A LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY
1893
In Chicago, Arnstein & Lehr is formed, which later merges with and becomes Saul Ewing. In its early days, the firm was retained to handle the reorganization and incorporation of Sears Roebuck & Co.
Maurice Saul and Joseph Ewing had previously been the salaried associates of legendary lawyer John G. Johnson, who died in 1917 and whose will entrusted Maurice Saul to carry on his practice.
In Philadelphia, Maurice Bower Saul and his brother, Walter Biddle Saul, along with Joseph Neff Ewing and Raymond Remick form the law firm of Saul Ewing Remick & Saul, which is later shortened to Saul Ewing. Read more
1921
Maurice Saul plays a major role in the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial International Exposition, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
1926
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Lucy Mae Viner, one of the earliest women lawyers in Chicago, becomes the firm’s first woman partner. She goes by “L.M. Viner” on the letterhead.
1934
After World War II, President Truman asks Mr. Harrison to report on conditions in the displaced person camps holding survivors of Nazi concentration camps. Harrison’s report influences Truman’s decision to support the creation of the State of Israel.
1942
President Roosevelt taps partner Earl G. Harrison to head the U.S. Immigration Commission.
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1953
The firm establishes a public finance practice, which grows to become the second largest public finance practice in Pennsylvania.
1996
The firm represents the owners of the historic Drake Hotel in Chicago at trial in a dispute over the effect of historic preservation landmarking on the fair market value of the land on which the hotel sits.
1969
Partner Robert W. Sayre is one of the founders of Philadelphia’s Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. The Committee is later incorporated as the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, and Sayre serves as chairman of its board.
The firm successfully defends Sears in litigation seeking to halt construction of the Sears Tower and limit its height.
1972
1981
The firm welcomes back Henry “Hank” Ruth as the chair of its Litigation Department after he serves as special prosecutor in the Watergate investigation.
Partner John J. Barrett, Jr. wins a $6 million verdict (a tremendous jury victory at the time) against Mobil Oil stemming from a collision between a Mobil Oil tanker and another vehicle.
1982
2009
By the end of the decade, the firm has extended its East Coast presence with offices in Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
1988
Partner J. Clayton Undercofler is appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey to chair SEPTA, the Philadelphia region’s surface transportation system. During his tenure, he oversees major service and infrastructure improvements.
1989
The firm is honored by the South Chicago Legal Clinic for its long-standing tradition of pro bono work.
By the end of the 1980s, the firm has expanded into West Palm Beach, Florida to serve a growing number of estate planning clients, as well as Wilmington, Delaware and the Philadelphia suburbs.
1992
Constance Foster, former State Insurance Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, joins the firm’s Insurance Group.
Sears recognizes the 100-year attorney-client relationship between the company and firm. Sears Chairman Arthur Martinez presents Lou Lehr with a watch, a replica of the first item sold by Messrs. Sears and Roebuck.
John G. Johnson had helped create the Navy Yard by overseeing the clearing of title for the transfer of League Island from the City of Philadelphia to the federal government in 1868. Our real estate work at the Navy Yard continues to this day.
In a tie to its origins, the firm begins working with a private developer that will revive the shipbuilding industry at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, previously home to the U.S. Navy.
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1998
The firm merges with Baltimore-based Weinberg & Green, adding 63 lawyers and more depth to its corporate, litigation, labor and employment, and real estate practices.
1999
By 1999, the firm has launched offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Princeton, New Jersey.
The firm represents Cantor Fitzgerald in a negligence suit against American Airlines related to its handling of passenger screening security at Logan Airport. Read more
Cantor Fitzgerald seeks to recover business interruption and property damage losses stemming from the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed 658 Cantor employees. On the eve of trial in 2014, the parties reach a settlement for Cantor to receive $135 million.
2004
The firm joins the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, which aims to enhance recruitment and retention of lawyers from diverse backgrounds in the region’s law firms and corporations.
2006
Adding 18 attorneys and depth to the labor and employment and venture capital practices, the firm merges with Washington, D.C.-based Schmeltzer Aptaker & Shepard.
The firm serves as lead counsel in the multibillion-dollar Owens Corning bankruptcy and restructuring.
The firm’s Higher Education Practice is formed to provide industry-tailored legal advice to colleges and universities across the U.S.
2005
The firm accepts the prestigious Citizens Bank Pro Bono Award for its “We’re All In” Pro Bono Program, providing legal assistance to seniors and low-income veterans.
2007
1987
Following his retirement from the bench, the Hon. Frederick J. Hertz, a bankruptcy judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, joins the firm.
