News in Brief

Pittsburgh – White & Williams has opened a Pittsburgh office and named Nicholas A. Pasciullo, formerly of Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace, to head its practice there.



Pasciullo joined the firm as partner in the commercial litigation department and a member of the insurance coverage and the computer and high technology practice groups. He focuses his commercial litigation practice on the representation of public and private corporations, financial institutions, the insurance industry, and individuals.



“White & Williams is a law firm that continues to evolve and Pittsburgh is an ideal location for us to expand in order to more broadly serve our clients,” said Allan H. Starr, chair of the executive committee, in a press release.



“Nick has developed an impressive practice that clearly complements our existing practices – as well as those practice areas we plan to develop further, such as e-commerce and high-technology law. We look forward to the opportunities that will be created by our combination of talents and resources.”



White & Williams is a full service law firm with more than 190 attorneys engaged in all aspects of civil practice

Four E.D. Judges Confirmed to Federal Bench

Washington, D.C. – After a delay unrelated to the merits of the nominees, the Senate has confirmed four people for federal judgeships in Philadelphia.



It approved the nomination of Philadelphia attorney Mary McLaughlin by a vote of 86-14.



Former state Superior Court Judge Berle Schiller, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Richard Surrick and Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Petrese Tucker were approved last Wednesday by voice vote.



All those voting against McLaughlin were Republicans, some of whom objected to her strong support for abortion rights. She received an award from the American Civil Liberties Union for her advocacy in that area.



President Clinton nominated them at the recommendation of Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, both R-Pa.



The nominees were part of a 16-person package that had been caught up in a dispute that involved the nomination of Bradley Smith to the Federal Election Commission.



Democrats had threatened to block a vote on Smith’s nomination because of his opposition to many efforts to change campaign finance laws. But Republicans made the vote on Smith a requirement for allowing consideration of the judicial appointments.



There are currently seven vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which handles cases from nine counties in the southeastern part of the state.



McLaughlin, 53, is the only one of the four nominees who has never been a judge. She was an assistant U.S. attorney and a counsel to a Senate subcommittee.



Schiller, 56, was appointed twice by Gov. Tom Ridge to fill vacancies on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. He lost statewide elections to that court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.



Surrick, 62, has been a Delaware County judge since 1978.



Tucker, 47, has been a Philadelphia judge since 1987.



Santorum and Specter both said they doubt the three other vacancies will be filled this year.

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