White and Williams LLP Acquires 6 Attorney Firm

Philadelphia, PA and Towson, MD

8.2.22

White and Williams LLP has announced the acquisition of a six-attorney law firm nationally known for their work in the surety and construction space. Located in Towson, MD, Baltimore County, the attorneys of Pike & Gilliss LLC will join White and Williams, marking the opening of the firm’s 11^th location and extending the firm’s presence to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia.

Attorneys joining White and Williams include David Gilliss, who will serve as Managing Partner of the Towson office, Patrick Pike and Eric Korphage as partners, Joel Williams as Counsel, and Anthony Kikendall and Robert Kline as associates.

“We are excited to make this longtime informal partnership official by joining forces,” said Gilliss. “Attorneys from White and Williams and Pike & Gilliss have had clients in common for over a decade and we often collaborate. This official coming together creates one of the leading surety practices in the country, offering clients a broader and more cohesive experience and extensive legal expertise.”

“This is a space that is rapidly growing. As the economy retrenches, we’re seeing the number of disputes rise nationally, necessitating an increasing need for coverage for our construction and surety clients,” said Bill Taylor, Co-Chair of White and Williams’ Construction and Surety Practice Group. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been in this space and anticipate continued growth in this practice area.”

Gilliss is a leading practitioner in the areas of surety, fidelity and construction-related law and has written extensively on those topics. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and previously served on the Executive Committee of the Fidelity & Surety Committee of DRI. He is also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Surety Association where he served on the Executive Committee, and the Maryland State Bar Association, where he served on the Board of Governors. He has been listed in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and has been named to the Maryland Super Lawyer Top 100 List. Gilliss received his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Pike is regularly recognized for his work on construction, surety, creditors’ rights, and bankruptcy, on behalf of construction companies, sureties, and fidelity carriers including being named the Baltimore “Lawyer of the Year” for Construction Law and/or Construction Law Litigation in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020 by Best Lawyers. In addition to Best Lawyers, he has been listed in Chambers USA, and has been named to the Maryland Super Lawyer Top 50 List. Pike received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Korphage has worked for almost 20 years in private practice with a focus on surety, construction, and commercial litigation, as well as a bond/claim counsel for one of the largest surety companies in the world before joining Pike & Gilliss. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Maryland State Bar Association. He has been listed in Best Lawyers for construction law and is a Maryland Super Lawyer. Korphage received his J.D. from Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law.

“This acquisition is part of a targeted investment strategy by the firm,” said Andrew Susko, Managing Partner, White and Williams. “In addition to the Surety and Construction Group, we have already seen and expect to experience additional growth in the firm’s Real Estate Finance, Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy, and Cyber and Data Protection practices in the coming months. Our recent investment in all of these groups ensures that we can meet growing client demands and that we are well positioned for the current economic direction that will likely affect these areas.”

“This acquisition comes on the heels of growth in the Real Estate Finance Group, which recently added four partners, the Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy Group, which added two partners, and the Cyber and Data Protection Group that also recently added two partners.” Susko said.