Mayor Edward G. Rendell and Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP Announce That Mayor Will Join Ballard Spahr in 2000

Business Wire, Dec 23, 1999

Business Editors/Legal Writers

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 1999

Mayor Edward G. Rendell and David L. Cohen, Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, announced today that Mayor Rendell will join Ballard Spahr as a partner effective January 3, 2000, when Rendell concludes his eight years of service as Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.

"Ed Rendell will be a great addition to our national practice," Cohen said. "The Mayor's stature, visibility, and experience will be of immense value to our national public finance practice," Cohen explained. In addition to helping to grow further Ballard Spahr's public finance practice, Cohen said that Rendell would be involved in counseling clients on government and community relations, mentoring young lawyers, and other business development activities.

"In my opinion, Ballard Spahr is the best law firm in the City of Philadelphia and is rapidly becoming a major national firm," Mayor Rendell said. "It is a pleasure for me to be joining such a prestigious firm and to have the opportunity to participate in its continued national growth," Mayor Rendell said.

Rendell has served as Mayor of the City of Philadelphia since January 6, 1992. Under Philadelphia's Home Rule Charter, Mayor Rendell was not eligible to run for a third term in 1999. Before serving as Mayor, Rendell also served for eight years as District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia, from 1978 through 1985.

In addition to being a partner in Ballard Spahr, Mayor Rendell will serve as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee through 2000, will teach at the University of Pennsylvania, and will remain active in a number of hospitality-based nonprofit boards in the City of Philadelphia, including the boards of Welcome America! and Historic Philadelphia.

"Ed Rendell may be the most significant lateral addition we have ever made to our partnership," said Arthur Makadon, Chairman of Ballard Spahr's Litigation Department and a long-time friend of Rendell's. "The partners are incredibly enthusiastic about having someone of Ed's national stature and reputation join the firm," Makadon added.

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP was founded in 1886 and is nationally ranked among the top 100 largest law firms by size with almost 350 lawyers. In addition to the Philadelphia office, the firm has offices in Baltimore, MD; Camden, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Salt Lake City, Utah; Voorhees, NJ; and Washington, DC. The firm has nationally renowned public finance and real estate practices, providing representation to corporate, institutional, governmental, and entrepreneurial clients in finance and public finance, acquisitions and equity participations, commercial leasing, construction and design contracts, shopping center development and leasing, public/private joint ventures, zoning and land use, and tax planning. Ballard Spahr also has a nationally recognized litigation practice, representing clients from around the country in complex litigation, including commercial, antitrust, securities, labor, employment, bankruptcy, insurance, white-collar criminal, civil rights, hospital reimbursement and staff privilege, product liability, intellectual property, construction, and environmental matters. The firm also represents clients in business and finance, including banking, consumer financial services, investment services, mergers and acquisitions, and securities, employee benefits, estates, franchising, housing, information technology, tax, health care, and project finance.