By: Gina Passarella
Lisa Wampler was mentioned in the Legal Intelligencer article, “Cohen Seglias Names First Female Office MP,” on February 25, 2016. You can read the full article on the Legal Intelligencer website.
Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman has named a new managing partner of its five-lawyer Pittsburgh office.
Lisa M. Wampler has become the first female managing partner in the 60-lawyer firm’s history.
Wampler has a construction litigation practice and chairs the firm’s women’s initiative. She joined the Pittsburgh office in 2003 as Cohen Seglias’ first full-time attorney in the city. Wampler said the office’s former managing partner left about three years ago and Wampler has been serving as a de facto managing partner since that time.
“I was unofficially handling a good bit of the tasks that I will be continuing to handle” as managing partner, Wampler said. “It was just time to give me the official title.”
Among her management responsibilities will be staffing and hiring needs. Wampler said the Pittsburgh office has diversified beyond the firm’s historic construction litigation roots to include oil-and-gas-related work as well as bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. She said the firm is always open to bringing on new lawyers if the right opportunity presents itself.
The Pittsburgh office was in a bit of growth spurt last year, more than doubling its total lawyer head count. In August, Cohen Seglias added oil and gas partner Brian Lawton and associate James McGraw, whose practice focuses on construction, labor and employment and commercial litigation. Partner James McNally brought his bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice to the Pittsburgh office in December.
Wampler’s practice has focused on representing general contractors and subcontractors in all areas of construction on issues starting with contract review up through any litigation stemming from a project. Her practice extends beyond Pittsburgh. She is admitted to the West Virginia bar and also currently has cases in New York and Delaware.