Ballard Spahr LLP > Philadelphia, United States > Firm Profile

Ballard Spahr LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Minneapolis Elite > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Ryan Heck from Ballard Spahr LLP, advises public and privately held companies on M&A as well as other transactions, with a focus on buy-side transactions. Heck’s practice focuses on strategic mid-market M&A transactions, with particular expertise in the professional services and manufacturing sectors.Michael Kuhn from Ballard Spahr LLP handles middle-market M&A transactions, mostly for private equity companies. Kuhn supports buy-side and sell-side transactions for a range of companies, including family owned business and larger private companies with clients in a variety of industries.April Hamlin of Ballard Spahr LLP primarily advises public companies on a wide range of corporate, securities, and M&A matters, with several of her M&A transactions falling within the upper-middle market. Her client base spans industries such as life sciences, medical devices, telecommunications, and consumer products.Maggie Tatton co-leads the private equity practice at Ballard Spahr LLP, focusing on buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions. Her key matters often include exit strategies for private equity companies. Tatton’s transactions typically fall within the mid-market range, spanning a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, food distribution, personal products, specialty retail, and engineering.

Philadelphia Elite > Commercial disputes Tier 1

Jason Leckerman , chair of litigation department at Ballard Spahr LLP , leads the antitrust & competition group and handles high-stakes product liability and commercial disputes. He advises life-sciences, agriculture, manufacturing and financial-services clients on compliance, mergers and complex litigation nationwide.Norman Goldberger at Ballard Spahr LLP co-leads the firm’s Municipal Securities Regulation & Enforcement Team. He focuses on complex commercial matters, including consumer fraud class action, derivative suits, internal investigations and insurance coverage disputes, representing clients from startups to Fortune 500s across multiple industries.

Seattle Elite > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Patrick Franke of Ballard Spahr LLP co-leads the firm’s corporate practice and is a key contact for all businesses, including startups and larger, more established companies with deal values consistently sitting in the middle market range. Franke regularly deals with complex transactional work, including corporate governance, restructuring, reorganisation and joint ventures in the private equity space.Thomas Grohman of Ballard Spahr LLP is a key contact for transactional work for a variety of industries including agriculture, food and beverages, retail, and automotive companies. Grohman leverages his experience in private equity, venture capital and M&A to work with and represent international companies on both the buy-side and sell-side of transactions, in which he has done so for companies internationally and domestically.Noelle Cooper of Ballard Spahr LLP co-leads the firm’s senior living and long-term care group, in which she regularly advises on mergers and acquisitions in this space as well as joint ventures, due diligence, regulatory issues and financing, with Cooper’s work spanning the US.

Seattle Elite > Commercial disputes Tier 1

Katie Bass of Ballard Spahr LLP is adept to handle a range of disputes in trial as well as large national arbitrations, with notable proficiency in transportation related matters. Bass also frequently works with banking clients as well as tech start-ups and works on complex matters at both state and federal level, and is particularly adept in handling MDL for her clients.Barbara Duffy of Ballard Spahr LLP primarily focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation across the US, and is called upon for healthcare related matters by large private healthcare companies. Duffy is a key contact regarding FCA matters, notably Qui Tam cases in the healthcare industry. Duffy is seen representing in state and federal courts alike and utilises ADR methods such as arbitration to achieve results for her clientele.

Salt Lake City Elite > Commercial disputes

Prepared to handle trials, appeals, and administrative proceedings, Mark R. Gaylord covers a wide array of complex civil disputes. He has notable experience in land use and construction matters, frequently assisting real estate developers and municipalities.Melanie J. Vartabedian is a go-to for financial services, real estate and securities disputes. She has experience appearing for developers and companies in state and federal courts nationwide.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport

At Ballard Spahr LLP, the product liability and mass tort team frequently work on high-value and complex product cases pending in both the federal and the state courts. Operating primarily out of New Jersey, the team specializes in handling complex product liability cases nationwide, from catastrophic injury claims to national class actions and appeals. The firm serves a diverse client base, including leading automotive companies and emerging technology firms, offering strategic counsel on product risks, warranties, and compliance to prevent litigation. Notable recent achievements include defending Subaru in six national class actions, securing rare post-trial class decertification in a major case, and successfully limiting class actions at early stages. Head of team Neal Walters directs the group, with extensive experience counseling automotive companies on regulatory, product development, and service issues, as well as defending them in product liability litigation. Steven Burkhart, a former general counsel, works out of Maryland to bring additional expertise in commercial litigation, internal investigations, product liability, and risk management matters, while Casey Watkins specializes in hands-on autonomous vehicle regulatory experience, further bolstering the team’s technical expertise. All lawyers mentioned are based in New Jersey unless otherwise stated.

