1939

Joseph S. Kleinbard and Sylvan Hirsch founded the firm in 1939.  When Sylvan Hirsch passed away in 1945, Joe Kleinbard continued to manage the firm for many years. Joe Kleinbard began his distinguished legal career following his graduation from Temple University Law School, where he was the founding editor of the Temple Law Quarterly, which became the Temple Law Review.  He founded Kleinbard LLC (then Kleinbard & Hirsch and subsequently Kleinbard, Bell & Brecker LLP) as a labor relations firm. George W. Taylor, the founding father of industrial relations and a labor advisor to many U.S. presidents, called Joe Kleinbard one of the best labor-management lawyers in the country.

1939
In Memoriam

In Memory of Paul E. Bomze (1932-2017)

In Memoriam
1964

Paul Bomze joins Kleinbard, LLP as an associate beginning his nearly 50-year career with the firm.

1964
1970

Kleinbard represents significant Philadelphia enterprises, such as Food Fair and Belmont Industries, in their labor negotiations.

1970
1977

Firm moves its offices to the United Engineering Building (30 S. 17th Street).

1977
1970

Kleinbard represents Progressive Industries in connection with the sale of the company to Swiss conglomerate, Franke. After completion of the sale, the buyer retained the Firm to represent its interests in the United States.

1970
1982

After serving as a law clerk to Judge J. Skelly Wright of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, John Schapiro clerks for Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. on the U.S. Supreme Court.

1982
1984

Kleinbard represents Solid State Scientific, Inc. (AMEX: SSI) in defending a hostile tender offer by the Penn Central Corporation, resulting in a doubling of enterprise value.

1984
1986

Kleinbard represents Klearfold, Inc., a leading manufacturer of plastic folding cartons, in its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

1986
1987

Firm moves its offices to the Stock Exchange Building (1900 Market Street).

1987
1995

Kleinbard represents former City of Philadelphia Managing Director Leo Brooks in connection with litigation brought by members of the organization MOVE resulting from the bombing of a block of residences in West Philadelphia by law enforcement.

1995
1995

Kleinbard represents Horizon Cellular, a Chase and JPMorgan backed telecommunications provider, in a Morgan Stanley led auction and sale to 5 separate purchasers for an aggregate purchase price of $600 million.

1995
1999

Kleinbard serves as co-counsel in obtaining a $10 million jury verdict for former New York Giants football player Phil McConkey in connection with an employment related claim.

1999
2004

Kleinbard serves as co-counsel in representing three former employees of Schering-Plough in connection with a $345 million settlement of a whistleblower suit concerning allegations that the company defrauded the federal Medicaid program.

2004
2007

Kleinbard represents the management of Global Tower Partners in connection with the sale of the company from a Blackstone portfolio to a consortium led by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners and Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group for an enterprise value of $1.425 billion.

2007
2007

Kleinbard represents Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School in opening the first all-boys charter school in Pennsylvania in face of opposition from several law groups, including the ACLU and the Women’s Law Project, who had opposed the proposed school on the grounds that a single-sex charter school would violate the state and U.S. Constitutions.

2007
2008

Kleinbard acts as co-M&A counsel to SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. (NASD: TPC), a Berwyn headquartered wireless provider operating the southeastern United States, in connection with the sale to T-Mobile USA Inc. for $2.4 billion in cash and debt.

2008
2007

Firm moves its offices to One Liberty Place (1650 Market Street).

2007
2014

Kleinbard commemorates its 75th Anniversary by streamlining its corporate name and accentuating the firm’s identity as a forward-thinking, influential practice.

2014
2016

The Philadelphia Business Journal recognizes Kleinbard as one of the 2016 Best Places to Work!

2016
2017

For the second year, Kleinbard Earns a “Best Law Firms” Ranking  from U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers

2017
2022

Kleinbard named to list of “Best Places to Work” by The Philadelphia Business Journal.

2022