John J. Soroko [ Chairman ]
Duane Morris LLP
30 South 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4196
USA
Phone: 215.979.1124
Fax: 215.979.1020
Email:
Soroko@duanemorris.com
John J. Soroko is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Duane Morris. Mr. Soroko practices in the area of litigation, with particular emphasis on general business, corporate and securities matters, including the defense of securities and other class actions. He also practices in the areas of professional liability and real estate and probate litigation.
Among many significant matters that Mr. Soroko has handled in his career, on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, was his representation in 2006 of Pennsylvania judges before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in which he secured a ruling that invalidated as unconstitutional legislation which had repealed a prior increase in judicial salaries.
Mr. Soroko is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business as a "Leader in Pennsylvania" and one of the leading lawyers in Pennsylvania in the areas of both general commercial litigation and securities litigation. He also is listed as a SuperLawyer in the area of commercial litigation by Law & Politics and Philadelphia magazines. Mr. Soroko was cited this year as one of the nation's "Top 500 Leading Lawyers" by Lawdragon magazine, which has also ranked him among the nation's "Top 500 Leading Litigators."
Mr. Soroko was a member of the transition team for current Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett.
Mr. Soroko is a 1977 graduate of New York University School of Law and a 1973 graduate of Haverford College.
Areas Of Practice
- General business, corporate and securities litigation practice, including the defense of securities and other class actions; representation of financial underwriters, brokerage firms, banks, other financial institutions, and attorneys. Real estate and probate litigation.
Professional Activities
- Master, University of Pennsylvania Law School Inn of Court
- Arbitrator, Philadelphia Stock Exchange (Panel Chairman)
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Section of Litigation - Pennsylvania Bar Association
-Appointee, Task Force on the Multijurisdictional Practice of Law - Philadelphia Bar Association
- Corporate Law and Securities Regulation Committee
-- Securities Regulation Subcommittee
- Federal Courts Committee
- Appellate Courts Committee - The Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies
- Co-Founder and Chairman, Philadelphia Lawyers' Chapter
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Circuits
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Court-Appointed Mediator - Practice before all federal and state trial and appellate courts, and arbitration hearings before the International Chamber of Commerce, the Commonwealth (Pennsylvania) Board of Claims, American Arbitration Association (including Construction Industry arbitrations) and various stock exchanges
Education
- Harvard Business School, Leading Professional Service Firms Program, 2007
- New York University School of Law, J.D., 1977
- Haverford College, A.B., 1973
Experience
- Duane Morris LLP
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 2008-present
- Vice Chair, 2005-2008
- Chair, Trial Practice Group, 2002-2008
- Member, Partners Board, 1996-present
- Partner, 1985-present
- Associate, 1977-1984
Civic and Charitable Activities
- The Legal Intelligencer
- Editorial Board Member - The Commonwealth Foundation
- Treasurer and Director - The Pennsylvania Society
- Member
Honors and Awards
- Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2006-2008 editions
- Named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2005 and 2006
- Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in 2007, and 500 Leading Litigators and 3000 Leading Lawyers in 2006
Selected Publications
- Co-Author, "Deconstructuring the Jury System," The Legal Intelligencer, June 20, 1997
- Author, "Limitations on the Fraud Created the Market Theory in Municipal Securities Markets," Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers Update, Vol. 2 No. 2 (April 1990)
Selected Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, "Best Practices for the Retention and Promotion of Women Lawyers," Philadelphia Bar Association's Women in the Profession Summit, Philadelphia, June 18, 2008
- Speaker, Delaware and Pennsylvania corporate law, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Annual Business Lawyers' Institute, 2006, 2004 and 2003
- Speaker, "Historic and Artistic Preservation Litigation That Kept the 'Dream Garden' Mosaic in Place," American Bar Association Environment, Energy and Resources Section 75th Anniversary Reception, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 31, 2002
- Panelist, Annual Chancellor's CLE Program, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, March 27, 2001 on Bush v. Gore
- Speaker, "Franchisee Class Actions," American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section Spring Meeting, Washington, D.C., April 1, 1998
- Speaker, "Leadership Breakfast," The Annual Convention of the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies, Washington D.C., 1994 and 1995
- Lecturer, "Opinion Letters in Securities Offerings," Philadelphia Bar Association Professional Education Committee Lecture Series, December 1990
- Lecturer and Author, "Considerations in the Defense of Counsel Involved in the Issuance of Municipal Bonds," Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers Annual Meeting (and Course Materials), May 1990
- Lecturer and Author, "The Liability of Securities Lawyers Under Section 12 of the 1933 Act - Pinter v. Dahl," Committee on Securities Regulation, Philadelphia Bar Association, and with article appearing at The Philadelphia Lawyer, Vol. 23, No. 1 (December 1989)
- Lecturer, "Directors and Officers Liability Insurance," Pennsylvania Bar Institute Seminar on Commercial Insurance Coverage Litigation, 1988
- Lecturer, "AIA Documents Seminar," American Institute of Architects (Philadelphia Chapter), 1988
- Lecturer, "Legal Aspects of Employment in the Graphic Arts Industry," Moore College of Art, 1988-present
- Lecturer, "Tort Law Developments - 1988," The Dickinson School of Law, Advanced Legal Education Center, March 1988
- Lecturer, "Professional Liability," American Bar Association, Young Lawyers' Division Mid-Winter Meeting, and reported at ABA/BNA Lawyer's Manual on Professional Conduct, Vol. 4, No. 2 (February 17, 1988)
- Lecturer, "Contractor's Relationship with Project Architect/Engineer," General Building Contractor Association, Inc.
- Lecturer, "Claim Documentation and Defense," General Building Contractors Association, Inc.
- Lecturer, "Construction Claims," National Electrical Contractors Association Legal Seminar
- Lecturer, "Franchising Law and Litigation," Dickinson Law Forum, The Dickinson School of Law
- Lecturer, "Legal Malpractice," Pennsylvania Bar Association (Lehigh and Lancaster County Bar Association Loss Prevention Seminars)