---

---

Practice Areas: Federal White Collar Criminal Law Violation Defense; Insurance Services; Intellectual Property Litigation; Labor and Employment Practices; Litigation Services; Product Liability; Sports Law Team; White Collar Defense and Corporate Investigations

Additional Information:

Professional Affiliations

•University of Pennsylvania Inn of Court, member
•American College of Trial Lawyers, fellow
•International Academy of Trial Lawyers, fellow
•Prisoner Civil Rights Panel of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, co-coordinator

Sam, a fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, is a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. While Sam's practice has focused in several substantive areas, he is best known as a go-to trial lawyer who can and will take any matter into a courtroom. In addition to handling his caseload, Sam is regularly asked to teach on trial-related issues. Sam is also widely known for his often-high-profile pro bono cases, which have included several capital and non-capital homicide cases.

A commercial litigator, Sam has tried to verdict a

variety of cases; he concentrates on representing global manufacturers of products in litigation and product safety matters. He has litigated disputes about intellectual property, healthcare, securities, banking and insurance coverage and more. He has also litigated restrictive covenants and theft of trade secrets claims in the context of departing employees. Sam has extensive experience representing members of the equestrian sport in a wide variety of matters.

Sam is committed to pro bono work and capital case representation in particular. His accomplishments include successful retrials of two separate death-condemned inmates before juries, both cases resulting in unanimous verdicts for the defense.

His work also includes serving as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and teaching trial advocacy and other courses for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).

AREAS OF EXPERIENCE

Product Liability

Sam has litigated matters concerning products as diverse as heavy industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and food supplements and also has tried multiple product liability cases and handled multiple nationwide recalls ranging from automotive parts to recreational products and toys. He has been involved extensively in mass tort product liability litigation.

Equine/Sports Law

Sam has represented serious equestrians in all manner of disputes concerning their sport and business. He also serves on the planning committee and is a frequent speaker at the National Conference on Equine Law.
•He has defended several members of the profession in disciplinary hearings before the governing body of the equestrian sport in the United States;
•He defended an international horse trader against fraud and related claims associated with the purchase and sale of horses and the management of horse farm operations;
•He has handled multiple matters (some in the courts, others before litigation ensued) stemming from disagreements over the terms and conditions of sales of valuable show horses;
•He regularly advises equestrians concerning their business operations and contracts.
Intellectual Property

Sam has handled a broad array of intellectual property cases involving trademarks, trade secrets and claims of patent infringement. These cases have included:
•A dispute between an internationally-known celebrity and her former business partners, whom Sam defended;
•The defense of a university professor accused of misappropriating trade secrets from a private company; and
•The prosecution of claims on behalf of a manufacturer of a product used by the military against an alleged infringer of that product.
Pro Bono and Civil Rights Matters

•Sam successfully obtained a full acquittal on murder charges brought against the Firm's pro bono client William J. Barnes. Barnes was charged with causing the death of Philadelphia Police Officer Walter T. Barclay in 2007, 41 years after Barnes had shot and partially paralyzed Barclay. Sam discussed the case on The Michael Smerconish Show, a nationally syndicated news and talk show on Philadelphia's CBS Radio affiliate, 1210 AM WPHT, on May 25. His discussion on the show can be heard by clicking on the following links:
Schnader's Sam Silver Discusses Barnes Case on The Michael Smerconish Show, Part 1
Schnader's Sam Silver Discusses Barnes Case on The Michael Smerconish Show, Part 2
•Sam has challenged himself and others at our Firm by repeatedly leading teams of trial lawyers in successful attacks on death sentences. Twice, these teams have persuaded courts to vacate death sentences imposed by juries and to grant retrials, and in both cases, with Sam as lead trial counsel, these teams have obtained unanimous verdicts in favor of our clients when they have gone before new juries.
•In addition, for more than a decade Sam has been a coordinator of the Prisoner Civil Rights Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and, at the request of the court, Sam participated in the Third Circuit's Task Force on Counsel for Indigent Litigants in Civil Cases.
•Sam discussed his experiences in capital cases on One on One with Steve Adubato on CN8, The Comcast Network.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

•Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Vice President, Board of Directors
•Public Interest Civil Litigation Fund (a nonprofit entity that provides funding to attorneys for handling court-appointed cases for indigent litigants), officer

Other Distinctions

•Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, 2009-2017
•Noted as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for civil litigation defense, 2004-2016
•Recipient of the First Judicial District Pro Bono Publico Award, 2014
•Co-recipient of the Philadelphia Bar Association's annual Wachovia Fidelity Award, for improving the administration of justice and the profession, 2006
•Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award, 2006
•Recognized for pro bono work by the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, 2001
•Recipient of the Earl G. Harrison Pro Bono Award, 2000
•Selected as one of Pennsylvania's Lawyers on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly, 2003. This honor was conferred upon 29 of Pennsylvania's lawyers under 40 years of age as a result of a statewide nomination process.
•Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell

News

09/21/2016

Many Schnader Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers 2016

09/16/2016

Schnader Honors Rebecca Lacher with Pro Bono Award

09/01/2016

Anthony Wright and Rebecca Lacher Featured on WHYY's Radio Times

8/26/2016

Anthony Wright Found Not Guilty After 25 Years in Prison

08/24/2016

Thirty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2017

04/06/2016

Sam Silver Inducted into International Academy of Trial Lawyers

02/24/2016

Big-Name Criminal Defenses Offer Pressure and Reward for Schnader

08/17/2015

Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2016

07/06/2015

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2015

03/02/2015

Rolling Stone Notes Sam Silver and Rebecca Lacher Roles in Overturning a 22-Year-Old Murder Conviction

10/27/2014

Schnader Attorneys Win Pro Bono Award

09/22/2014

Schnader Attorneys Help Overturn 22-Year-Old Philadelphia Murder Conviction via DNA Testing

08/18/2014

Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2015

07/03/2014

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2014

10/02/2013

Schnader Attorneys Achieve Victory for Electrical Transmission Company

09/13/2013

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2013

08/15/2013

Thirty-One Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2014

09/20/2012

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2012

08/23/2012

Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2013

08/20/2012

Schnader Assists in Successful Challenge to 24/7 Policy in New Jersey

03/27/2012

The Legal Intelligencer Honors Schnader Team with Unsung Hero Pro Bono Award

03/22/2012

Schnader Attorneys Successful in Securing Parole for Pro Bono Client William J. Barnes

02/21/2012

U.S. Magistrate Judge Calls for Release of Firm Client William J. Barnes on His Request for Parole

01/11/2012

Sam Silver Mentioned in Recent Article on William J. Barnes

09/19/2011

Sixty-Eight Schnader Attorneys Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell

09/01/2011

Thirty Schnader Attorneys Recognized as The Best Lawyers in America for 2012

08/25/2011

Firm Obtains a Significant Victory in Gates v. Rohm & Haas

05/27/2011

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2011

05/02/2011

Schnader Attorneys Featured in an Article About Dismissal of Brain Cancer Cluster Case Brought Against Schnader's Client Rohm and Haas Co.

11/30/2010

The Schnader Team Representing William Barnes Featured in Several Articles Detailing His Request for Parole

08/04/2010

Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America for 2011

05/28/2010

Schnader Successfully Obtains Complete Acquittal on Murder Charges Against William J. Barnes

01/01/2010

Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2010

05/27/2009

Many Schnader Attorneys Honored as 2009 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers

10/21/2008

Eight from Schnader Are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers

09/29/2008

Twenty-Eight from Schnader in Best Lawyers in America 2009

10/22/2007

Silver Inducted as fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers

09/18/2007

Many Schnader Attorneys are 2007 Super Lawyers, 2008 Best Lawyers

05/29/2007

Twenty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Named 2007 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers

01/18/2007

Silver Featured in Article on Rolan Case

12/05/2006

Sam Silver Wins Philadelphia Bar's Wachovia Fidelity Award

07/20/2006

Thirty-Five Schnader Attorneys Are 2006 Super Lawyers

07/09/2006

Team Schnader Supports American Cancer Society

06/07/2006

Silver, Pelletier Honored for Pro Bono

05/31/2006

Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Honored as 'Pennsylvania Super Lawyers'

04/25/2006

Schnader Secures New Trial for Man on Death Row Almost 20 Years

12/14/2005

Schnader Attorneys Appear in a Variety of Forums

07/07/2005

Schnader Attorneys Feted as Super Lawyers

06/01/2004

Schnader Lawyers Noted as 'Pennsylvania Super Lawyers' in 19 Categories

Publications

Articles

10/22/2014

The Value of First Impressions: Considering the Effect of Motions for Preliminary Injunctive Relief on Ultimate Results in IP Cases

09/17/2013

Taking A Swing At The 'Baseball Rule'

Alerts

08/21/2013

Texas Plaintiff Takes Another Swing at the Baseball Rule

06/07/2006

New Jersey Supreme Court Broadens Liability of Property Owners to Protect Spouses of Those Working on the Premises

06/07/2006

Pennsylvania Federal Court Extends Alternative Liability Theory to Products Liability Case

06/07/2006

Philadelphia Court Holds Unenforceable Class-Action-Blocking Provisions in Contracts of Adhesion

06/07/2006

Supreme Court Decides Standard for Injunctions in Patent Cases

Newsletters

06/01/2006

Pro Bono Newsletter

08/01/2005

Pro Bono Newsletter

Speaking Engagements

09/13/2016

Rebecca Lacher Discussed Wright Case at Villanova Law School

04/29/2015

Sam Silver Speaks at Equine Law Conference

04/30/2014

Sam Silver Presented at Annual Conference on Equine Law

05/01/2013

Schnader's Sam Silver Spoke at Equine Law Conference

02/27/2009

Schnader Attorneys Speak at the 2009 Prisoner Civil Rights Litigation CLE

03/18/2006

Taking and Defending Depositions

---

Firm Members: Deena Schneider Joseph Anclien Mark Lee Bruce Merenstein