READING, PA, January 4, 2019 – Stevens & Lee has named E. Thomas Henefer, Stacey A. Scrivani and William P. Thornton as litigation department co-chairs.
For more than 25 years, E. Thomas Henefer has dedicated his practice to achieving the best results for clients in a wide array of general commercial and complex litigation matters with a particular focus on ERISA disputes and clients in the life and disability insurance, financial services, and health care industries. Mr. Henefer has extensive civil litigation and trial experience in state and federal courts in jurisdictions across the country and in representing clients in complex governmental investigations. He also has argued numerous appeals before state and federal appellate courts, having argued many times before the Third Circuit in particular. His cases there have frequently involved significant ERISA issues, including one of the Third Circuit’s leading ERISA preemption cases.
Mr. Henefer’s commitment to delivering client-focused, superior legal services is reflected by his AV® Preeminent™ rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell. He holds a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College.
Along with her role as Co-Chair of Stevens & Lee’s litigation group, Stacey A. Scrivani leads the litigation practice in the firm’s Wilmington, Delaware office.
She is an experienced commercial litigator who focuses her practice on representing private and public companies, including financial institutions, and their officers and directors in lawsuits with shareholders in the Delaware Chancery Court, Pennsylvania and New Jersey state courts, and in federal court. Ms. Scrivani’s experience includes defending officers and directors against breach of fiduciary duty and derivative claims, assisting companies with effective use of special litigation committees, advising companies in connection with activist shareholders and advising companies in connection with shareholder books and records demands. Ms. Scrivani also advises clients facing “Merger Tax” claims that threaten to disrupt shareholder transaction approval. Her practice also includes representation of companies and shareholders in disputes involving closely held corporations, including dissolutions and appraisal actions.
She has a J.D., cum laude, from the Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University and a B.A., cum laude, from Siena College.
In addition to his role as Co-Chair of the firm’s litigation group, William P. Thornton, Jr. chairs the firm’s securities litigation practice and represents broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, RIAs and life insurance companies nationwide concerning claims related to the purchase and sale of securities and life insurance products. He routinely represents financial services’ firms, public and private companies, and individuals in all manner of SEC, FINRA and state securities commission investigations and enforcement actions. Mr. Thornton practices extensively before FINRA, having arbitrated customer claims, Form U-5 disputes and other intra-industry litigation in over 35 states.
Mr. Thornton also litigates cases in state and federal court, including life insurance product claims, auditor liability disputes, corporate and fiduciary duty claims, shareholder litigation and intra-company disputes.
Mr. Thornton’s clients include large broker-dealers, banks, Fortune 100 insurance companies, directors and officers of public companies, registered investment advisors, professionals in the financial services industry, institutional and private investors, and individuals charged with violating federal or state securities laws.
An honors graduate of Dickinson College and the Villanova University School of Law, Mr. Thornton is a member of the Dickinson College Sports Hall of Fame.
