Saxton & Stump is pleased to announce the Hon. Christopher C. Conner (Ret.) has joined the firm as a shareholder and the co-chair of its Investigation and Criminal Defense Group and its Appellate and Post-Trial Advocacy Group. A former chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Judge Conner will focus his Saxton & Stump practice on advising clients facing complex government investigations and courtroom trials (including appeals). He will also help clients as a mediator and arbitrator for Saxton & Stump’s affiliate company, Optimal Dispute Resolutions.

Judge Conner joins the Hon. Lawrence F. Stengel (Ret.) and the Hon. Margaret B. Seymour (Ret.) as the three former federal district chief judges now at Saxton & Stump. Judge Stengel was chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Judge Seymour served as the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

"We are honored to welcome Judge Conner to our team," Saxton & Stump CEO James W. Saxton said. “Judge Conner is well-known and well-respected throughout the state and nationally, with a strong reputation for fairness and thoughtful insight. His extensive knowledge and proven ability to navigate courtroom proceedings will bring an additional level of strategic advisory to our clients and judicial leadership to our organization.”

“The ever-growing reputation of Saxton & Stump’s attorneys, leadership, innovation and infrastructure came into full focus for me when I began to look for opportunities after my retirement from the bench,” Judge Conner said. “This is a dynamic law firm, and its people are nothing short of exceptional in everything they do. Joining this firm is a great opportunity not just for me but for my clients, who now have access to Saxton & Stump’s vast resource platform addressing a broad spectrum of legal issues.”