What Dilworth Paxson LLP does

Dilworth Paxson LLP is a Philadelphia-headquartered, Mid-Atlantic regional law firm founded in 1933 as Murdoch, Paxson & Kalish and rebranded to its current name in 1997. The firm provides full-service legal representation across more than 20 practice areas — including bankruptcy/insolvency, corporate & business, litigation, real estate, public finance, employee benefits, labor & employment, mergers & acquisitions, healthcare, cannabis regulatory, and trusts & estates — and serves Fortune 500 companies, closely-held businesses, governmental entities, non-profit foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm has produced precedent-setting work including contributions to Brown v. Board of Education and represented high-profile clients such as the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the Barnes Foundation, SEPTA, and minority-owned cannabis operator Uncle Beez Greeneryz.

The firm operates from eight offices across Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Erie), New Jersey (Cherry Hill, Princeton, Freehold), New York (New York City), and Delaware (Wilmington), and employs over 120 attorneys after a period of expansion that included integration of 16 attorneys from the dissolved Schnader Harrison firm and the 2023 combination with GluckWalrath. Leadership comprises Chairman Lawrence G. McMichael and Co-Managing Partners Kristen L. Behrens (the first woman in the role in firm history) and Patrick M. Northen, with CFO Richard Shappell, CHRO Beth Cooper, and CIO Ali Sethi overseeing operations.

The business model is a traditional professional services structure: revenue is generated through billable hours on litigation, transactional, regulatory, and advisory engagements, with quote-based, multi-year engagement contracts and rates varying by practice area and seniority. There is no disclosed technology platform, software product, or AI/ML capability — the firm competes on attorney talent, brand heritage, Chambers USA-ranked practice depth (notably bankruptcy/restructuring), and direct partner-led client development. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on thought leadership via the Insights blog, industry events, and earned-media rankings such as Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500.

Name

Dilworth Paxson LLP

Legal name

Dilworth Paxson LLP

Website

https://dilworthlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dilworth Paxson LLP is a Philadelphia-based Mid-Atlantic law firm (founded 1933) with 120+ attorneys across eight offices in PA, NJ, NY, and DE, providing full-service legal representation to corporations, governmental entities, non-profits, and individuals across 20+ practice areas, led by a Chambers-ranked bankruptcy and restructuring practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Traditional law firm revenue through billable hours for legal representation across litigation, corporate transactions, and specialized practice areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dilworth Paxson LLP is a regional law firm providing full-service legal representation across litigation, corporate transactions, bankruptcy and restructuring, public finance, real estate, labor and employment, and other practice areas. The firm serves Fortune 500 companies, closely-held businesses, governmental entities, non-profit foundations, and high-net-worth individuals through partner-led engagements billed on an hourly basis across eight offices in the mid-Atlantic region.

