Celebrating
125 Years

For 125 years, White and Williams has fostered a culture of camaraderie and collaboration among our attorneys and staff.

We are proud of our history and our values, and we are committed to:

Understanding each of our client’s needs so that we can create customized, creative and effective solutions;
Delivering best-in-class legal representation to each of our clients; and
Creating opportunities for our attorneys and staff to develop both professionally and personally.

1650 Market Street | Suite 1800 | Philadelphia, PA 19103

1899

Thomas Raeburn White begins his career in law as a sole practitioner in the fall of 1899, paving the way for what would become White and Williams LLP. He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

1924

In 1924, White bought all of the common voting stock of the Legal Intelligencer from the heirs of Howard W. Page. The Legal Intelligencer became a daily and the firm continued to do the editorial work for the Legal Intelligencer and the case selection and head notes for the District and County Reports of Pennsylvania under the leadership of Wayland Elsbree.

1925

After a few years of teaching, writing about, and practicing law, White formed a partnership with George G. Parry, William A. Schnader, and Albert S. Maris under the name White, Parry, Schnader and Maris.

1933-1944

In 1933, Mr. Schnader left the firm, and with the addition of a few new attorneys, including a new partner, the name of the firm was changed to White, Maris and Clapp; after which, it became White and Staples. During this time, the firm retained the name of White and Staples until it merged with the firm of Brown and Williams in 1944.

In addition, the relationship with The Legal Intelligencer ended in 1936, when Albert B. Maris resigned all connections with the paper when he was appointed to the federal judiciary.

1940+

During World War II, the associates in the firm were all inducted into the service, and upon their return, were all made partners. These attorneys included Thomas Raeburn White, Jr., his brother W. Wilson White and Bernard V. Lentz, who led a battalion during the Battle of the Bulge where he was awarded the Silver Star Medal and a Purple Heart.

1940 – 1950+

In the late 1940’s, Hugh Scott joined the firm and the new partnership became known as White, Williams and Scott. Subsequently, when Mr. Scott was elected to the United States Senate as a Senator from Pennsylvania, the firm made its last name change and became known as White and Williams.

1950+

Virginia Barton Wallace, former commanding officer in the Army Air Corps in WWII, joins White and Williams as a legal secretary. After two months, she was made an associate.

W. Wilson White served as President Eisenhower’s counsel and authored the legal opinions which supported President Eisenhower’s directing Federal troops to enforce the court order requiring the integration of public schools in Little Rock, AR.

1961

Virginia Barton Wallace is named the first female partner at White and Williams LLP. She was the first female partner of any law firm in the City of Philadelphia.

1978

The firm expands by opening the Cherry Hill, NJ office, allowing us to better serve clients throughout the state and down to the Delaware corridor.

1980+

Jan E. DuBois was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Clifford Scott Green. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 26, 1988, and received commission on July 27, 1988. He assumed senior status on April 15, 2002.

In 1989, the firm opened its office in the Lehigh Valley, the third largest metropolitan area in the state.

1990

The firm’s main location became 1650 Market Street, One Liberty Place, Philadelphia in 1990, where it continues today.

1994

The firm opens its Wilmington, Delaware office.

1999

White and Williams celebrates its 100th Anniversary.

2000

The firm opens its New York office, located in midtown Manhattan. With the opening of this office, the firm expanded significantly both in the number of lawyers and the diversity of practice areas.

2007

White and Williams begins hosting Coverage College, an annual conference on insurance coverage issues founded by former partner, Gale White. The “college” provides an opportunity for insurance claims professionals to engage in a study of insurance coverage curriculum.

2009

The Boston office opens in the historic Downtown Crossing section of the city.

2013

Patricia Santelle is elected Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee at White and Williams, the first woman in the firm’s history and in the City of Philadelphia to serve in that role at a major law firm.

2014

White and Williams expands to Newark, NJ – the gateway between Philadelphia and New York. Newark is the third-largest insurance center in the United States, enabling White and Williams to better serve one of the firm’s key industries, as well as financial services, healthcare and education.

2015

White and Williams opens an office in Providence, RI. Formerly known as the “Beehive of Industry” for its manufacturing economy, Providence is now nicknamed the “Creative Capital,” situated in the heart of Rhode Island and in close proximity to both Boston and Hartford.

2021

The Stamford, CT office opens which helps to further align the firm with the financial services, insurance and real estate industries headquartered in the region.

2022

Pike and Gilliss, a firm focused on fidelity, construction, insurance, creditors’ rights, and commercial litigation joins White and Williams, which helps to expand the firm’s geographic reach into the Mid-Atlantic region.

2024

White and Williams celebrates 125 years in business, having grown to over 200 attorneys proudly serving clients globally.