Robert L. Pratter
Of Counsel
Duane Morris LLP
30 South 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4196
USA
Phone: +1 215 979 1173
Fax: +1 215 754 4845
Email:
RPratter@duanemorris.com
Robert L. Pratter concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, insurance regulatory and transactional matters and other state and federal administrative issues. As a former general counsel of a public company, Mr. Pratter is also well-versed in securities law, corporate governance, business ethics and internal investigations. He has also handled numerous complex commercial disputes, including federal securities class actions; bankruptcy and business reorganization; professional liability; and general business litigation.
Mr. Pratter began his legal career at Duane Morris in 1969, practicing at the firm for 30 years. He headed its Administrative Law practice and served on the firmwide Partners Board before departing in 1999 to become senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of insurance holding company PMA Capital Corporation. In 2008, after guiding PMA through the process of becoming a publicly held company and providing counsel during the company's expansion, he joined the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel as its executive deputy general counsel for litigation. From July 2008 to July 2011, Mr. Pratter oversaw litigation conducted by the 29 Commonwealth executive agencies and personally represented the Commonwealth in major litigation involving insurance health care reform, prevailing wage enforcement, civil rights and natural resources.
Throughout his legal career and particularly during his Commonwealth service, Mr. Pratter has participated in numerous legislative and regulatory reforms and drafting projects and litigation relating to such legislation.
Mr. Pratter also served as Pennsylvania's acting insurance commissioner from August 2010 to January 2011. In this role, he led Pennsylvania's initial regulatory response to the federal health care law and worked with insurance commissioners across the nation to complete a $100 million settlement of a multi-state investigation into AIG's compliance with workers' compensation premium reporting rules.
Mr. Pratter is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University. He is a member of the University of Pennsylvania Inn of Court.
Professional Activities
- American Law Institute
- American Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- University of Pennsylvania Inn of Court
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of the United States
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1969
- Yale University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1966
Experience
- Duane Morris LLP
- Of Counsel, 2011-present
- Partner, 1976-1999
- Associate, 1969-1976 - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of the General Counsel
- Executive Deputy General Counsel - Litigation, 2008-2011
- Acting Insurance Commissioner, August 2010-January 2011 - PMA Capital Corporation
- General Counsel, Senior Vice President and Secretary, 1999-2007
Selected Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, "Federal Campaign Finance Law Post Citizens United," University of Pennsylvania Inn of Court, February 2012









