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Philadelphia Pratt named law partner

Pepper Hamilton LLP of Philadelphia has announced that A. Michael Pratt, a general civil and toxic/mass tort litigator, has rejoined the firm as a partner. He had been a Pepper partner until December 2001, when he joined Honeywell International Inc. as chief litigation counsel for corporate and toxic tort matters.

Pratt was raised in Uniontown, where he still has family, and he graduated from Washington & Jefferson College.

At Honeywell, one of the world’s largest diversified technology and manufacturing companies, Pratt was responsible for leading the company’s defense of major litigation in a number of areas.

Pratt started his law career as an associate with Pepper in 1986, following his 1985 graduation from Harvard Law School and a one-year clerkship with Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He received his undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1981.

Pratt left Pepper in early 1992 to serve as chief deputy city solicitor in charge of commercial litigation for the City of Philadelphia’s Law Department, where he worked until July 1994.

He returned to Pepper in 1994, and was elected to the partnership in 1996.

In 1991, Pratt served as chairman of the 5,000-member Young Lawyers Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and at the same time, was president of the Barrister’s Association, a local organization of African-American lawyers. He has held various other leadership positions in the Philadelphia Bar Association, including serving on its board of governors.

He has been actively involved with the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association, serving as a member of the PBA’s House of Delegates from 1995 to 2002, and the ABA’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service from 1998 to 2002.

Pratt also is an active member of the National Bar Association, which represents over 15,000 African-American lawyers and judges across the country, and has served on its board of governors.

Greensburg

Women’s outreach planned

The 2003 Women’s Economic Development Outreach (WEDO) Tour is now accepting reservations for women business owners throughout western Pennsylvania. This is the second year for this tour, which assists women in their business endeavors by providing free resources and information geared toward future success. Comprised of women leaders, including successful business owners, local, state and federal representatives, bank officials, economic development organizations and other women-focused organizations, the group will visit five districts representing 20 distinctive Pennsylvania counties between June 9 through June 13.

Each days schedule begins at 8 a.m. with a complimentary Power Networking Breakfast and runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Women business owners are encouraged to visit www.e-magnify.com for a complete agenda and to register online, or contact Susan Ameel at 412-854-4344. There is no cost for reservations at any WEDO event. Participation is limited to 100 at each program. Registrations must be received by June 5.

The following are locations in this region where meetings will be held:

– June 9 (targeting Westmoreland, Indiana and Fayette Counties) Location: Seton Hill University’s National Education Center for Women in Business, Seton Hill Drive, Greensburg.

– June 10 (targeting Allegheny, Beaver and Butler Counties) Location: SMC Business Councils, George Westinghouse Research & Technology Park, Building 801, 1382 Beulah Road, Pittsburgh.

– June 11 (targeting Washington and Greene Counties) Location: Washington & Jefferson College, Burnett Center, East Wheeling Street, Washington.

The tour officially kicks off in Westmoreland County and continues through the I-79 Interstate corridor, offering participants an in-depth look at effective marketing research, sales strategies, business financing; access to capital; information on certification on the state and federal level as well as private certification; and e-commerce solutions. There will also be an opportunity for entrepreneurs to work with local Small Business Development Centers on their business plans.

Lemont Furnace

Richey earns consultant designation

John R. Richey, CLU of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, has earned the chartered financial consultant (ChFC) professional designation from the American College, Bryn Mawr.

Candidates for the ChFC designation must complete a minimum of eight courses and 16 hours of supervised examinations. They must also fulfill experience and ethics requirements. Over 38,000 individuals have been awarded the ChFC designation since its inception in 1982.

The ChFC program focuses on the complete financial planning process as an organized way to collect and analyze information on a client’s total financial situation. Individuals who earn a ChFC can provide advice on a broad range of financial planning, income taxation, life and health insurance, business taxation and planning, investments and retirement planning.

Richey began his career with Northwestern Mutual in May 1977. Since then, he has achieved several company and industry awards. He is a graduate of the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and has taken post-graduate courses from the University of North Carolina.

The American College is the nation’s oldest and largest academically accredited educational institution devoted exclusively to financial services. The college serves more than 35,000 students predominately on a distance education basis. The American College offers specialized designation programs, a master of science degree in financial services and customized continuing education programs for those pursuing a career in financial services.

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