The top lateral moves list included several important hires from across the state. But those weren't the only moves worth noting. There were nine more jumps that took place over the course of 2022 that deserve a second look. The runners-up list includes a longtime federal public defender joining Duane Morris, a retired Big Law litigator moving to a 12-lawyer boutique and a merger between Barley Snyder and a 14-lawyer firm in Eastern Pennsylvania. Many of these attorneys made these moves to help extend the reach of their practices. Some of those practice areas included white-collar defense, wealth planning, M&A, intellectual property and consumer finance. Longtime Public Defender Joins Duane Morris After leading the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for 14 years, Leigh Skipper joined Duane Morris' white-collar defense division at the end of June. Skipper, who served as chief federal defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since 2009, joined the firm's Philadelphia headquarters June 27 after serving his last day at the federal community defender office on June 17. The move brought Duane Morris a public defender's perspective in government investigations and commercial litigation following a slew of prosecutor-side hires. Skipper said he would bring broad-based experience that comes from overseeing the defender office in a district that handles a mix of matters that tracks how they're distributed nationally. Ballard Grabs Wealth Planning Team From Troutman Pepper A team of wealth planning lawyers from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders joined Ballard Spahr in the firm's Philadelphia headquarters in March. The move was the latest in a red-hot talent market among Pennsylvania's Big Law community, taking place a month after a group of consumer finance lawyers made the opposite transition and parted ways with Ballard Spahr to join Troutman Pepper. Led by partners Justin Esposito and Justin Brown, the group's expertise mirrors the 14-lawyer private client services group at Ballard Spahr, with a focus on designing and implementing gift and estate plans and representing clients in fiduciary litigation. The team of laterals also included senior counsel Mark Blaskey and associate Brittany Yodis, in addition to two paralegals, according to an announcement in March. "We have a very similar focus as the people here at Ballard, which is focusing on high-net-worth families and individuals and a little bit of a focus on business owners," Esposito said in an interview at the time. "The practices are very similar and putting them together made good sense." Alston & Bird Consumer Finance Pair Jump to Ballard A pair of Alston & Bird consumer finance lawyers relocated to Ballard Spahr in March, bringing over a team of licensing specialists and significant clientele in the mortgage and commercial lending space. Partner Lisa Lanham and of counsel attorney Rinaldo Martinez joined the firm in its Philadelphia headquarters and Washington, D.C., office, respectively. The move took place one month after a group of seven Ballard Spahr consumer finance lawyers left for Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders in early February 2022. Insiders at Ballard said that firm leaders sought to replenish the bench of consumer finance specialists following those departures Leaders at the firm said in a statement in March that the arrival of the team allowed the practice to "build from a position of strength." Faegre Drinker Big Law Litigator Joins Tucker Law Group After retiring at the end of 2021, the former Big Law litigator known for representing Johnson & Johnson in products liability cases reentered the profession at Tucker Law Group, a rare instance of a 12-lawyer boutique gaining a Big Law trial lawyer. Thirty-year trial lawyer Kenneth Murphy wasn't planning to join the Philadelphia-based, African American-founded and -owned litigation boutique when he retired from Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath on Dec. 31, saying in an interview in late March that he could have seen himself joining an in-house team, nonprofit or teaching post. But Murphy was convinced by longtime friend and Tucker Law Group founder and CEO Joe Tucker that he could "make a mark" at a small firm with a client base that rivaled Big Law and that provided legal services to a diverse cohort of the local community, as well as providing career opportunities for attorneys of color. Murphy joined without a book of business, having left his client engagements behind when he retired from Faegre Drinker. But as for ongoing "personal relationships" with clients, Murphy said, "we'll see where they go." Holland & Knight Takes Morgan Lewis Dealmaker Morgan, Lewis & Bockius dealmaker Colby Smith relocated his practice to Holland & Knight in February, seeking to capitalize on the rapid expansion of the Florida-headquartered firm's Philadelphia M&A and private equity practices. Bringing an emphasis on middle-market M&A transactions, Smith officially got started at the firm's Philadelphia office Feb. 14, after 17 years at Morgan Lewis. He joined after the firm added 20 attorneys to the private equity team across the firm's national footprint in the past