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Saxton & Stump acquires Lancaster law firm

Saxton & Stump will acquire Kegel Kelin Litts & Lord LLP (KKLL) on Jan. 1

James W. Saxton – File

Lancaster-based Saxton & Stump said the move is a part of its strategic plan to deepen the resources available to clients and the attorneys from Lancaster’s KKLL will allow the firm to offer legal services in education law and public finance.

KKLL has long been recognized as an industry leader in both areas, gaining a reputation for innovation and major successes throughout the state, Saxton & Stump said.

“We’re excited to welcome the attorneys of KKLL, who have built impressive practices and achieved so much for their clients,” Saxton & Stump CEO James W. Saxton said. “It is a great cultural fit for both firms — each new team member will have an impact in many of our key practice areas, and we’re looking forward to adding services for the education sector and public finance clients.”

All six lawyers are joining Saxton & Stump and they will continue providing the public sector services as well as litigation, trusts and estates, labor and employment, and corporate services to private sector businesses and individuals.

Saxton said four of the attorneys will join as shareholders, with one coming to the firm as senior counsel and another as associate. Two paralegals from the former firm will also join Saxton & Stump.

“Saxton & Stump’s impeccable reputation, world-class sophistication, and resources are ideal for our clients’ needs,” said KLL Managing Partner Jason T. Confair. “We are ecstatic about joining the Saxton & Stump team and are certain our clients will be as well.”

Hon. Margaret Seymour joins Saxton & Stump Charleston office

Hon. Margaret Seymour

Lancaster-based Saxton & Stump announced that the Hon. Margaret Seymour has joined the firm in its Charleston office.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton nominated Judge Seymour to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She became the first African American woman to be named a U.S. District Court Judge in that state.

In 2012 she became the first African American named chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Seymour, who retired from the bench on Aug. 31, will now join Saxton & Stump to offer her services as a mediator and arbitrator, as well as providing support to the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Title IX and Labor and Employment groups, putting to use her decades of legal experience both from behind and in front of the bench to help clients navigate complex legal issues.

“We are thrilled to deepen our team in Charleston by adding Judge Seymour, who is one of the luminaries of the South Carolina legal community,” said Saxton & Stump CEO James Saxton. “We strive to grow by delivering the highest quality of services possible to our clients, and someone as deeply connected to South Carolina as Judge Seymour will help us uphold that standard.”

Seymour’s career began in Washington, D.C., where she worked as an equal opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare from 1972 to 1979 while earning her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, in 1977.

After serving in the same position at the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, she began her law career as an attorney for the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education from 1980 to 1988. After a short stint in private practice, she returned to public sector work as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina from 1990 to 1996. Twice during that time, she was named the interim U.S. attorney for the district.

In 1996, Seymour was named as a United States Magistrate Judge in South Carolina. In 1998, she ultimately served as chief judge and later took senior status.

Seymour will also be part of Optimal Dispute Resolutions, a Saxton & Stump partner company that works with parties who are pursuing alternative dispute resolutions to avoid a lengthy and costly court trial. The company is led by the Hon. Lawrence F. Stengel (Ret.) who leads a team of neutrals who handle both general and niche-specific matters. Seymour will add her experience specifically to handling disputes involving class actions, complex civil litigation, employment and commercial disputes, Saxton & Stump said.

Saxton & Stump acquires firm, expands transportation services

Saxton & Stump has acquired Marcello & Kivisto, a firm focused on serving the trucking and transportation industry.

Douglas Marcello

Attorneys Douglas Marcello, Alyssa Adams, Tiffany Peters, and paralegal Lori Arnsparger have joined Saxton & Stump’s trucking and commercial transportation group in the Harrisburg office. Marcello will be an equity shareholder at Saxton & Stump. Adams and Peters will be associates.

“We’re very excited to welcome Doug and his team, as we continue to develop our established practice areas, many of which are serving national and international clients,” Saxton & Stump CEO James Saxton said. “Doug, Alyssa, Tiffany and Lori all have a tremendous commitment to their clients that fits so well with our trucking and commercial transportation team here, led by Mike Traxler.”

Marcello has represented the interests of the trucking industry for decades, beginning as a trucking defense attorney at Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP before co-founding his firm in 2005.

