While a small-firm lawyer from Philadelphia was not what many may have expected in Gov.-elect Tom Wolf’s selection of his general counsel, those who know Denise Smyler say she is the perfect person for the job both for her temperament and her legal and political acumen.
Last week, Wolf tapped Smyler, of nine-lawyer Ahmad, Zaffarese & Smyler in Philadelphia, to lead the Office of General Counsel when Wolf is inaugurated Jan. 20. Smyler, who focuses largely on government relations and municipal finance work of late, had her own practice for 16 years before merging into the Ahmad Zaffarese firm in 2013. Her prior experience includes serving as a state prosecutor in Philadelphia and as chief legal counsel to the Philadelphia Police Commissioner, where she handled a number of union issues, among other matters.