The firm is selected to represent Penn State University in high-profile civil lawsuits arising out of the allegations of wrongdoing by coaching staff.
The Women in Law Empowerment Forum awards the firm with Gold Standard Certification, a benchmark for law firms that prove they have integrated women into their highest leadership positions.
2011
Benchmark Litigation names the firm “Maryland Firm of the Year,” in part for its role in the $8 billion merger of Exelon and Constellation Energy.
2013
The firm begins serving as lead patent counsel for the University of Pennsylvania in its alliance with Novartis to create the Penn Center for Advanced Cellular Therapeutics in 2014, which focuses on the development of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) immunotherapy.
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Stephen Aichele returns to the firm after serving for nearly three years as general counsel and chief of staff in Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett’s administration.
In 2017, in a first for the United States, the FDA approves a cell/gene therapy product, CAR 19 T cells (now known as Kymriah®), for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in humans.
2014
The firm assists with bond transactions that eliminate the City of Harrisburg’s debt, allowing the City to avoid bankruptcy.
2015
Equality Illinois gives the firm top marks for its LGBT diversity and inclusive practices.
The firm assists Drexel University in establishing the framework for the $3.5 billion development, “Schuylkill Yards,” which will feature educational facilities, research laboratories, offices, residential and retail spaces, cultural venues, and public space.
The firm represents a developer in its plans to build one of Miami’s tallest towers.
2016
Saul Ewing and Arnstein & Lehr merge, creating a combined firm of more than 400 attorneys in 15 offices throughout the East Coast and Midwest.
For the first time, the firm earns a perfect score in the Corporate Equality Index, a survey measuring LGBTQ workplace equality policies and practices.
The firm’s Baltimore office wins two prestigious pro bono awards for providing more than $1 million in pro bono services in 2016.
2017
The firm launches its Cannabis Law practice, advising state cannabis license applicants, investors, service providers and others on regulatory issues, transactions, day-to-day matters, and disputes.
The firm is one of the founding law firms in the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition, whose mission is to increase the diversity of the region’s legal community
Given its roster of top-tier sports clients, the firm formally launches its Sports and Entertainment practice, focusing on the sports, esports, video gaming and gambling sectors.
By decade’s end, the firm has redoubled its New York City presence with a move to offices in Rockefeller Center, and added offices in:
Diversity Lab confers Mansfield certification on the firm for the first time. Mansfield certification is a tool to drive diversity in law firm leadership.
2019
The firm joins the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance, a coalition of more than 240 law firms formed to promote social justice and racial equity.
2020
2021
The firm assists the Minnesota Timberwolves owners in a $1.5 billion sale to Alex Rodriguez and entrepreneur Marc Lore.
The firm helps multistate cannabis operator Ascend Wellness Holdings with its $125 million IPO.
The firm is named Benchmark Litigation’s “Pennsylvania Firm of the Year” for the third consecutive year, and also honored as “Massachusetts Firm of the Year” as a first-time nominee.
After weathering the pandemic, the firm launches a hybrid work model heralded throughout the legal industry as creative and flexible.
2022
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The Firm is named Benchmark Litigation’s “Pennsylvania Firm of the Year” for the third consecutive year, and also honored as “Massachusetts Firm of the Year” as a first-time nominee.
After weathering the pandemic, the Firm launches a hybrid work model heralded throughout the legal industry as creative and flexible.
2022
The firm launches a rebrand as Saul Ewing with a new logo, dynamic website, and updated digital content and resources for clients and alumni.
The Firm launches a rebrand as Saul Ewing with a new logo, dynamic website, and updated digital content and resources for our clients and alumni.
THE FIRMS MERGE TO BECOME SAUL EWING.
saul.com
saul.com
1986
President Reagan proclaims November 15th as National Philanthropy Day, which was conceived and organized by Douglas Freeman, one of the founders of Freeman Freeman & Smiley (with whom the firm combined in 2023). This day signifies the importance of working together for the common good.
2023
The firm combines with Freeman Freeman & Smiley with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County.
1987
President Reagan proclaims November 15th as National Philanthropy Day, which was conceived and organized by Douglas Freeman, one of the founders of Freeman Freeman & Smiley (with whom the firm combined in 2023). This day signifies the importance of working together for the common good.
2015
The firm combines with Freeman Freeman & Smiley with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County.
John G. Johnson had helped create the Navy Yard by overseeing the clearing of title for the transfer of League Island from the City of Philadelphia to the federal government in 1868. Our real estate work at the Navy Yard continues to this day.
1997
In a tie to its origins, the firm begins working with a private developer that will revive the shipbuilding industry at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, previously home to the U.S. Navy. Read more
1998