A graduate of the Dickinson School of Law, Marcello is immersed in the trucking industry, earning his commercial driver’s license (CDL). Marcello is the lone attorney on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association and has taken on various leadership roles during his time on the board and as a member of the association.

He also is a member of several other state trucking associations and the American Trucking Association Safety Council. In 2018, ATA awarded Marcello the Leadership Award for his work on the safety council.

“Being part of Saxton & Stump was an easy choice for us. Their dedication to the industry, client-centric culture and infrastructure make it a perfect fit,” Marcello said. “We’re happy to have access to a team that will help us focus even more on our clients.”

The addition of the three attorneys will double the group at a time when the region has seen a rise in major retailers investing in warehouse and logistics centers throughout central Pennsylvania.

This investment highlights the importance of the services the team handles for clients from defending accident claims to assisting with labor and employment concerns, risk mitigation, and mergers acquisitions, all of which support one of the most important industries in the region and for commerce across the country, Saxton & Stump said.

Saxton & Stump complete merger with South Carolina firm

Lancaster-based Saxton & Stump has completed its merger with Charleston, S.C.-based law firm Spitz & Neville.

The five Spitz & Neville attorneys will remain at the Charleston office which is now Saxton & Stump’s South Carolina.

James W. Saxton – File

Spitz & Neville continued doing business under its old name after the partnership was announced in June 2021. Throughout the last year of transition, the office has continued integrating technical infrastructure and making significant hires, including Elizabeth Palmer as a shareholder, Jacqueline Egan as a senior counsel and Eli Lachenman as an associate.

“We’re extremely pleased to be able to officially bring the Saxton & Stump name to South Carolina,” Saxton & Stump CEO James W. Saxton said. “It is an important step in our strategic plans for our firm to bring our full platform to South Carolina. We are honored to build on Steve Spitz and Ryan Neville’s excellent foundation through the addition of Beth Palmer and we look forward to the opportunities we can create for clients together.”

The merged firms will provide mergers and acquisitions, employee benefits and executive compensation, information privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property, internal investigations, attorney and judicial ethics and discipline, white collar defense, and federal tax law, the company said.

In addition to the legal services, the former firm’s clients have access to comprehensive professional services through Saxton & Stump’s affiliate companies including Granite GRC Consulting, Granite HR Consulting, Granite Creative Group, and Optimal Dispute Resolutions.

Sara Arndt Fills Newly Created Role at Saxton & Stump

Sara Arndt stepped into her new role as director of success at Saxton & Stump, a full-service law firm, Jan. 3. Arndt will focus on recruiting attorneys and assisting them with their integration into the firm, which has offices in Lancaster, Harrisburg, Malvern and Charleston, SC.

James Saxton, the firm’s CEO, said director of success is a newly created executive level position. “We are strategic planners. When our executive team discussed the position, our working title was director of success. The title stuck, because it’s really about helping the attorneys making a lateral move integrate into the firm and helping them grow their practice and be successful.”

Arndt previously worked for a Fortune 500 company, The Hershey Company, for over 15 years in various roles overseeing client service and project management. “At The Hershey Company I worked in a variety of roles in different departments. Most recently I was with the legal department,” she said.

In her role as legal operations manager, she worked closely with The Hershey Company’s general counsel and legal leadership team to define and implement strategic priorities, special projects, technology capabilities and managed all aspects of the department’s budget and financial analysis.

She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College. She earned her degree as an adult from the college’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies. She said she had children when she was younger and so could not follow the traditional path of completing a college degree right after high school. “E-town’s program is flexible and it provides value,” Arndt said, “I was able to apply what I was learning in my classes to work situations at The Hershey Company. Everyone has a different journey in their career.”

Saxton said Arndt’s previous work with The Hershey Company’s various departments, including the legal department, and the fact that she is a Sigma {Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt} make her a great fit for the firm and its culture. According to the Council for Six Sigma Certification website, a “certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt is an individual that possesses a thorough understanding of enhanced problem-solving skills, with an emphasis on the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) model”.

Saxton & Stump was launched in 2015 by a group of lawyers from the firm of Stevens & Lee. “We’re strategic planners. We took the strategies we learned in the healthcare department at Stevens & Lee and put that into action at our new firm,” Saxton said.

