Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel - Welcome to Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel Website

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The Association provides for four classes of membership. Regular, Young Lawyer, Privileged and Government. Membership is limited to individuals and cannot be vested in firms or partnerships and applicants must be sponsored by two Regular Members.

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PADC Receives Top National Defense Bar Award!

It is our great pleasure to inform you that the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (PADC) has been selected to receive this year’s Rudolph A. Janata Award. As you know, the award is presented annually to an outstanding state or local defense bar organization that has undertaken an innovative or unique program contributing to the goals and objectives of the organized defense bar.

Current President View All

William J. Ricci, President

The Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (PADC) is a local civil defense bar organization that acts as a voice for its members and the clients they serve on emerging issues of interest. In its 74th year of operation, PADC is comprised of a diverse and dynamic group of attorneys across multiple practice areas who represent clients in virtually all industries.

History

It was shortly after World War II that Attorney Ralph Croskey led a movement of prominent Philadelphia defense lawyers to form an organization as a social club for those practicing in tort and insurance law.

Minutes of those organizational days and the days that followed are lost in history, but recollections from members of today's defense bar have Mr. Croskey as first president and the guiding force of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (PADC) for some 20 years.

Recent News View All

28 June, 2021

PADC Announces 2021-2022 Officers and Executive Committee Members

Annual award recipients also announced.

Upcoming Events View All

13 August, 2021

PADC Announces September 21, 2021 Luncheon Webinar

This course will explore the dangers of exposing clients to criminal prosecution when giving testimony in civil litigation. Whether your client is entitled to assert the right against self-incrimination, and if so, how to protect your client from criminal exposure are difficult issues. Practitioners need to be mindful of their client’s right against self-incrimination. If asserted, can taking “the Fifth” in civil litigation be used against your client? The course will also explore the admissibility of “prior bad acts” and issues of probity vs. prejudice.