Sam, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is a member of the Firm's Executive Committee and a past chair of the Litigation Department. A commercial litigator, he has tried to verdict a variety of cases; he concentrates on representing global manufacturers of products in litigation and product safety matters. He has litigated disputes about intellectual property, health care, securities, banking and insurance coverage and more. He also has extensive experience representing members of the equestrian sport, including some top equestrians. Sam is committed to pro bono work, capital case representation in particular. His pro bono accomplishments include successful retrials of two separate death-condemned inmates before juries, both cases resulting in unanimous verdicts for the defense. Sam handles cases of all sorts in state and federal courts nationwide, representative areas of his concentration are product liability, intellectual property and equine/sports law. Areas Of Experience Product Liability Sam has litigated matters concerning products as diverse as heavy industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and food supplements and also has tried multiple product liability cases and handled multiple nationwide recalls ranging from automotive parts to recreational products and toys. He has been involved extensively in mass tort product liability litigation. Equine/Sports Law Sam has represented serious equestrians in all manner of disputes concerning their sport and business. · He defended one of the country's top riders in a disciplinary hearing before the governing body of the equestrian sport in the United States; · He defended an international horse trader against fraud and related claims associated with the purchase and sale of horses and the management of horse farm operations; · He has handled multiple matters (some in the courts, others before litigation ensued) stemming from disagreements over the terms and conditions of sales of valuable show horses; · He regularly advises equestrians concerning their business operations and contracts. Intellectual Property Sam has handled a broad array of intellectual property cases involving trademarks, trade secrets and claims of patent infringement. These cases have included: · A dispute between an internationally-known celebrity and her former business partners, whom Sam defended; · The defense of a university professor accused of misappropriating trade secrets from a private company; and · The prosecution of claims on behalf of a manufacturer of a product used by the military against an alleged infringer of that product. Pro Bono and Civil Rights Matters · Sam successfully obtained a full acquittal on murder charges brought against the Firm's pro bono client William J. Barnes. Barnes was charged with causing the death of Philadelphia Police Officer Walter T. Barclay in 2007, 41 years after Barnes had shot and partially paralyzed Barclay. Sam discussed the case on The Michael Smerconish Show, a nationally syndicated news and talk show on Philadelphia's CBS Radio affiliate, 1210 AM WPHT, on May 25. · Sam has challenged himself and others at our Firm by repeatedly leading teams of trial lawyers in successful attacks on death sentences. Twice, these teams have persuaded courts to vacate death sentences imposed by juries and to grant retrials, and in both cases, with Sam as lead trial counsel, these teams have obtained unanimous verdicts in favor of our clients when they have gone before new juries. · In addition, for more than a decade Sam has been a coordinator of the Prisoner Civil Rights Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and, at the request of the court, Sam participated in the Third Circuit's Task Force on Counsel for Indigent Litigants in Civil Cases. · Sam discussed his experiences in capital cases on "One on One with Steve Adubato" on CN8, The Comcast Network. Community Activities · Public Interest Civil Litigation Fund (a nonprofit entity that provides funding to attorneys for handling court-appointed cases for indigent litigants), officer · Sam coached youth recreational and travel soccer teams for several years. Professional Affiliations · Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Board of Directors, member Other Distinctions · Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell® · Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, 2009-2012 · Noted as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" for civil litigation defense, 2004-2011 · Co-recipient of the Philadelphia Bar Association's annual Wachovia Fidelity Award, for improving the administration of justice and the profession - 2006 · Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award - 2006 · Recognized for pro bono work by the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association - 2001 · Earl G. Harrison Pro Bono Award - 2000 · Selected as one of Pennsylvania's "Lawyers on the Fast Track" by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly - 2003. This honor was conferred upon 29 of Pennsylvania's lawyers under 40 years of age as a result of a statewide nomination process. News 01/11/2012, Sam Silver Mentioned in Recent Article on William J. Barnes 09/19/2011, Sixty-Eight Schnader Attorneys Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell® 09/01/2011, Thirty Schnader Attorneys Recognized as "The Best Lawyers in America" for 2012 08/25/2011, Firm Obtains a Significant Victory in Gates v. Rohm & Haas 05/27/2011, Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2011 05/02/2011, Schnader Attorneys Featured in an Article About Dismissal of Brain Cancer Cluster Case Brought Against Schnader's Client Rohm and Haas Co. 11/30/2010, The Schnader Team Representing William Barnes Featured in Several Articles Detailing His Request for Parole 08/04/2010, Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Recognized as "Best Lawyers in America" for 2011 05/28/2010, Schnader Successfully Obtains Complete Acquittal on Murder Charges Against William J. Barnes 01/01/2010, Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2010 05/27/2009, Many Schnader Attorneys Honored as 2009 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 10/21/2008, Eight from Schnader Are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers 09/29/2008, Twenty-Eight from Schnader in Best Lawyers in America 2009 10/22/2007, Silver Inducted as Fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers 10/19/2007, Shupe, Gisleson to Head Litigation Services Department 09/18/2007, Many Schnader Attorneys are 2007 Super Lawyers, 2008 Best Lawyers 05/29/2007, Twenty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Named 2007 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 01/18/2007, Silver Featured in Article on Rolan Case 12/05/2006, Sam Silver Wins Philadelphia Bar's Wachovia Fidelity Award 07/20/2006, Thirty-Five Schnader Attorneys Are 2006 Super Lawyers 07/09/2006, Team Schnader Supports American Cancer Society 06/07/2006, Silver, Pelletier Honored for Pro Bono 05/31/2006, Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Honored as 'Pennsylvania Super Lawyers' 04/25/2006, Schnader Secures New Trial for Man on Death Row Almost 20 Years 12/14/2005, Schnader Attorneys Appear in a Variety of Forums 07/07/2005, Schnader Attorneys Feted as Super Lawyers 06/01/2004, Schnader Lawyers Noted as 'Pennsylvania Super Lawyers' in 19 Categories Publications Alerts 06/07/2006, New Jersey Supreme Court Broadens Liability of Property Owners to Protect Spouses of Those Working on the Premises 06/07/2006, Pennsylvania Federal Court Extends Alternative Liability Theory to Products Liability Case 06/07/2006, Philadelphia Court Holds Unenforceable Class-Action-Blocking Provisions in Contracts of Adhesion 06/07/2006, Supreme Court Decides Standard for Injunctions in Patent Cases Newsletters 06/01/2006, Pro Bono Newsletter 08/01/2005, Pro Bono Newsletter Speaking Engagements 02/27/2009, Schnader Attorneys Speak at the 2009 Prisoner Civil Rights Litigation CLE 03/18/2006, Taking and Defending Depositions |