Product overview

Dilworth Paxson LLP is a regional law firm founded in 1933 providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas and industries. The firm operates as a multi-disciplinary legal practice rather than a software product company, offering services through eight offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. Their practice areas include Appellate Strategy & Advocacy, Antitrust, Banking & Financial Services, Bankruptcy/Insolvency, Corporate & Business, Criminal Law, Education, Employee Benefits, Health Care, Insurance, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Philanthropic & Non-Profit, Plaintiffs' Rights, Political & Election Law, Procurement, Public Finance, Real Estate, Securities, Startups & Emerging Businesses, Tax, Trusts & Estates, and Zoning & Land Use. The firm serves diverse industries including Automotive, Biotechnology, Construction, Education, Energy, Family Office, Financial Services, Hospitality, Infrastructure, Insurance, Manufacturing, Media, and Transportation. As a legal services provider, the firm does not offer technology products or software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bankruptcy/Insolvency Legal representation in bankruptcy, insolvency, and creditors' rights matters for businesses, financial institutions, and distressed entities across the mid-Atlantic region.
• Corporate & Business Law Counsel on corporate and business matters for closely-held businesses, public companies, and emerging enterprises, including governance, contracts, and commercial transactions.
• Litigation Representation in commercial litigation, general civil disputes, and trial matters for corporate and individual clients across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Legal advisory on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and related corporate transactions for buyers, sellers, and target companies.
• Real Estate Legal representation in commercial real estate, zoning, and land use matters, including transactions, development, and approvals.
• Public Finance Counsel to governmental entities and quasi-governmental authorities on public finance, municipal bond transactions, and financing matters.
• Labor & Employment Counsel on employment law, labor relations, and workforce matters for employers, including Chambers-recognized Jennifer Platzkere Snyder.
• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Counsel on employee benefits plans, executive compensation arrangements, and related regulatory matters for employers and plan sponsors.
• Tax Tax planning, controversy, and compliance counsel for businesses, non-profits, and individuals across the firm's mid-Atlantic footprint.
• Trusts & Estates Estate planning, trust administration, and wealth-transfer counsel for high-net-worth individuals and families.
• Banking & Financial Services Legal representation for banks, lenders, and financial services clients on regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters.
• Health Care Law Counsel to healthcare providers, life sciences companies, and related entities on regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters.
• Insurance Counsel to insurance industry clients on coverage, regulatory, and litigation matters.
• Philanthropic & Non-Profit Counsel to non-profit foundations, arts organizations, and educational institutions on governance, tax exemption, and reorganization matters.
• Education Law Counsel to educational institutions on governance, regulatory, employment, and operational matters.
• Criminal Law Criminal defense and representation for individuals and entities facing criminal matters and investigations.
• Antitrust Counsel on antitrust, competition, and trade regulation matters for businesses and trade associations.
• Securities Counsel on securities law, capital markets transactions, and regulatory compliance for public and private issuers.
• Political & Election Law Counsel on political law, election matters, campaign finance, and government ethics issues.
• Procurement Counsel on government procurement, contracting, and bid matters for governmental and private-sector clients.
• Plaintiffs' Rights Representation of plaintiffs in civil rights, individual rights, and impact litigation matters.
• Startups & Emerging Businesses Counsel for startup, emerging, and growth-stage companies on formation, financing, contracts, and strategic transactions.
• Appellate Strategy & Advocacy Counsel on appellate matters, including appellate strategy, brief writing, and oral advocacy in state and federal appellate courts.
• Zoning & Land Use Counsel on zoning, land use, planning, and municipal approvals for developers, property owners, and businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully guided minority-owned cannabis dispensary through 4.5-year regulatory process to grand opening
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Uncle Beez GreeneryzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Dilworth Paxson provided comprehensive legal services to guide the minority-owned cannabis dispensary through New Jersey's regulatory process, including licensing, inspections, real estate, construction, and municipal approvals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saul Ewing LLP: Philadelphia-based regional full-service firm of comparable attorney count with similar bankruptcy, real estate, public finance, and labor practices directly competing for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware mandates.
• Cozen O'Connor: Philadelphia-founded full-service law firm with strong litigation, insurance, and public-sector practices that directly overlap with Dilworth Paxson's core service lines and geographic footprint.
• Blank Rome LLP: Philadelphia-headquartered, multi-office full-service law firm with comparable size, mid-Atlantic density, and similar enterprise, real estate, bankruptcy, and public-sector practices that compete with Dilworth Paxson for the same Fortune 500 and middle-market clients.
• Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP: Philadelphia-based full-service firm with comparable mid-Atlantic office footprint and overlapping litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, and corporate practices.
• Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller: Philadelphia-based full-service firm of similar size focused on litigation, corporate, bankruptcy, and government-related matters, directly competing for mid-Atlantic institutional and governmental clients.
• Fox Rothschild LLP: Philadelphia-headquartered national firm with similar practice breadth across litigation, corporate, real estate, and regulated industries, competing for the same enterprise and middle-market clients in the Northeast.
• Duane Morris LLP: Philadelphia-founded AmLaw firm with overlapping practice mix in litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, and corporate transactions serving comparable mid-Atlantic enterprise and governmental clients.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP: Global AmLaw 50 firm headquartered in Philadelphia with broad corporate, litigation, bankruptcy, and regulatory practices that compete with Dilworth for premium regional clients.
• Reed Smith LLP: Larger AmLaw firm with a significant Philadelphia office (Dilworth's prior Chairman Ajay Raju was previously Managing Partner of Reed Smith's Philadelphia office) competing for the same Fortune 500 and middle-market mandates in the region.
• Dechert LLP: Philadelphia-founded global law firm with significant litigation, corporate, and financial services practices that competes for high-end Philadelphia enterprise and financial-services mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dilworthpaxson
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI3pL2urphW5E2TsfnnuG1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/DilworthPaxsonLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dilworth-paxson-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dilworth Paxson LLP