The top-10 list included several important hires across the state. But those weren't the only moves worth noting. There were six more jumps that took place over the course of 2021 that deserve a second look. The runners-up list includes a law firm merger, a high-profile attorney joining Saxton & Stump after his firm was dissolved, a practice leader jumping to a new firm, and a new practice group being formed with a focus on environmental and workplace regulations. Many of these attorneys made these moves to help extend the reach of their practices. Some of those practice areas included litigation, estate planning, criminal defense and employment law. Deputy Legal Director of Pa. ACLU Takes Position With Co-Counsel After 16 years litigating some of the most consequential cases in recent state history, trial lawyer Mary Catherine Roper left her position as deputy legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania to take an of counsel role at Philadelphia litigation boutique Langer Grogan & Diver. The nine-lawyer firm had been a frequent co-counsel to Roper during her time with the commonwealth's ACLU affiliate, litigating cases that went on to uphold immigrant rights and hold police accountable for alleged misconduct. Roper and leaders at the nonprofit and firm said they look forward to collaborating on impact litigation. Langer Grogan handles consumer rights and antitrust cases from the plaintiff's side, with an eye toward matters that are "consistent with the public's interest," said John Grogan, a partner and co-founder of the firm. For Roper, who officially started practicing at the firm in October, joining Langer Grogan gave her the opportunity to broaden her complex litigation practice, she said. MacElree Harvey Merges With Del.-Based Estate Planning Boutique West Chester-based law firm MacElree Harvey finalized an agreement to absorb Crossland, Heinle & Bryde in July. The move increased MacElree's Delaware roster with two estate planning partners, an estate planning associate and an elder law attorney in an of counsel role, along with four support staff members, all based out of Crossland Heinle's office in Hockessin, Delaware. The combined firm kept MacElree Harvey's name, said MacElree family law partner Lance Nelson in July. Nelson said the addition of Crossland Heinle's four attorneys and five staff aimed to expand practice areas MacElree Harvey currently provided to Pennsylvania clients in estate planning, elder law and business. For Delaware-based clients, the combination was set to provide more "one-stop-shopping" with services in general business representation, estate planning, family law and general litigation, Nelson said. Leaders at the merged firm said it is slated to have 42 lawyers practicing out of two offices in Pennsylvania and two in the First State. Nelson said his firm had sought to expand in the First State since establishing an office in Centreville, Delaware, in 2006. He said conversations between MacElree Harvey's leaders and Crossland Heinle have been ongoing for about five years. But as the firms were finalizing the details of their merger in the opening months of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, delaying their plans by about a year, Nelson said. Costopoulos Joins Saxton & Stump After Dissolving Boutique Criminal defense veteran Bill Costopoulos, who defended in some of Pennsylvania's most high-profile cases over the course of his more than 50-year career, joined Saxton & Stump in Harrisburg after finalizing the dissolution of his Lemoyne-based legal practice, Costopoulos, Foster & Fields. Costopoulos was behind the successful defense of York Mayor Charles Robertson, who was acquitted in 2002 of murder charges stemming from 1969 York race riots. More recently, Costopoulos defended Pennsylvania Sen. Jane Orie and former State House Speaker H. William DeWeese on separate allegations of corruption. Costopoulos said the opportunity to continue providing legal services at the Lancaster-based firm's burgeoning white-collar defense practice, as senior counsel, came after dissolution proceedings for his own practice started in June 2020. He said as of the end of March 2021, Costopoulos, Foster & Fields had effectively been dissolved. Costopoulos said he had discussed dissolving Costopoulos, Foster & Fields with his co-partners even before the pandemic, although the onset of COVID-19 accelerated the process. He said the criminal defense practice operated at the firm was not "remote friendly." The addition of Costopoulos to Saxton & Stump brought the firm's recently launched white-collar defense team to a head count of 10. Burns White L&E Co-Chair Moves to Goldberg Segalla Civil litigation firm Goldberg Segalla continued to build its labor and employment bench strength in Pennsylvania with the addition of Angela Cronk, who departed the West Conshohocken office of Burns White one month after she was appointed to co-chair the firm's labor and employment practice. Cronk's addition to Buffalo-based Goldberg Segalla came in response to an increase in demand from labor and employment clients operating in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, said Caroline J. Berdzik, a member of the firm's management committee and chair of its 40-lawyer employment and labor group. For Cronk, moving to a firm with Goldberg Segalla's national platform allowed her to address her clients in multiple geographic markets, she said. With many clients in the health care industry, Cronk regularly defends institutions against claims involving the American with Disabilities Act, Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and Federal Employers' Liability Act. Former US Attorney McSwain Joins Duane Morris William McSwain, the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania appointed by former President Donald Trump, stepped into his new role as a partner at Duane Morris, based in the firm's Philadelphia office, in February 2021. McSwain served as a federal prosecutor from April 2018 until he stepped down as a formality to make way for the newly elected President Joe Biden's pick Jan. 22. As a prosecutor, he was characterized by a tough-on-crime image, expressing vocal opposition to the nation's first safe injection site in Philadelphia and to the city's moratorium on public events. He also made it a priority to prosecute lawyers involved in criminal behavior during his tenure. He joins the Am Law 100 firm at a time when many expect an increase in business investigations under the current Biden administration. McSwain began talks with the firm's leadership prior to his Jan. 22 resignation from the Department of Justice, firm chairman Matthew Taylor said. Taylor said hiring McSwain is a prime example of the firm's strategic growth plan to "recruit and attract marquee talent." "In my view, you can't get much more marquee than Bill McSwain," Taylor said, adding that he expects McSwain to contribute connections in the white-collar investigations and commercial securities litigation areas. Central Pa. Firm Launches Workplace Regulations Group Central Pennsylvania firm Saxton & Stump went public in December with a new practice group intended to help business clients navigate the growing intersection of environmental and workplace regulations. Leading the so-named environmental, workplace safety and utilities group as co-chairs were lobbyist Kathy Pape, a former utilities executive with American Water and Aqua America, and regulatory lawyer Stephen Matzura. The two were named equity shareholders after lateraling from McNees Wallace & Nurick in January and December 2021, respectively. The launch of the environmental, workplace safety and utilities group comes in the context of a renewed focus on labor-related regulatory action under the Biden administration and a labor market weighted in candidates' favor. As a result, companies are facing increasing scrutiny from employees and regulators over workplace safety standards, leaders of the group said. "Now more than ever, with employees being aware of environmental issues and workplace safety issues, and with the market being what it is in competition for employees for our clients, it's important to have these things squared away before it gets into enforcement," Matzura said in an interview in December.