Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber

215/864-8203 Telephone
215/864-9286 Facsimile
franklinsubers@ballardspahr.com
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP
1735 Market Street, 51st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7599

Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber is a partner in the Business & Finance Department. She has extensive experience in commercial transactions, corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, joint venture, partnership and development agreements, and securities, investment company and investment adviser regulatory matters. She is a member of several special practice groups, including the Securities Group and the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, as well as the Biotechnology/Life Sciences Group, Energy and Project Finance Group, Technology and Emerging Companies Group, and Transactional Finance Group. She also has extensive government experience, and specializes in public commercial transactions and contracting, economic and community development projects, public finance, and legislative, regulatory and government relations matters. 

Ms. Franklin-Suber has developed, moderated and presented numerous continuing legal education programs on compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including the new corporate governance and attorney conduct requirements, and “Due Diligence Considerations in Business Transactions After Enron and Sarbanes-Oxley” for the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and Half Moon Seminars. Ms. Franklin-Suber has  been honored by Law & Politics magazine and Philadelphia magazine as a 2006 "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in the area of Business/Corporate law.

Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Ms. Franklin-Suber was one of the highest-ranking women ever to serve in a Philadelphia mayoral administration when she was appointed chief of staff in January 2000 by Mayor John F. Street. As chief of staff, she served as a member of the Cabinet and was responsible for the overall administration of the Mayor’s Office and the more than 30 City departments, commissions, and agencies in City government.

From 1996 to 1999, Ms. Franklin-Suber served as the city solicitor for the City of Philadelphia. She was appointed acting city solicitor by Mayor Edward G. Rendell in November of 1996, confirmed as city solicitor by unanimous vote of the City Council in December of 1996, and officially sworn in to office by Mayor Rendell in January of 1997. As the chief legal officer for the City, she represented the Mayor, the Administration, the City Council, the City Controller, and more than 30 City departments, commissions, and agencies.

She was the only woman and the youngest member of Mayor Rendell’s Cabinet. As an executive department head, she also managed the Law Department, which had a total workforce of approximately 340 lawyers, legal assistants, analysts, and support staff. Prior to her elevation to the position of City Solicitor in 1996, she served as chair of the Corporate Group for the Law Department and a member of the Law Department Executive Committee from 1994 to 1996.

In both her capacity as corporate chair and city solicitor, she served as lead counsel to the City on various significant transactions and litigation matters, including the 2000 Republican National Convention Service Agreements, the USAIRWAYS International and Commuter Terminals Project, the Gateway Visitors Center and Liberty Bell Project, the Delinquent Real Estate Tax Lien Sale and Securitization, the HealthChoices Behavioral Health System Agreements, the Curram-Frohmhold Prison Facilities Agreements, and the MarketPlace/Redwood International Airport Concession Agreement.

Prior to joining the City of Philadelphia Law Department in March of 1994, Ms. Franklin-Suber was a partner in the Business Department of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, LLP. She joined the firm as an associate in September 1986. In 1992, she became the first woman partner in the Business Department of this firm. She was the first African-American woman partner in the history of the firm.

From 1985 to 1986 she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Clifford Scott Green of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. From 1983 to 1985, Ms. Franklin-Suber served as a law clerk to the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She also served as Judge Higginbotham’s research associate, teaching assistant, and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania from 1982 to 1983. In addition, Ms. Franklin-Suber was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and taught Appellate Advocacy I in both the Fall of 1998 and 1999.

Ms. Franklin-Suber’s professional associations and activities include membership in the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc., and the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division, Philadelphia Chapter. She is co-chair of the American Bar Association Minority Counsel Program and serves on the ABA Business Law Section Negotiated Acquisitions Committee and the ABA Graham-Leach-Bliley Act Task Force.

In addition, Ms. Franklin-Suber is a member of the ABA Minority Partners Conference and ABA Women Rainmakers as well as the DuPont Women Lawyers Network Business Development Committee. She recently served on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s 2002 Hall of Fame Committee and is former vice chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Government Lawyers Committee. She has served as a member of the Advisory Board and as a past president of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. She served on the Host Committee for the 1999 National Bar Association Annual Convention and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the National Bar Association. She is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.

