One of Harrisburg’s oldest law firms is winding down.
- Five attorneys and a team of administrative professionals from 152-year-old Nauman Smith Shissler & Hall are joining the capital city office of Philadelphia-based Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman, effective Feb. 1.
- The move caps conversations that started in early 2023 between the two firms, said Steven Williams, the Harrisburg-based managing partner of Cohen Seglias.
- “It’s a great fit,” said Williams, who added that he had been seeking a union of the two firms for nearly 15 years. “It was never the right time.”
- Now, though, the move helps with succession planning for Nauman Smith and its clients, Williams said. “It really is a win-win for everybody.”
What’s the fit: The two firms practice in some areas that overlap and others that don’t, Williams said.
- Founded in 1871, Nauman Smith is known for its work on media and right-to-know cases and on railroad law, with landmark cases dating back to the 19th century.
- Cohen Seglias focuses on construction law and government contracting.
- Cohen Seglias also has a broader geographic reach, with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York and Washington, D.C., as well as Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Newark, New Jersey; and Wilmington, Delaware.
- The overlap comes in areas such as general business law, employment law and estate planning/administration, Williams said.
What’s next: The Nauman Smith team will move to the Cohen Seglias office in downtown Harrisburg.
- Nauman Smith attorneys Stephen Feinour and Craig Staudenmaier are joining Cohen Seglias as senior counsel.
- Benjamin Dunlap Jr. and Joshua Bonn are joining as partners, while Nicholas Schwartz is joining as an associate.
- Nauman Smith senior partner Spencer Nauman is retiring at the end of this month, following a career of more than 60 years.
- The additions bring Cohen Seglias to about 90 attorneys, Williams said.
- Williams had been the firm’s only attorney in Harrisburg after one lawyer retired and another moved to the firm’s Pittsburgh office.