Finance > Financial services regulation Tier 1

Known for its expertise in advising clients on a wide range of consumer financial services issues, Ballard Spahr LLP represents banking institutions, fintech companies, and investors in complex regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement matters, particularly those involving the CFPB and other agencies. The firm is recognized for its experience in handling matters related to privacy, cybersecurity, big data, and artificial intelligence, and continues to be a leader in representing payment systems and other fintech firms. The practice also has a strong focus on providing regulatory due diligence support for private equity firms, investment bankers, and other professional investors in transactions involving consumer financial services companies. Co-leading the firm is John Socknat, based in Washington DC., who advises clients on regulatory compliance, licensing, examinations, audits, and enforcement actions, while also assisting with product design and transactional matters and Philadelphia based Daniel McKenna who specializes in high-stakes litigation, including class actions and arbitration, with a focus on mortgage, auto, and credit card loan-related issues. Joseph Schuster joined the firm in 2024, known for his expertise in financial services matters. Mike Kilgarriff is also another new arrival from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Finance > Project finance

Ballard Spahr LLP‘s considerable offering across project finance is a robust choice for government agencies seeking counsel on major transport infrastructure builds, and the practice also regularly acts for lenders and developers. It further excels in energy projects, focusing on financing, regulatory and commercial advice to energy companies and investors in the sector. The firm also has a strong capital markets offering in the space. Steve Park, ‘widely recognized as a leader in the P3 legal field’, is a go-to lawyer for public entities, private developers, and lenders. He is based in Philadelphia along with fellow co-leaders of the group Patrick Gillard and Randall Towers. They both focus on project finance transactions in the energy space, assisting with a range of debt instruments. John Smolen rounds out the leadership team and from the Baltimore office acts on design-build, P3s, and other APD civil and social infrastructure projects across the country. Further key contacts include tax equity expert Bruce Johnson at the Las Vegas office; Donna Brady in Los Angeles, who has a strong practice in transport and social infrastructure; and William Estes (New York) and John Wheatley (Washington DC), who add further design-build and P3 experience and frequently collaborate as counsel on major transport constructions.  

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal

Ballard Spahr LLP has a wide-ranging and impressive practice, built on its leading expertise in public finance, and strong experience in municipal bankruptcies (including Chapter 9 cases and municipal recoveries). The firm is noted for its representation of municipal bonds institutional investors and bond insurers. On the debtor side, the firm also represented the City of Chester, Pennsylvania, in its Chapter 9 bankruptcy case. Other key clients include indenture trustees and credit providers. Philadelphia partner William Rhodes has an outstanding background in public finance with deep expertise in distressed municipalities, restructurings, municipal insolvency and bankruptcy. Tobey Daluz and Matthew Summers are co-leaders of the bankruptcy and restructuring group, and experienced figures in Chapter 9 cases. Newly elected partner Laurel Roglen is also making a big impression, while Minneapolis’s William Wassweiler is another senior practitioner. Named individuals are based in Wilmington unless stated otherwise.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design

Ballard Spahr LLP‘s employee benefit and executive compensation team, renowned in the healthcare and life science industries, has a particular strength in helping clients navigate the ever-changing legal landscape surrounding health benefit plans, advising companies large and small. Based in Philadelphia, practice leader Brian Pinheiro focuses on statutory and regulatory rules concerning tax-qualified retirement plans, pension plans including cash-balance and 401(k) plans, and health and welfare benefit plans, and Edward Leeds focuses on issues relating to the design, administration and taxation of health and welfare plans as well as ACA and HIPAA compliance.  Washington DC’s D. Finn Pressly advises on domestic partner benefits, retiree health and welfare plans and assists employers in analyzing the impact of new legislation on benefit schemes.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)

