David Charles Auten. (Courtesy photo)

David Charles Auten, a former longtime managing partner of the Philadelphia office of Reed Smith, died May 9 at the age of 82.

Auten, a real estate attorney, managed the local office of Pittsburgh-born Reed Smith for 16 years. He spent his entire 40-year legal career at the firm.

"He was a true gentleman, titan of the Pennsylvania Bar, and one of the key architects of what is the Reed Smith Philadelphia office today," said Wayne Stansfield, a partner Reed Smith's commercial litigation group. 

After the firm's merger with Townsend, Elliott & Munson in 1978, Auten served as the Philadelphia office's first managing partner and helped to lead its tremendous growth, Stansfield said. 

He was deeply committed to Philadelphia and its progress. Originally from the Frankford section of the city, he raised his family on Delancey Street in Center City.

"He was so proud of our city," said his daughter, Meredith Auten, a partner specializing in white-collar litigation at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia.

"Dad believed that in law and in life, to whom much is given much is expected, and he lived this philosophy through his work for so many nonprofit organizations throughout the city," said Meredith Auten. "He did his best for his clients, colleagues and the community."

David Auten and his daughter are both alumni of the University of Pennsylvania undergraduate and law schools.

"My sister Anne and I both wanted to follow in his footsteps as attorneys," Meredith Auten said. Anne Auten works in-house at the Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society in Chicago.

David Auten remained deeply involved at the University of Pennsylvania, including service on the board of trustees, as the president of the General Alumni Society, on the board of overseers of the College of Arts and Sciences, on the board of trustees of the Penn Health System and as chairman of the board of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He also served as the president of the Union League of Philadelphia, and he was a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. 

Auten is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Suzanne Auten; daughters, Anne Crozier Auten and Meredith Auten; three grandchildren; and brother, Donald Auten.