In 2003, Ms. Franklin-Suber was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell to the Governor’s Standing Committee on Minority and Women Business Opportunities which advises the Department of General Services on minority and women-owned business certification and contracting matters. In 2002, she was appointed  by Mayor John F. Street to the Philadelphia Gas Commission which oversees the management, operations and budget of the Philadelphia Gas Works. She was also appointed by former Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on African-American Affair and by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to the Federal Magistrates’ Merit Selection Panel for the appointment and reappointment of federal magistrates. In 2004, she was appointed by Philadelphia Managing Director Phillip R. Goldsmith to the Behavioral Health Search Committee for the Cabinet-level position of director of a newly-created Office of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services.

Ms. Franklin-Suber’s publications include “Keeping Thurgood Marshall’s Promise-A Venerable Voice for Equal Justice,” 16 Harvard Black Letter Law Journal, 27 (Spring 2000); “Remarks Made at Judge A. Leon Higginbotham’s Funeral,” IX Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches 3 (1999); “Developing a Successful In-house Continuing Legal Education Program,” Municipal Lawyer, Nov./Dec 1997; “The Unique Path of A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. A Voice for Equal Justice Through Law,” Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, Aug. 1991; “Trash Collection: Judicial Decision on Pricing Threatens Municipalities’ Ability to Provide Basic Service,” The Authority, August, September 1987; “United States v. City of Philadelphia: A Continued Quest for and Effective Remedy for Police Misconduct,” 7 Black L.J. 18 (1981).

Ms. Franklin-Suber was profiled by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Government Lawyers Committee in “Serving the City of Brotherly Love,” News & Views, Winter 1999. Among her many speaking engagements, she was a featured speaker at the Temple University Beasley School of Law Judge Clifford Scott Green Lectureship Dinner in February 2003. She was the Luncheon keynote speaker at KYW-TV’s Eleanor Jean Hendley Teenshop Awards Luncheon in June 2000. She was honored for her community service by the Associated Alumni of Central High School at its Annual Banquet in June 1999. She was the featured speaker of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity International at Temple University Fox School of Business & Management in March 1999. She was the luncheon keynote speaker at the University of Pennsylvania Black Law Student Association’s Sadie T. M. Alexander Conference in March 1999. She was the keynote speaker at the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Conference on Public Service in October 1998. She was the commencement speaker at The Springside School Graduation in May 1997 and the keynote speaker at the “All for One” Conference for Independent Schools, hosted by The Springside School in November 1999.

Ms. Franklin-Suber is active in numerous civic and community associations. She is a member of the 2004 Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and serves on the Executive Committee, the Steering Committee, the International Committee and as chairman of the Human Relations/Nominating Committee. She is also a member of the National Alumnae Council for The Springside School. 

Ms. Franklin-Suber has received numerous awards and citations for outstanding and dedicated service, including: The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Award for Professional Excellence (2003); The Champions for Social Justice and Equality Award, Black Law Students Association of Rutgers University School of Law (2002); The Shirley Chisholm Award, Philadelphia Congress of the National Political Congress of Black Women (1999); The Outstanding Achievement Award, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1997); The Community Service Award, Schnader, Harrison Segal & Lewis (1997); and The Outstanding Young Leader of the Year Award Finalist, The Philadelphia Jaycees (1995, 1996). She serves on the American Red Cross, Philadelphia Chapter, Spectrum Committee and recently served on the Advisory Board of the African-American Historical and Cultural Museum’s Exhibit, “Call to Order: African Americans and the Law.”

Ms. Franklin-Suber is also active politically and recently served in a variety of different capacities during the Rendell for Governor Campaign and Transition, including co-chair of the Legal Issues Group and a member of the Campaign Leadership Group, the Women’s Leadership Group, Lawyers for Rendell and the Finance Committee which raised over $42 million dollars. She subsequently served as co-chair of the Rendell State Department Transition Team and a member of the Rendell Inaugural Committee. Ms. Franklin-Suber continues to serve on the Rendell for Governor Finance Committee as well on the Friends of John F. Street Finance Committee and the Fattah for Congress Finance Committee.

Ms. Franklin-Suber was appointed in 2003 by Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe to the DNC African-American Leadership Council (AALC) and serves as one of the Pennsylvania DNC Vice Chairs.

Ms. Franklin-Suber is a graduate of The Springside School (1975), Vassar College (B.A. 1979), and the University of Pennsylvania (J.D. 1982). She is married to retired Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Berchard V. Suber and they have a son, Michael Franklin Suber.