Ballard Spahr LLP handles a significant volume of middle-market M&A on behalf of both companies and private equity clients. Well weighted between buyer and seller-side mandates, the group handles deals in all key industry sectors, with a focus on the life sciences, TMT, manufacturing, financial services, energy, and consumer products industries. The M&A practice is led jointly by Philadelphia-based Brian Doerner and Minneapolis-based Barbara Rummel, both of whom are particularly recognized for their expertise in life sciences-related transactions. Nathan Seiler splits his time between Denver and Boulder and chairs the business and transactions department, where he specializes in advising high-growth companies on corporate matters. Other recommended names in Minneapolis include private equity specialist Maggie Tatton and Michael Kuhn, who acts for both companies and private equity funds. The national team also draws on Phoenix-based senior counsel Karen McConnell, who is a seasoned veteran in corporate and securities work, and Philadelphia’s Gregory Seltzer, whose practice spans M&A, venture capital and start-up matters.

Real estate > Land use/zoning

The team at Ballard Spahr LLP plays a pivotal role in securing permits and approvals for the financing and construction of museums, arts centers, religious sites, and other buildings, thereby shaping city landscapes. The combined real estate and land use practice is led by Amy McClain and Matthew McClure, based in Baltimore and Philadelphia, respectively. Other key departmental figures include Salt Lake City’s Steven Mehr who has secured zoning and land entitlements for commercial, retail, and industrial developments. Philadelphia’s Joanne Phillips and Devon Beverly also focus on entitlements, zoning, and historic preservation matters, while Eileen B. Quigley represents clients before administrative bodies, commissions, agencies, and courts. Baltimore’s Jon Laria provides counsel on major development projects throughout the city.

Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)

Maryland corporation law is the speciality of Ballard Spahr LLP‘s REIT practice which excels in advising both public and private Maryland REITs on the full spectrum of corporate, securities, tax and bankruptcy issues. As corporate counsel, the team’s expertise forms a key component of major transactions involving the formation, organization, and capitalization of REITs. Practice head Douglas Fox is experienced in capital raising transactions, securities offerings and corporate governance. Co-head  Charles Moran is a key figure for REIT M&A matters, with his practice spanning the full breadth of Maryland-based corporate law matters. J. Thomas Bashore is an integral member of the team and his workload focuses on underwritten public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities. All lawyers mentioned are in Baltimore.  

Philadelphia Elite > Banking and finance (including restructuring) Tier 3

Christopher Jones at Ballard Spahr LLP leads the tax and tax controversy team. He advises clients on federal, state and local tax consequences on complex transactions, manages audits and controversies, counsels non-profits on formation, compliance and unrelated business taxable income issues.

Finance > Fintech Tier 3

Particularly noted for its strength in regulatory enforcement, litigation, and compliance within banking and financial services, Ballard Spahr LLP is a strong choice for clients in the payments, banking, and blockchain space. Ronald Vaske, based in Minnesota, has expertise in banking and payment systems, with a particular focus on representing banks in sponsorship and BaaS programs. Peter Jaslow in Pennsylvania is a key advisor to public and private companies on corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and capital-raising. In New York, Marjorie Peerce brings extensive litigation experience, specializing in white-collar criminal defense, virtual currency, and regulatory matters.

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP is highly regarded for its labor and employment services in the public sector, with its client roster featuring states, authorities, universities and hospitals. The group is frequently called upon by public sector clients to handle unfair labor practice cases, labor negotiations, arbitrations and union organization campaigns. Denise Keyser heads up the practice from the New Jersey office and has ample experience acting as lead negotiator in collective bargaining negotiations. Brian Pedrow‘s practice consists of private and public sector labor negotiations and unfair labor practice charges. Shannon Farmer is active in collective bargaining negotiations and interest arbitrations. Both Pedrow and Farmer are based in the Philadelphia office.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP is instructed by clients to handle media and First Amendment cases in the US. The team has advised a myriad of traditional and digital media clients from newspapers, broadcasters, cable TV, and internet companies to journalists, advertisers and authors. Defamation cases are the focus of the group, alongside invasion of privacy, infringement of the right of publicity and content-related claims. Team lead Charles Tobin utilises his previous experience as a journalist to defend media clients in libel and privacy lawsuits. He sits in Washington DC alongside Seth Berlin who excels in handling First Amendment cases and has represented clients before federal trial and appeal courts throughout the US. The practice group has numerous litigation specialists equipped to handled defamation and First amendment cases all over the US, including New York, Chicago, Phoenix and Philadelphia.