He said over the last six years Saxton & Stump has grown exponentially; the firm now has 140 professionals including 75 attorneys in 22 practice groups. There are also eight affiliated businesses including Granite Creative, which provides digital and traditional marketing services to small- to medium-sized businesses; Granite HR Consulting and Optimal Dispute Resolutions, led by retired federal judge Lawrence F. Stengel. “Sometimes our clients need a lawyer; sometimes they need a consultant in another area. Our affiliated companies can fill that need,” Saxton said.

Granite HR Consulting announces new leadership, strategic direction

Granite HR Consulting announced new branding, a new website and a new era led by Managing Director Kristen Evans.

The business was founded in 2018 by Manheim Township-based law firm Saxton & Stump to provide complimentary human resources solutions to clients. Evans will leverage her experience as an HR executive to provide strategic business consulting and HR services to companies of all sizes.

“With Kristen’s leadership and knowledge at the helm, we’re excited to see what Granite HR can do for clients,” said Saxton & Stump CEO James Saxton. “In the short time since Kristen joined the firm, her team has already begun delivering beyond client expectations through strategic, business-savvy HR services.”

Under Evans’ leadership, Granite HR Consulting will take a hands-on approach to delivering strategic, tactical and operational services, the company said. Evans, a company news release said, will bring a renewed focus on connecting the firm’s services with clients’ big picture strategies.

Evans has more than 15 years of experience as an HR executive and has the ability to assess organizational needs, set strategic direction and implement initiatives to enhance company performance.

Evans recently served as vice president of human resources at PACE Resources Inc. in York. She led a comprehensive talent management strategy for a diverse workforce and was actively involved with strategic planning, programming development, business succession planning, mergers and acquisitions and restructuring. Evans also previously led the HR functions in the higher education, real estate development and professional services industries.

Granite HR Consulting has offices in Harrisburg, Lancaster and Malvern.

Former Pa DAG Morris to lead Saxton & Stump’s new white collar practice

Carson Morris. PHOTO PROVIDED.

Lancaster law firm Saxton & Stump is launching a new white collar defense practice after hiring former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General, Carson Morris.

Morris, who previously served under Attorney General Josh Shapiro, joins the new practice alongside Lawrence Stengel, former Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Robert Graci, former Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge and former Assistant Executive Deputy Attorney General.

The white collar defense team will represent businesses, municipalities and individuals facing criminal or regulatory investigations, legislative inquiries, whistleblower accusations and more, and will work alongside the firm’s internal investigations and regulatory and government affairs attorneys.

James Saxton, CEO of Saxton & Stump, said that Morris brings a wealth of experience to the team as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

“His exceptional knowledge and talent makes him the perfect fit to lead our white collar practice, which includes two former judges and a team of attorneys with significant courtroom experience as prosecutors, public defenders and litigators,” Saxton said.

Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office in 2017, Morris was a trial and appellate attorney at Philadelphia-based law firms Cedrone and Mancano LLC, and McMonagle, Perri, McHugh & Mischak.

Saxton & Stump recruits 2 attorneys, 2 paralegals for intellectual property team

Law firm Saxton & Stump is doubling its core intellectual property team with two new registered patent attorneys, Andrew L. Oltmans and Meghan A. Van Leeuwen, bringing a combined 40 years of experience to the Lancaster-based firm’s two-year-old intellectual property practice.

From left to right: Andrew L. Oltmans, Meghan A. Van Leeuwen

Paralegals Jean Leisher and Tracy L. Finkenbinder also joined the intellectual property practice after departing their positions at Harrisburg’s McNees Wallace & Nurick, where they served as a legal secretary and legal assistant, respectively.

“With now four registered patent attorneys and two support professionals, Saxton & Stump is well equipped to help businesses across all industries as they seek to turn their ideas into financial assets to strategically position their companies for the future,” said CEO James W. Saxton in a statement released Thursday by the Lancaster-based firm.

From left to right: Jean Leisher Tracy L. Finkenbinder

Oltmans brings more than 20 years of experience in patent strategy, prosecution of patent applications, patent appeals and post-issuance procedures due to his experience at the country’s top federal agency for granting U.S. patents — the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where he served as patent examiner and primary examiner.

