Managing Partner Steve Harmelin's remarks

The Dilworth firm is a Depression baby, launched in 1933, in the midst of the worst economic times in recent American history; this infant institution had a calling card... diversity. To put it mildly, in the stuffy, separated Philadelphia of the 1930's it was not the norm for a Catholic, Protestant and a Jew to join in partnership in the practice of law. That is, however, what Frank Murdoch, Harry Kalish and Douglas Paxson chose to do. In those days Philadelphia's business elite included, the Pennsylvania Railroad, The First Pennsylvania Bank, Horn & Hardart's restaurant and the Baldwin Locomotive Works. What can I say - they're gone, and we are still here.

The firm had offices in the Fidelity Building which remained its principal location for almost 60 years until the spring of 1992 when we moved to the Mellon Bank Center. The early practice was varied, but was largely supported by contingent fees from real estate tax appeals as the value of properties plummeted in the 1930's.

The fortunes of the firm improved dramatically in 1938 as Richardson ("Dick") Dilworth arrived accompanied by actual paying clients such as the Annenbergs, Otis Elevator and Smith, Kline. Dilworth's career as a litigator soared and just as abruptly stopped when he rejoined the Marines immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a young Marine Lieutenant Dick was wounded at the Battle of Belleau Woods in World War I. After Pearl Harbor he returned to the corps as a captain and in 1942 fought in the first American offensive action in the South Pacific at Guadalcanal.

Time does not permit even the most cursory exploration of Dilworth's career as the Reformer, the City Comptroller, the Mayor, the Chair of the Board of Education, the public figure who put his indelible stamp of integrity on every aspect of Philadelphia life for over 4 decades. To quote from a book on Dilworth's life,

"Here was a man who saw that political corruption was about to destroy a great city, and who was angry enough and courageous enough to do something about it."

Dilworth's legacy to the law firm was to see that every decision was guided by devotion to clients, dedication to our community, and a determination to make the tough, but right calls when necessary. Above all, this was to be a meritocracy where advancement was determined by accomplishment, not gender, not race, not religious affiliation. His public service lives on today in the public and civic services of Greg Cirillo, Larry Holmes, Vic Stabile, Joe Jacovini and many others.

Dilworth's law firm reflected Dilworth the man. To illustrate, as hard as it is to believe in the Age of Barack Obama, William T. Coleman Jr., an African-American, (The young man sitting right over there) in spite of a Harvard law degree and clerkship for Justice Felix Frankfurter could not get a job in a major Philadelphia law firm in 1952 until this firm made him an offer. Many of the Plaintiff's briefs in Brown v. Board of Education are significantly a Dilworth work product - and not a day goes by that we are not immensely proud of that. Bill became a Partner in 1957 and was followed a few years later by Judge Dolores Sloviter, former Chief Judge of our own Third Circuit, who thus became one of the first women Partners in a large Philadelphia firm. It was a good class, Bill Henrich, our Partner, friend and former President of Triangle Publications, was also elected a Partner that year.

Under the leadership in the 1950's and 1960's of Harold Kohn, Bill Coleman, Harry Kalish and Richard Levy, the firm grew and our corporate department began to represent Bill Levitt, the man who literally founded suburban life in America with his Levittown developments. In addition, our litigators created a nation-wide reputation in the antitrust area as Harold Kohn took on the Fortune 500 and won some of the largest recoveries in American legal history to that time.

During the 1970's and 1980's the firm went through a period of both turbulence and growth, Harold Kohn left to form a litigation practice, Dick Dilworth passed away and Bill Coleman left to become Secretary of Transportation in the Administration of President Gerald Ford. He remained in Washington to practice with the distinguished national firm of O'Melveney and Myers.

We were fortunate however to attract to the firm a young litigator from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Robert Casey, who in 1986 was elected to become Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is during this period that Judge Bruce W. Kauffman emerged as the leader of the firm. He embarked on an expansion strategy which by 1990 grew the firm to 150 attorneys with offices from Florida to California.

In 1992 we moved to the Mellon Center, reduced down to 75 lawyers, amidst very tough economic times, and regrouped to face the challenges and opportunities of the 1990's. In 1998 Judge Kauffman was appointed to the Federal District Court and the mantle of leadership was transferred to Joe Jacovini and myself. I will leave to others to describe Dilworth's accomplishments during this period - I do not however shrug from observing the obvious - we are all here tonight - still here.

That in fact says a lot about the true grit of many people in this room, the character of the Partners I have been privileged to practice with, and their enduring values. Joe will explore that issue in greater depth next.

Permit me however in almost billboard fashion to list just a few of the things that have happened over this 75 year period that confirms for me there is something unique and special about our feisty little firm that sets it apart in the profession and the City.

1. Five Federal Judges, Sloviter, Vaneskie, Waldman, Kauffman and Diamond worked at the firm and went on to the bench. The loss of Judge Jay Waldman in 2004 still saddens all who knew and worked with him.

2. Governor Robert Casey - his name stands for integrity and he lives in our respect for the truly fine Partner and man he was. His son the Senator and our colleague Chris carry on the tradition.

3. In 1991 while serving as Of Counsel to our firm professor Albert Blaustein went to Moscow and helped draft the Constitution of the Russian Confederation, a document which is still in force today.

4. The firm tried and won the Girard College case which opened an educational institution limited to poor, Caucasian orphans to children of all races in a landmark civil rights decision.

5. On a pro bono basis, the firm, led by Judge Kauffman, fought to keep to the Philadelphia Navy Yard open, thus preserving 3,500 jobs for almost three additional years. When accepted for oral argument by the United States Supreme Court, Senator Arlen Specter, bravely stepped forward and agreed to argue the case himself before the high Court. In a rare display of unified bipartisanship, the Court unanimously held against us on every count argued - and a few, we didn't argue. Yet, those stevedores and yard workers still loved us for all the effort on their behalf.

6. More recently we have been counsel in billion dollar acquisitions, helped save the Gross Clinic painting for Philadelphia, represented clients in the largest and most complicated securities and insolvency proceedings in the country as well as helping the FBI recover an original copy of the Bill of Rights that had been taken from North Carolina over 140 years ago.

I have omitted so much more than I can include, that I apologize all those accomplishments and individuals overlooked. I believe you will agree with me however that Dilworth does make a difference and we try to remember that everyday.

Joe will now share with you some of the values that underwrite our accomplishments and Larry McMichael will address our future.

I hope you found our past enlightening. I shared it with you because our past is a proud one and I adhere to the view best expressed by the Pulitzer Prize winning historian Daniel Boorstin who said:

"Trying to plan for the future without a sense of the past is like trying to plant cut flowers."

Thank you.