Feldman to Outline Agenda for 2006 As He Becomes Bar's 79Th Chancellor
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® December 2005 The Monthly Newspaper of the Philadelphia Bar Association Vol. 34, No. 12 Feldman to Outline Agenda for 2006 as He Becomes Bar’s 79th Chancellor by Daniel A. Cirucci Election Guide How do you get from 60th and Pine in West Philly to an elegant high-rise Featured Inside! • Meet the candidates for Bar offices in the office in your own firm overlooking Dec. 6 election. Page 10 Rittenhouse Square? Ask Alan M. Feld- • Order tickets for the Annual Meeting man, the Philadelphia Bar Association’s online at philadelphiabar.org 79th Chancellor, and he’ll invariably reply, “I’ve been very lucky,” and pro- ceed to attribute his success to others. entrepreneur was born: it wasn’t long Yet those who know him well would before AMF (operated by Feldman and say that Feldman has made his own his brother Elliott, now a partner at Co- luck through hard work, an entrepre- zen O’Connor) was filing and serving neurial spirit and a passionate commit- subpoenas for more than 40 law firms. ment to the profession he loves. As a budding businessman, Feldman A product of Philadelphia’s public was the guy at Temple who always schools, Feldman graduated from Cen- wore a tie and jacket, rushing from tral High School, a proud member of classes to meet with his lawyer-clients its 228th class and vice president of the every day. Student Association. Recognizing that Graduating magna cum laude from he would need to remain local as he Temple in 1973, he already knew exact- worked his way through college, Feld- ly what he wanted to do: he wanted to man gained admittance to Temple Uni- be a trial lawyer. The university’s law versity’s first Honors Program. Having school was a natural next step and fol- toiled at his uncle’s luncheonette from lowing graduation in 1976, Feldman 7th grade through high school and clerked for the legendary Judge Stanley therefore no stranger to hard work, he M. Greenberg. He then joined the firm found employment with a Center City of Raynes, McCarty as an associate, law firm, filing legal papers at City Hall beginning his career in civil litigation. and functioning as an all-around gofer. Feldman founded his own firm in 1987, To pay his tuition, he founded AMF now known as Feldman, Shepherd, Photo by Londa Salamon Associates, a legal filing business. An continued on page 14 Alan M. Feldman Former Chancellor Beaser to Receive Honor In This Issue ... by Jeff Lyons is presented annually by the Ass- named the recipient of this year’s 3 BPT Testimony ociation to an individual who Wachovia Fidelity Award. I feel 5 2006 Bar Budget Former Chancellor Lawrence J. has made significant accomplish- very privileged and grateful that Beaser, a partner with Blank ments in improving the adminis- my work for pro bono causes is 7 LRIS Offer to Vets Rome LLP, will be honored with tration of justice. being recognized by my collea- the Association’s Wachovia Fidel- Beaser served as Chancellor in gues in the Philadelphia Bar Ass- 10 Election Guide ity Award at the Dec. 6 Annual 1994 and currently serves on the ociation,” said Beaser. Meeting Luncheon. Board of Governors as counsel. Scott F. Cooper, a partner of 18 Hamilton Ball The Wachovia Fidelity Award “I am very honored to be continued on page 16 Beaser KNIPES-COHEN COURT REPORTING Celebrating 40 Years of Service to the Legal 215-928-9300 Com umunity. ROBERT COHEN, PRESIDENT COURT REPORTING • VIDEOGRAPHY • VIDEOCONFERENCING 400 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (P) 800-544-9800 • www.knipescohen.com • (F) 215-627-0555 PHILADELPHIA 2 DECEMBER2005 / BAR REPORTER A Year of Living and Learning From Others by Andrew A. Chirls that are designed to let other people meeting this year with some Polish Su- have their say. Processes that are de- preme Court justices and a leading At the beginning of my career, as a FRONTLINE signed to avoid “top down” decisions Polish scholar. Before and since that young associate at a large firm, I took so that all who want to participate will meeting, I have read about how the my lead from several mentors includ- know that they have had their say and Polish courts are considered to be ing former Chancellor Bernard Borish. been heard. Sometimes, adherence to troubled and dysfunctional. And a Like all good partners, Bernie Borish the process means that the leader leading Polish legal scholar and advo- was a good teacher as well — a tough doesn’t get his or her way. But the cate said to me, “What we lack is a fun- teacher. He was also meticulous. Still, I institution is stronger when