According to a statement released by Saxton & Stump Thursday, Oltmans is the second shareholder to move to the firm’s intellectual property team after departing McNees Wallace & Nurick; attorney Bruce J. Wolstoncroft joined Saxton & Stump in 2018 after departing McNees to lead the intellectual property practice.

Van Leeuwen will bring her background in the preparation, prosecution and licensing of trademarks and patents, having graduated from Cornell Law School. After graduating cum laude from Cornell Law School, Van Leeuwen joined Ithaca, New York-based firm Brown & Michaels as a patent attorney and worked there for 18 years before joining Saxton & Stump.

With a bachelor of science degree in molecular genetics from University of Rochester, with magna cum laude honors, Van Leeuwen has focused on biotechnology, chemical, electronic and mechanical arts in her practice.

Saxton & Stump has added 15 attorneys and seven professionals in 2020, along with forming five new practice areas, which the firm said is part of an ongoing strategic plan to expand its service offerings to address complex legal issues of the day, according to a Thursday announcement from the firm.

Saxton & Stump recruits 3 local attorneys for new commercial transport practice

From left to right: Kimberly Selemba, Lane Brody, Michael Traxler – PHOTO/PROVIDED

Saxton & Stump has launched a Trucking and Commercial Transportation practice based in its Harrisburg office as part of the firm’s strategic growth plan.

This is the fourth practice area established at the firm in 2020, resulting in the recruitment of nine attorneys and six professionals since the beginning of the year to staff the newly-formed practices of Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights, Information Privacy and Cybersecurity, Regulatory and Government Affairs and most recently Trucking and Commercial Transportation.

CEO James W. Saxton said in a statement released this week that the firm plans to add seven to 10 more attorneys this year “who are client-focused, innovative and leaders in their fields.”

The firm said its Trucking and Commercial Transportation team represents motor carriers, insurance carriers, freight forwarders, shippers, railroads and transportation brokers in matters relating to regulatory compliance and labor and employment accident investigations.

Saxton said the new practice responds to a growing need among its client base.

“We are listening to our clients as they reinvent themselves, reevaluate their strategic goals and develop new roadmaps for success,” Saxton said. “One example is the trucking and commercial transportation industry which is essential and the backbone for many other major industries.”

The team is comprised of three attorneys newly recruited to work out of the firm’s Harrisburg office: group shareholder and chair Michael E. Traxler and senior counsels Lane E. Brody and Kimberly A. Selemba.

Traxler, a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Construction Law Groups, has 20 years of experience serving the legal needs of companies in trucking and construction. Brody for 15 years has represented clients in civil litigation matters including general liability and subrogation. Both previously worked at the Harrisburg-based firm Reager and Adler.

Selemba is an attorney for liquor licensing and alcohol law, having represented beverage retailers, distributors, restaurants and entertainment on licensing, permits and compliance as well as enforcement actions and claims resolution. She previously practiced for 15 years as an attorney for McNees Wallace & Nurick in Harrisburg.

Miller chosen to lead Saxton & Stump’s cybersecurity practice

Jeffrey B. Miller. PHOTO/SUBMITTED

A compliance and cybersecurity consultant specialist and attorney has joined Saxton & Stump LLC as a member of its senior counsel and will take charge of its cybersecurity practice.

Jeffrey B. Miller has joined the firm’s Lancaster office after serving clients in his well-established global consulting practice. The practice will now operate through Saxton & Stump’s subsidiary company, Granite Governance, Risk and Compliance Consulting LLC.

Millerwill also lead Saxton & Stump’s newly formed Information Privacy and Cybersecurity practice within the firm’s Corporate Healthcare and Life Sciences Group.

“Jeff is a nationally recognized compliance and regulatory consultant and is also an attorney with significant legal experience in this area,” said James W. Saxton, the law firm’s CEO. “Information privacy and cybersecurity continues to be a critical issue across all industries. Jeff will be an important asset to our client’s businesses.”

Miller has been serving clients for nearly 25 years in transactional, commercial, regulatory and compliance matters. He also provides consulting services involving corruption, fraud and abuse and information privacy and security.

