Partner goes from Pepper to Piper and back again

Piper Rudnick partner Christopher Wasson has returned to Pepper Hamilton after just four months. The product liability litigator left Pepper Hamilton to become a partner at Piper Rudnick earlier in the year.
It is not the first time that Wasson has bounced between the firms. From 1994 to 1998 he worked at Piper Rudnick before swapping to Pepper Hamilton. He said: "Moving between law firms is not something I take lightly, but the decision to return to Pepper was the right thing for me. Pepper has an outstanding health effects litigation practice that is broad, deep and diverse and that I now realise better suits my practice."
Wasson's practice focuses on contentious product liability, general commercial and environmental matters.
Returning with Wasson is senior associate Sean Fahey. He also left Pepper Hamilton for Piper Rudnick in February. Partner James Brogan and two other associates who made the move to Piper Rudnick with Wasson will remain at their new firm.
Wasson returns to a firm in a state of flux. Pepper Hamilton executive partner James Murray has announced that he will step down in order to return to fee-earning at the beginning of next year. He will return to his corporate practice, handling securities and M&A deals. He will be succeeded by the head of the firm's Philadelphia office Robert Heideck.
Murray said: "Bob's an experienced and accomplished lawyer. I've worked closely with him for many years and I'm particularly pleased that he's been elected my successor."
Murray was the first Pepper Hamilton partner to take up the management mantle full time. In the eight years under his direction, the firm doubled its revenues to more than $150m (£100m) and opened three new offices in Pittsburgh, Princeton in New Jersey and Tysons Corner in Virginia.