Drinker Biddle Expands into Texas with Arrival of 23 Lawyers in Dallas

PHILADELPHIA – Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is opening an office in Texas with the arrival of 23 lawyers in Dallas, one of the largest entries into the Dallas legal market in recent years. The office will open on February 1, 2017.

The group of lawyers, all formerly of Sedgwick LLP in Dallas, enhances the firm’s nationally recognized business litigation, products liability, class action, and insurance teams. The expansion marks the firm’s 12th office and is a milestone in the growth trajectory of Drinker Biddle in the U.S.

The office will be led by nine partners including E. Paul Cauley, Jr., Susan E. Egeland, Travis S. Gamble, Wayne B. Mason, George S. McCall, Dawn S. McCord, W. Neil Rambin, Sondra S. Sylva, and Alan R. Vickery. Mr. Rambin will become the regional partner in charge of the Dallas office.

“Drinker Biddle has a history of strategic growth and expanding into Texas has been an objective for the firm,” said Andrew C. Kassner, Chairman and CEO of Drinker Biddle. “We’re thrilled to open a Dallas office led by a proven team of experienced trial lawyers and litigators who are committed to growing the office. Our new lawyers share the firm’s core values and goals, and immediately support our priorities, including adding best-in-class talent to serve our clients.”

“From the onset of our discussions, we recognized a complementary culture with everyone at Drinker Biddle and a strong commitment to growing the firm in Dallas and Texas,” said Mr. Rambin, regional partner in charge of the Dallas office. “Joining Drinker Biddle alongside my long-time colleagues makes sense on every level and provides our clients with the additional resources of a full-service national firm with a 168-year history of excellence and innovation.”

The new lawyers have a depth of experience in practice areas and industries that align with Drinker Biddle’s core strengths and strategic plan. Their practices include products liability, class actions, insurance coverage, business disputes and commercial litigation, as well as industry sectors of automotive, insurance, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and health care.

“We are fortunate to welcome a group of lawyers who add significant experience to our national litigation practice.” said Michael W. McTigue Jr., Executive Partner and Chair of the Litigation Group. “These additions will enable the firm to continue to serve the needs of our clients and create additional opportunities in Texas and throughout the country.”

With the new office in Dallas, Drinker Biddle now has 12 offices located throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, California and Texas, as well as an office in London. The firm now has more than 635 lawyers.

In total, the new office will open with nine partners, two counsel and 12 associates. Both the firm and incoming team of partners are committed to expanding the capabilities of the office to reflect the firm’s broad range of legal services.

Below are descriptions of Drinker Biddle’s new partners:

• E. Paul Cauley, Jr. serves as lead national and regional counsel for businesses in a variety of high exposure class action, products liability and commercial litigation. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Susan E. Egeland has defended hundreds of cases from inception through resolution by dismissal, settlement or trial. Her litigation experience stretches across numerous industries, including the defense of product manufacturers, corporations, insurance companies, financing institutions, premises owners, and individuals in product liability and business litigation. She joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Travis S. Gamble represents clients in complex civil litigation, with a focus on personal injury, products liability, construction and traffic control litigation, as well as motor carrier and premises liability cases. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Wayne B. Mason is a veteran trial attorney who regularly defends national and international clients in diverse litigation matters around the country. He has significant experience in a range of complex litigation matters, with a focus on class action litigation. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• George S. McCall has more than 37 years of experience representing clients in commercial insurance litigation, insurance coverage disputes, extra-contractual claims, disputes between primary and excess insurance companies, disputes between insurance and reinsurance companies, and other complex insurance litigation matters. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Dawn S. McCord represents companies in state and federal courts throughout the country in high-stakes mass tort, class action and multi-district litigation, and complex commercial and business litigation matters. She has defended clients in arbitrations and trials in Texas, California, the District of Columbia, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. She joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• W. Neil Rambin has more than three decades of experience representing clients in complex commercial insurance litigation, insurance coverage disputes, extra-contractual claims and disputes between insurance and reinsurance companies. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Sondra S. Sylva advises clients in matters involving casualty coverage, commercial insurance litigation, bad faith, property coverage, environmental coverage, marine coverage, and reinsurance. She joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Litigation Group.
• Alan R. Vickery provides counsel to large pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. He focuses on complex litigation and serves as state, regional and national counsel in mass tort litigation. He joins Drinker Biddle as a member of the Products Liability and Mass Tort Group.

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is a national law firm with more than 635 lawyers. The firm provides client service in corporate and securities, litigation, government and regulatory affairs, health care, products liability, corporate restructuring, investment management, labor and employment, life insurance and annuities, intellectual property, employee benefits and executive compensation, environment and energy, white collar defense and corporate investigations, trust and estates, and real estate.