In his legal practice, Miller represents and advises organizations across healthcare and the life sciences industries on information privacy and security matters, corporate ethics and compliance. He is also a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions group.

“For small- to mid-sized business, one data breach could create substantial liability, and significant damage to their reputations,” Miller said. “My passion is working with clients to evaluate their compliance and data security programs to help protect them from risk or guide them in their recovery from a breach.”

Prior to joining Saxton & Stump, Miller held professional and executive-level positions at healthcare and life sciences companies, including Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania, DermOne LLC and Synthes Inc., an international medical device company that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2012 and later joined with DePuy to form The DePuy Synthes Companies.

The Manheim Township-based law firm has made several strategic moves this year, including adding three attorneys and forming a new practice area in bankruptcy and creditors rights. In 2019, Saxton & Stump added 15 attorneys in addition to 15 business professionals and six major practice areas. The firm also grew its geographic footprint, including expanding its Lancaster office by about 30% and tripling the Harrisburg office size.

Law firm opens marketing agency in Lancaster County

Business marketing and communication strategy. (Photo: Getty Images)

A new marketing agency linked to a Lancaster County law firm officially launched this week.

Granite Creative Group, based in Manheim Township, provides digital and traditional marketing services to clients and small- to medium-sized businesses throughout the country.

Its services include marketing strategy, website design, campaign strategy and execution, graphic design, social media, content marketing and video/animation production.

As an offshoot of the full-service law firm Saxton & Stump based in Manheim Township, Granite Creative has assembled a team with backgrounds in both the creative and strategic aspects of the marketing. Several team members have been working together for nearly three years as part of Saxton & Stump’s business and marketing consultants.

“We are pleased to be able to offer marketing services to our current law firm clients and expand those services to businesses nationwide,” said Jenna Wagner, executive director of Granite Creative Group. “The team develops creative strategies to enhance clients’ market visibility and give them a competitive edge to help them reach their business goals.”

A Conversation With: Erik Hume

(Photo: Submitted) –

Q: What legislative and professional development initiatives will you be directing during your term as vice chair of the real property division for the PBA real property, probate and trust law section?

A: The real property division is part of a larger section of the PBA. That group is composed of lawyers who practice primarily in real estate law. I’m vice chair of the real property division, and that’s part of a larger leadership team for the section. I work with the section leadership on initiatives that come out through the year, but my focus is going to be more on the real estate side. This includes everything from monitoring and reviewing legislation that would affect real estate law, as well as educational and professional development opportunities for our members.

Q: With Saxton and Stump, you often lead complex real estate development projects. What are the keys to balancing all the pieces and making these projects successful?

A: A great team that puts forth a collaborative effort is needed for any complex transaction. When you get into something that’s difficult and complex, no one person can do everything. Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed with great colleagues. One of the things at Saxton and Stump is everyone brings a client-focused, can-do attitude; everyone rows in the same direction and we work hard to get deals over the finish line.

Q: Most of the areas in which you practice are closely tied together, but how did you get into corporate health care and life sciences and hospitality as well?

A: Saxton and Stump is a full-service law firm and one of the nice things about having a real estate law practice is pretty much every business, in one way or another, has a real estate need. Even in our digital economy, somebody, somewhere has to address real estate as part of their business. As we’ve expanded over the years, we’ve gone into practice areas that complement each other. As a result, in many of our corporate health care and life sciences transactions there could be a real estate component, where they need somebody to look at zoning or the transfer of a property, and the same goes for hospitality. Based on my experience practicing real estate law, I’m able to work with my colleagues in those areas, and at the same time learn what some of the issues and concerns are that regularly come up in those transactions.

Q: What’s your favorite kind of convenience-store fireworks?

A: Sparklers. Some of my happiest memories, be it from my childhood or with my children growing up, is twirling around with a sparkler on a warm summer night.

About Erik Hume

Erik Hume, 44, was recently elected vice chair of the real property division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s real property, probate and trust law section, where he will serve for the next year. He is a shareholder and chair of the real estate group at Saxton and Stump, and has more than 20 years of experience in law.

Hume earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Lehigh University and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

He lives in Hampden Township with his wife, Karen, and their children, 13-year-old Alex and 12-year-old Katie.

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