Real estate Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP‘s real estate team serves a diverse client base from coast to coast. The team provides services to lenders, private equity firms, REITs, insurance companies, and borrowers on a vast array of transactions and matters. The team is led by Amy McClain, department chair based in Baltimore, whose practice focuses on representing housing authorities and affordable housing developers in the context of mixed-use finance transactions. McClain is supported by a large leadership team, which includes Dominic De Simone in Philadelphia who leads the private equity, commercial loan servicing, and distressed real estate teams. Further, acting out of Denver, Christopher Payne leads the resort, hospitality, and timeshare team. In addition, highlighting the breadth of expertise at the firm, in the Washington office sits Mary Jo George, who is housing finance practice leader; Katherine Noonan, who is development and transactions practice leader; and Molly Bryson, affordable housing and community development team leader.

Philadelphia Elite > Corporate and M&A

Brian Doerner, co‑leader at Ballard Spahr LLP ’s Merger and Acquisitions practice, is experienced in advising public and private companies on mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and governance. Known for handling complex deals in technology and life sciences, he’s a client‑focused negotiator.

Philadelphia Elite > Intellectual Property

Philadelphia Elite > Real estate

Philadelphia Elite > White-collar crime

Henry E. Hockeimer leads Ballard Spahr LLP‘s white collar defense & investigations group, utilizing extensive trial and prosecutorial experience to defend individuals and clients in state and federal court. He has a diverse practice covering healthcare, securities, FCA violations, public corruption and FCPA violations. Hockeimer also specializes in conducting internal investigations.

David Axelrod leads Ballard Spahr LLP‘s securities enforcement & corporate governance litigation group, defending companies and individuals from securities-related investigations from state and federal agencies. Axelrod has defended notable companies such as Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and The New York Times Company as well as individuals such as the founder of US Lighting Group from two conspiracies of committing securities fraud.R. Stephen Stigall at Ballard Spahr LLP leverages his extensive trial experience as a former federal prosecutor to represent a wide-range of individuals and companies in white-collar criminal defense matters, from healthcare fraud to FCPA violations. Stigall also conducts internal corporate investigations and develops effective corporate compliance programs for clients.Emilia McKee Vassallo at Ballard Spahr LLP specializes in defending companies and individuals in white-collar criminal matters as well as conducting internal investigations. Vassallo has worked within a variety of industries, including; healthcare, pharma and artificial intelligence.

Seattle Elite > Real estate

Los Angeles Elite > Banking and finance

Los Angeles Elite > Real estate

San Francisco Elite > Finance and restructuring

Portland Elite > Commercial disputes

Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 4

Ballard Spahr LLP is highly proficient in representing clients in high-stakes litigation as well as regulatory, supervisory and enforcement matters involving government agencies, with particular expertise in cases against CFPB. Daniel McKenna and John Socknat serve as co-heads of the practice, with McKenna leading the Philadephia-based team. McKenna’s expertise spans consumer financial services, privacy and data security, and mortgage banking. Thomas Burke is a distinguished litigator specializing in complex commercial issues including class actions, mass torts, and alternative dispute resolution in the space. Jenny Perkins is also active in defending clients in consumer protection issues, contractual breaches and professional negligence claims. Denver-based Mike Kilgarriff is a strong addition to the team, while John Grugan departed the firm in March 2024.

Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 4

Ballard Spahr LLP‘s infrastructure, energy, and project finance group has deep experience advising lenders, project sponsors, and tax equity investors on a range of renewable and alternative energy matters including project financing, acquisitions, and construction arrangements, as well as project development relating to solar, microgrid, and hyrdroelectric power. On the regulatory front, the team has strengths advising on zoning and land use, environmental compliance, and energy regulatory compliance. With a broad offering, the department has accumulated a strong client roster comprised of notable names from the energy and financial services sectors. In Philadelphia, Patrick Gillard, Randall Towers, and Steve Park co-lead the practice while John Smolen heads up the group in Baltimore. Gillard concentrates on the development, financing, and acquisition of electric power assets and Towers is noted for his aptitude handling public financings involving structuring and offering. Both Park and Smolen are experts in procurement, project agreements, and public-private partnerships.

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 4

The real estate finance group at Ballard Spahr LLP maintains a strong national presence handling complex debt and equity transactions across the United States. The practice is particularly adept at structuring and documenting various types of loans, including senior and junior mortgage loans, construction financing, bridge loans, and mezzanine facilities. The firm has latterly served clients facing problems with legacy loans, assisting with loan restructurings, enforcement, and sales. The group operates under the leadership of Dominic De Simone  in Philadelphia as finance co-chair, alongside real estate finance practice group leaders Siobhan O’Donnell in Los Angeles and Thomas Hauser in Baltimore. Finance specialist De Simone is experienced in representing real estate purchasers, sellers, and developers and routinely advises on balance sheet and CMBS loan originations, and construction loans. Hauser has expertise in the purchase, sale, and financing of office and multifamily complexes, senior living facilities, and student housing. CMBS loan originations and bridge lending form a key pillar of commercial real estate finance expert O’Donnell’s practice. Ashley DeLuca specializes in the development of commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Maulin Vidwans, Chrissey Barba, Jennifer Santangelo in Philadelphia and Joseph W. Weill in New Jersey are other key lawyers to note.  

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 5

Ballard Spahr LLP remains active in numerous high-profile antitrust matters across the country, including MDLs, unlawful bundling, and conspiracy claims. The team is also experienced in criminal antitrust cases and is currently managing multiple DOJ and state investigations. The practice is led by Jason Leckerman, who has defended numerous companies in public and private class-action lawsuits. Stephen Kastenberg is a seasoned litigator with a record of success in trials, arbitrations, summary judgments, and appellate cases. Edward Rogers offers specialized expertise in real estate and construction matters, while New York-based James Mitchell focuses on securities. All attorneys are based in Pennsylvania unless otherwise noted.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 5

Ballard Spahr LLP provides counsel across a spectrum of white-collar criminal matters, including financial fraud, tax violations, public corruption, and commodities fraud. Henry E. Hockeimer , who heads the team, is particularly recognized for his work in securities fraud litigation. Peter Hardy  focuses his practice on money laundering and regulatory compliance. David Axelrod , noted for his experience handling disputes before the SEC and DOJ, represents broker-dealers, cryptocurrency issuers, and investment advisors. Marjorie Peerce, Michael Robotti, and Celia Cohen are key team members based in New York. Peerce specializes in regulatory and criminal investigations, including bribery, cryptocurrency, and hacking. Robotti focuses on complex litigation involving FCPA violations, money laundering, and corporate misconduct. Cohen is a litigator and adviser who represents financial institutions and corporate clients in white-collar defense, regulatory compliance, internal and government investigations, and related civil actions. Unless stated otherwise, all attorneys are based in Philadelphia.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 5

Led from its Philadelphia headquarters by David Axelrod and with a team in Wilmington focused on handling matters before the Delaware Chancery Court, Ballard Spahr LLP is well-placed to represent companies and their officers and directors on every type of securities and corporate governance claim – from derivative actions and regulatory or internal investigations to special committee representations and significant shareholder class actions. Benefiting from a strong track record in private practice as well as during his time at the SEC and before that as a federal prosecutor, Axelrod has a rounded practice that sees him regularly engaged in both securities private class actions as well as in the context of government-initiated enforcement actions. As part of Norman Goldberger‘s multi-faceted offering, he regularly handles securities-related matters, including defending issuers in relation to rule 10-b 5 and Section 11 claims. Wilmington-based David Margules is also a key member of the team, particularly in the context of handling Delaware-related business disputes, including corporate governance and fiduciary duty matters.