Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn, P.C. is pleased to announce that Louis W. Fryman, one of the most celebrated and respected attorneys in the Philadelphia community, has joined the firm as a shareholder where he will continue his national litigation and business practices and further strengthen the firm’s arbitration and mediation practice headed by former federal Chief Judge Louis C. Bechtle.

“Lou is a giant in the Pennsylvania legal and business community, and everyone in the Conrad O’Brien family is thrilled to have the opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with him--delivering outstanding service to our clients,” said Firm Chairman Jim Rohn. "His guidance and wisdom, gained from years of leading a major firm and service on numerous corporate and community boards will make us all markedly better at what we do."

Mr. Fryman began his career in the law firm Becker, Becker & Fryman before joining Fox Rothschild in 1982 as the Chair of the Litigation Department. Within three years he was elected Managing Partner, a role he served in for 15 years before spending another five years as Chair. 

“I’ve been blessed to work with friends and colleagues whom I respect, and now I have the opportunity to begin a new professional challenge at Conrad O’Brien,” said Mr. Fryman. "My good friend and law school classmate Bill O’Brien did not have to convince me to continue my practice at Conrad O’Brien. I was delighted with the opportunity to work with these outstanding lawyers."

Mr. Fryman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including being named a Regent (and Fellow) of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has served on the Executive Board and taught trial techniques for the Academy of Advocacy at Temple and Villanova Law Schools, and is a permanent member of the Third Circuit Judicial Conference.

He is listed in the 2007 Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation and corporate law. Last year, he received the Benjamin F. Levy Community Service Award from the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society. 

While Mr. Fryman is best known for his contributions to the law, he has consistently given his time to the community, serving on eight Boards of Directors including the Boards of Main Line Health System, The Lankenau Hospital Foundation and the Walnut Street Theatre. Most notably, he is in his second term and was just re-appointed as Chair of the State Ethics Commission of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Fryman graduated from Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University School of Law. A past Commissioner of Lower Merion Township and Vice-President of the Board of Commissioners, Mr. Fryman and his wife, Rhoda, live in Lower Merion and have two children and four grandchildren.

Joining Mr. Fryman at Conrad O’Brien will be his long-time assistant, Sandy O’Brien.

Founded in 1981 by three prominent litigation attorneys from a major Philadelphia law firm, Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn has established itself as one of the leading litigation practices in Pennsylvania and around the country.