Superlawyers 2008

Bob DiOrio and Mark Sereni have both been named as Superlawyers by Law & Politics and Philadelphia Magazine for 2008. Superlawyers are Pennsylvania's top lawyers as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. The list of 2008 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers is based on surveys of more than 36,000 lawyers across the state. The goal was to select as Super Lawyers the top 5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys in more than 60 practice areas. The list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers is published annually in the June issues of Philadelphia magazine and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.

HOW SUPER LAWYERS ARE SELECTED
Law & Politics performs the polling, research and selection of Super Lawyers in a process designed to identify lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Lawyers is a comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys, representing a wide range of practice areas, firm sizes and geographic locations. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state or region are named Super Lawyers.

SURVEY OF LAWYERS
Each year Law & Politics sends a ballot to the active lawyers in the state or region who have been in practice five years or more. The ballot asks lawyers to nominate the best attorneys they've personally observed in action. The intent is to discourage votes based purely on reputation. Lawyers may nominate others in their firm, but only if they nominate an equal or greater number of attorneys from other firms.

Each vote a candidate receives carries a point total, with votes from lawyers outside the nominee's firm weighted greater than votes from within the firm.

Law & Politics monitors balloting for indications of manipulation, and eliminates such ballots from consideration.

THE BLUE-RIBBON PANEL REVIEW
The nominees are grouped into more than 60 practice areas. Those nominees with the highest point totals from each practice area are invited to serve on the blue ribbon panel. Each blue ribbon panelist reviews and scores a list of nominees from their primary practice area.

THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Interviews and contacts: Throughout the selection process, Law & Politics meets and corresponds with hundreds of law firms in the state to identify the top lawyers in those firms.

Independent research: The Law & Politics attorney-led research team actively searches for outstanding attorneys to complement the statewide survey of lawyers. The research team evaluates prospective candidates on more than a dozen indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement as a supplement to the balloting and blue ribbon panel review. Civic service and pro bono activities are also considered.

Data verification: Each candidate is contacted to verify the lawyer's professional information, including primary area of practice. No Super Lawyer candidate will be selected unless all information is verified prior to publication.

Good standing review: Law & Politics reviews the discipline record of each candidate and verifies that the lawyer is active and in good standing with the appropriate licensing authority.

THE FINAL SELECTION PROCESS
Candidates are divided according to firm size and geographic location. Top candidates from each group are selected as Super Lawyers. In addition to attorneys in private practice, Super Lawyers include prosecutors, in-house counsel, and public service lawyers.