the next damental institution that enables the think he understood that we would leader comes in. And when the leaders courts to function in a civic society. make mistakes. So, at some point after do something dopey, the institution is An institution that defends the role of we had spent the day scrambling to more likely to be supportive. independent courts, criticizes courts recover from what seemed like a And then there are the informal when they’re not doing their job, and potential disaster brought about by ly articulated concerns of lawyers who processes. Listening to others. Testing speaks out to persuade the rest of soci- what might have been a mistake, he want to pursue their careers, care for out ideas before you put them into ety to support the courts. We lack what would say, “What have we learned?” their families and do so on a flex-time action. Talking to the people who you have: A mature and independent Once we identified a lesson, he would basis. might be affected by your policies so bar association.” often say, “Live and learn. But learn!” The nicest outgrowth of my mis- they can have a chance to try to adjust Just think! “A mature and indepen- I have a few things to be pleased takes in the dog days of summer was your thinking or your actions. dent bar association... a cornerstone of about as I reflect on my months as that people came forward to support These approaches don’t apply only civic society.” We have that role be- Chancellor. But I also made mistakes. I me. To teach me where I went wrong to bar association management. Look cause we defend, support and criticize suppose it is inevitable that anyone and give me a chance to take the time at how they can — and often do — the courts. And the courts are better who is in the press as much as an to do what was right. And from my apply to our courts. Of course, the ad- because they have us as defenders, active Chancellor will come up with own best friends, I took criticism and I versarial process is an elaborate set of supporters and critics. something dopey to say in the course accepted it as constructive. guarantees designed to make sure par- I felt that I was a better Chancellor of a year. I would like to live the rest of What I learned when I scrambled to ties are heard before decisions are because when I made my mistakes, my my life without mistakes. But as Mel recover from a mistake was something made. But there is also the business of continued on page 16 Brooks said, “As long as the world is I had read about in Political Science deciding how courts actually go about turning and spinning, we’re gonna be 101 and management textbooks: inclu- their business — how they are struc- dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.” sion. We have processes in our associa- tured and run. I made my biggest one when I so poor- tion — and in much of our public life — On this topic, I had a wonderful Editor-in-Chief Feldman Testifies Against Business Privilege Tax Molly Peckman, Esq. Associate Editors Chancellor-Elect Alan M. Feldman encouraging sign that additional Coun- and we certainly support the eventual Sunah Park, Esq. tesitified before Philadelphia City cil members have joined to co-sponsor elimination of the Business Privilege Lawrence S. Felzer, Esq. Council on Nov. 17 regarding the re- other bills that will make cuts to the Tax. Heather J. Holloway, Esq. Stacey Z. Jumper, Esq. duction and eventual elimination of Business Privilege Tax in the coming Studies have time and again shown Asima Panigrahi, Esq. the Business Privilege Tax. After the years. that the city’s tax structure is one of the testimony of Feldman and others, City It seems that we have turned a cor- principal reasons why businesses leave Contributing Editor Council gave preliminary approval to ner and I hope that – going forward – Philadelphia, do not expand here, or Richard Max Bockol, Esq. the plan. The following is the text of discussions can focus on how we can never locate here. These studies are Advisory Editors Feldman’s testimony: phase out the Business Privilege Tax confirmed by our own experience as Bruce H. Bikin, Esq. First of all, I want to thank the City rather than if we need to phase out the well as those of our clients. In dealings Merih O. Erhan, Esq. Council for this opportunity to testify tax. with business clients in the region law- Marc W. Reuben, Esq. on tax reform. I also want to commend So on behalf of the 13,000 members yers have repeatedly heard businesses Director of Publications and New Media City Council for passing legislation cut- of the Philadelphia Bar Association I express their concerns with the city’s Mark A.