From The Legal Intelligencer: Obermayer Adds Business Lawyers From Chamberlain Hrdlicka, MacElree Harvey

Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel has brought on two new partners in Philadelphia, adding to its commercial litigation, business and finance and public finance practices.

The firm’s latest additions are Matthew Olesh and W. Patrick Scott. Scott was a partner and chairman of the business department at MacElree Harvey, where he practiced law for 22 years. Olesh comes from Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry, where he was senior counsel.

Much of Scott’s work has involved student housing projects, often dealing with public-private partnerships to develop infrastructure. Some schools he has worked with include West Chester University, East Stroudsburg University, Mansfield University and Millersville University.

“It’s a nice niche,” Scott said.

Scott said he’s good friends with David Nasatir, Obermayer’s vice chair and business and finance chair. Nasatir reached out to him saying the firm needed some help with public finance work, and Scott was intrigued by the firm’s larger platform and network.

“It’s going to help me expand my practice,” he said. While he lives in Chester County and has practiced there for most of his career, Scott said he will be part of the Philadelphia office at Obermayer, which does not have a Chester County location, in order to become better integrated in the public finance group.

Obermayer partner Tassos Efstratiades, who chairs the firm’s public finance group and co-chairs the business and finance department, said Scott is part of the firm’s long-term succession plan. “Pat is exactly the kind of attorney we’re targeting—a young superstar,” Efstratiades said in a statement.

The firm’s other new partner, Olesh, was part of the team of lawyers that successfully defended the city of Philadelphia when its beverage tax came under fire, leading to litigation that rose to the state Supreme Court. His other clients include pharmaceutical and insurance companies, he said, including some existing clients of Obermayer.

Before joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka in 2016, Olesh practiced at Fox Rothschild, and Dechert before that. He is happy to be back at a firm “with strong ties to Philadelphia.” At Chamberlain Hrdlicka, he said, collaborating with other practices often required a call across state lines, rather than a walk down the hall.

“Just having a full-service firm here in Philadelphia to offer my clients is a really great thing,” he said.

Reached for comment Thursday, Chamberlain Hrdlicka managing shareholder Wayne Risoli said in an email: “Matt is a fine young lawyer and a great young man.”

MacElree Harvey did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

This content was originally posted in The Legal Intelligencer.