Burns White LLC

Protecting our clients’ interests from the start

The appellate process does not mean only complying with court-mandated procedures.

Effective appellate advocacy actually begins before the case is completed at the trial court level. It requires a sophisticated understanding of how to preserve issues for appeal, recognizing what non-final orders may be appealed immediately, and knowing how to seek discretionary review. Often times, a case can be resolved at the appellate level by using the appellate court’s mediation services.

Perhaps most importantly, effective appellate advocacy requires a candid assessment of the strengths and weakness of the case and the costs associated with an appeal to determine what is ultimately in the best interests of the client.

The Burns White Appellate Practice Group attorneys provide legal counsel in all phases of the appellate process, including:

• Timely filing of the appeal
• Research
• Brief writing
• Oral argument

In addition, our attorneys are skilled at preparing and filing amicus or “friend of the court” briefs on behalf of clients who are not parties to an appeal, but wish to be heard on an important legal issue. The preparation of these briefs requires not only a keen understanding of the pertinent legal issues, but a working knowledge of the client’s business, and the particular industry involved.

The chair of Burns White’s Appellate Group Practice, Ira Podheiser, has extensive experience counseling clients through the appellate process. He clerked for a retired Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He has successfully worked on appellate matters in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Maryland state courts, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth, Sixth and District of Columbia Circuits.

Bridging the gap between who we are as a society and where we are as a workplace . . .

We are a world without borders, a global economy and an increasingly international society and the demographics of the workplace reflect this evolution.

To successfully navigate this constantly shifting landscape, Burns White is committed to achieving diversity at our firm. We recognize the importance of recruiting qualified candidates of various backgrounds, and we make it one of our missions to maintain a diverse and dynamic workforce. We are proud to say that Burns White is a stronger firm for supporting these efforts.

Every attorney at Burns White is accountable for the firm’s diversity initiative, and each plays a role in our mission, which is to stand firmly beside the notion that creating and retaining a diverse workforce is a part of our culture of providing clients with service excellence. Our firm encompasses the varied experiences that each individual brings to the firm. Because we continually are learning from each other and from our clients, we are well-equipped to provide the best representation to our clients in a wide range of practice areas.

The Diversity Committee – Our Approach

Burns White maintains an active Diversity Committee comprised of partners, associates, administrators and staff. One of the roles of the Diversity Committee is to promote the benefits and values of a diverse organization deeply rooted in the call for change. The Diversity Committee addresses challenges, shares success stories, and leads strategic efforts toward diversifying our workforce. These efforts include:

Burns White Diversity Initiatives

• Annual attendance at minority-focused conferences such as the Defense Research Institute’s Diversity for Success Seminar in Chicago.
• Annual hosting of a minority law student reception that often features guest speakers who are prominent minority members of the local judiciary and/or corporations.
• Participation in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s “Footprints” program in which Burns White attorneys are paired with law students to help them develop their legal reading and writing skills, as well as to prepare the law students to enter the profession with confidence in their abilities.
• Coordination of annual informal receptions with local universities as a way for students to meet our lawyers, discuss our firm and the practice of law.

Promotion within the Firm

• Assist our minority attorneys to develop key skills essential to the success of their professional development, including promoting networking by minority attorneys to build relationships both inside and outside the Firm.
• An extensive and proactive Mentoring Program in which we pair younger attorneys with more senior attorneys, in order to ensure that our minority attorneys will have the tools necessary to succeed at the firm.
• Encourage diverse members of the firm to develop into leaders, mentors and role models by supporting attorneys' involvement in programs such as Leadership Development and EmpowerKing Transformational Program.

Where do we go from here?

The success of our firm’s diversity efforts does not stop here. We recognize our call to action. We will continue to work hard to more precisely mirror the communities in which we live and practice, to the benefit of both our clients and our attorneys.