 - HarrisburgHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, PA - 1969 - Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- 1979 - Detroit, MI
- 1983 - WilmingtonWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, DE - 1984 - Berwyn, PA
- 1990 - New York, NY
- 1995 - Pittsburgh, PA
- 2001 - PrincetonPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, NJ - 2004 - Orange CountyOrange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, CA - 2006 - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, MA