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Additions

Reger Rizzo & Darnall announced that William M. Connor joined the firm's Philadelphia office as a partner in the litigation department.

Connor has experience handling a variety of commercial and personal injury matters, including products liability and mass tort litigation, construction litigation, liquor liability, admiralty, transportation law, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, employment litigation and general casualty/premises liability.

Connor defends manufacturers and sellers in products liability litigation involving a variety of machines, trucking and automotive products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, asbestos and consumer products.

He litigates matters involving allegations of manufacturing and construction design defect, inadequate warning, exposure to toxic chemicals and worksite accidents.

He has experience representing trucking companies and common carriers, as well as motor vehicle and fleet insurers and their insureds.

He also litigates employment-related matters, as well as a variety of insurance coverage issues, representing insurers in declaratory judgment actions to enforce exclusions and other limitations of coverage.

His practice also includes the representation of bars, taverns, restaurants, hotels and clubs in liquor liability cases.

In addition to his litigation experience, Connor served as a mediator and arbitrator on personal injury and commercial matters as a member of the American Arbitration Association–Commercial Arbitration Tribunal.

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Jonathan Flora, an attorney with more than 20 years of experience advising clients on the tax aspects involved in corporate structures, partnerships and business transactions, joined Ballard Spahr as a partner in its tax group.

Flora's experience spans industries and deal types, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, investment transactions, private offerings, licensing and reorganizations.

He provides tax counsel for private equity fund formation, advises emerging companies on the tax advantages of entity and capitalization options, represents foreign companies on in-bound tax planning, and handles the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions transactions.

He represents clients in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. Flora counsels exempt organizations on structuring, affiliation, operating and compliance issues.

He also advises on allocation and distribution matters.

He joins Ballard Spahr from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where he was a partner in the tax group and chair of the employee benefits group.

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Horn Williamson announced that Philadelphia construction attorney Matthew H. Dempsey joined the firm as an associate.

Dempsey will share his time between the firm's construction practice and the firm's construction defect legal team.

After graduating from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Dempsey clerked for Judge Bernard A. Moore of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

For the last five years, Dempsey was engaged in private practice as a construction litigation attorney.

He is barred in state and federal court in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey and the U.S. Tax Court.

Dempsey sits on the boards of the Woodbury Old City restoration committee and Woodbury Community Pride.

Events

The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia Inc. held a happy hour at Ladder 15 to raise funds for its annual turkey drive.

With the underwriting of Post & Schell, 100% of the proceeds will help Barristers' feed about 700 Philadelphia-area families.

Members of Post & Schell's leadership team, including president and CEO James Johnston, general counsel and chief compliance officer Andrew Allison, and chief marketing and communications officer Michael Baltes, attended.

Post & Schell associate and Barristers' elected member Aaron Dunbar coordinate the event.