Pictured, from left: Julia Rafferty, Alex MacMullan, Jack O'Donnell, Joe O'Neil, Andreas Ringstad and Camille Easterbrook.

A Boston-based litigation firm is expanding its mid-Atlantic presence and changing up its nameplate with a new group hire in Philadelphia.

Campbell Campbell Edwards & Conroy will be changing its name to Campbell Conroy & O'Neil, after trial attorney Joe O'Neil joins the firm along with five other Philadelphia lawyers. The group comes from a local firm of similar size, Lavin, O'Neil, Cedrone & DiSipio.

“It's representative of the makeup of the law firm. It's a major addition for us,” firm president Jim Campbell said of the name change.

O'Neil's recent clients have included Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon, U-Haul, Lenco Industries and GlaxoSmithKline, according to federal court records and previous reports by The Legal.

“Joe joining our firm just will further enlarge our footprint in Philadelphia. He's a highly respected lawyer in the city, and with Joe it will make us all a lot stronger,” said name partner Bill Conroy, who is also based in Philadelphia.

The move will be official Jan. 1, and will bring Campbell to 45 lawyers in the Northeast U.S. and Florida, including 22 lawyers in Pennsylvania, according to Campbell. The firm also has offices in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey.

That geographic footprint was a motivator in making the move, O'Neil said, as was a commitment to the future prospects of the younger lawyers he works with.

“I do think it's going to set the stage for the next generation of trial lawyers for defending major companies in litigation,” O'Neil said.

Along with O'Neil, Jack O'Donnell and Andreas Ringstad will be joining Campbell as members, and Camille Easterbrook, Julia Rafferty and Alexander MacMullan will join as associates.

O'Neil works with clients on pharmaceutical, medical device, health and life science, products liability and commercial cases, including mass tort litigation. He said he anticipates that he will keep all of his clients and ongoing matters.

Campbell said he has known O'Neil since 1983, when Campbell first started practicing law. “He was a national counsel for a major car company, and I served as his local counsel,” Campbell said. They stayed in touch after that, and occasionally worked together on matters for mutual clients, he said.

Campbell said his firm has long considered Philadelphia as one of its centers. The firm recently expanded into Florida as well, opening an office in Palm Beach County. Campbell said he anticipates the firm opening a Broward County office in the near future.

Basil DiSipio, managing partner of the 44-lawyer Lavin firm, said his firm's core business remains. He said he has known O'Neil since law school, noting that they graduated together. “It's disappointing, but we wish him well,” DiSipio said.

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