year, and completed a merger with Texas-born Am Law 200 firm Thompson & Knight. Smith said his client base includes private equity funds, their portfolio companies and institutional investors looking to make strategic minority investments—a form of investing that has risen in popularity in the life sciences and health care industries as companies look to vertically consolidate, he said. Fox Rothschild Adds 5 Commercial Litigators From McGuireWoods Fox Rothschild bolstered its capability to handle business disputes in emerging markets with the addition of five Pittsburgh-based commercial litigators from McGuireWoods, representing clients in high-tech and gig-economy sectors. Fox Rothschild's newly welcomed partners brought a complex commercial litigation practice that focused on litigation management for clients in emerging sectors, like technology, financial services, gig-economy businesses, autonomous driving and transportation, according to a statement by the firm announcing the hires. Heading the group was Matthew Monsour, whose national and local recognition for defending companies against recurring and business-sensitive litigation at trial and on appeal caught the eye of firm leadership. He was recruited thanks in part to his "niche" of protecting the independent contractor designations of clients and enforcing online terms and conditions, firm leaders said. Monsour was joined by Jennifer B. Dempsey, who represents clients in the transportation, gig economy and autonomous vehicle industries; Rachael Dizard, who assists a similar client base in litigation strategy and compliance matters nationwide; Brett L. Huston, a long-time litigator representing clients in complex commercial disputes in a wide range of industries; and Kate L. Stoy, who counsels clients on risks and litigation management. IP Trio From Troutman Pepper Jumps to DLA Piper Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders IP partner Ray Miller, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer known for taking his clients on a high-class retreat at a Canadian island, moved his practice along with two longtime colleagues to DLA Piper. The move found Miller and partners Nicole Endejann and Joseph Helmsen practicing in DLA Piper's intellectual property practice and in the technology practice and life sciences industry group. Without an office in the city, firm leaders have designated the Pittsburgh-based trio as residents in the DLA Piper's Philadelphia office. Firm leaders at DLA Piper sought to leverage the group's background not only as lawyers in the life sciences sector but also with a wide array of IP competencies to support the demand for corporate work. Gilbert added that the team would "provide crucial IP-related support to venture capital, private equity and capital markets deals, in addition to handling patent prosecution work and IP-related counseling." Barley Snyder Combines With 14-Lawyer Firm in Eastern Pa. Central Pennsylvania firm Barley Snyder added two more Berks County offices and 14 attorneys from Wyomissing-based business firm Leisawitz Heller, which brought practices in transactional law, estate planning and litigation. The combination, which went into effect Jan. 1, came after several months of due diligence ending in a vote at both firms to affiliate in November, leaders said in an interview. It represents the largest one-time combination for Barley Snyder since 1991 when the firm pivoted toward a regional model for growth and gained access to multiple central Pennsylvania markets through a combination with Liverant, Senft & Cohen and Krekstein, Rubin & Lasday, said the firm's managing partner, Jeff Lobach. "We think the Berks County market and Wyomissing are similar to other markets that we serve like Lancaster, York and Harrisburg," Lobach said. In Berks County, he noted, there's a strong sector of independently owned small and midsize businesses, often with owners in need of counsel for trust and estates matters. That presents business opportunities for the combined firm's transactional, litigation and trust and estates lawyers, he said. Ex-Commonwealth Court Judge Crompton Lands at McNees After serving two years on the Commonwealth Court and more than two decades as a top legislative aide, Drew Crompton joined Harrisburg midsize firm McNees Wallace & Nurick in January. Crompton, who was appointed to the intermediate appeals court in 2020 and narrowly lost a bid last year for a full 10-year term on the bench, is set to join the law firm's public finance and government services practice group. McNees chair Brian Jackson said in a statement that Crompton brings "an unmatched breadth and depth of experience in Pennsylvania state government—from his integral role in writing hundreds of laws, to his work behind the scenes with governors and legislative leaders to pass key legislation and his most recent judicial service on one of the state's highest courts." Wanting to make a clean break from the public sector after serving as a judge, Crompton said he spoke with several firms about joining their ranks. He added that he had previously worked with some McNees attorneys while serving in the Senate, and after some discussions felt that McNees would be a great opportunity.