John Stapleton, Peter "Tad" LeVan and Peter Muhic of LeVan Muhic Stapleton.

Billed as an "alternative to the legal marketplace," LeVan Muhic Stapleton, a new litigation boutique focusing on complex commercial litigation, class actions and other sophisticated work, opened its doors in Philadelphia and Marlton, New Jersey, on Wednesday.

The three founding partners, Peter "Tad" LeVan and Peter Muhic, most recently of the LeVan Law Group, and John Stapleton, formerly of Stapleton Law, are part of the unique merger.

They intend to offer an "alternative to the legal marketplace," providing Big Law-quality work within a nimble platform that can better meet clients' needs, they say. They are not leaving any lawyers behind in forming their new firm, and anticipate all of their clients remaining with them in the transition.

"Ultimately, we want to be a true litigation boutique firm: agile, efficient, innovative and adaptable to different subject matters and forums," Stapleton said. "We focus on complex commercial litigation of a very broad scope."

LeVan Muhic Stapleton will represent plaintiffs and defendants through trials, appeals, and alternative dispute resolution proceeding, and its lawyers have litigated numerous high-profile trials and appeals. All three partners have significant experience at large firms, they noted.

"It's exciting to [be] building something new and to put our three names on the firm together," Stapleton said.

Stapleton previously worked at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and was a partner at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, before forming his own firm in 2019. His business litigation clients have included Wawa Inc. and the city of Philadelphia. He was a leader for the legal team that successfully defended Philadelphia's beverage tax.

Stapleton said that clients of his such as Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. and ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania will move to the newly formed firm.

The attorneys making up the new firm "already were co-counseling on cases, and we have been resources for each other in numerous ways," Muhic said in a news release.

"This new firm is a natural extension of our shared views on litigation strategies, work ethic, and our core values," he said.

Muhic was previously a partner at Cozen O'Connor and at Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, where he developed a significant class action practice. He has represented management as well as employees in employment disputes, and has extensive experience with ERISA, FLSA, RICO, fiduciary and products liability matters.

LeVan said, "I handle commercial litigation and class action cases, while Muhic and Stapleton have significant experience in litigation and class actions, and it buttresses the firm." He added, "I consider myself and my partners sophisticated trial lawyers and it is a great fit."

LeVan worked at Squire Sanders & Dempsey; was a partner at Hangley Aronchick, where he first worked with Stapleton in 2005; and was a partner at Kessler Topaz, where he first worked with Muhic in 2009. In 2013, he formed his own firm, LeVan Law Group.

LeVan is currently court-appointed class counsel in a certified class action in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, representing hundreds of landowners in a royalties dispute over local natural gas resources, in addition to other matters related to oil and gas, he said.

"I have a number of complex commercial litigation cases in federal and state courts in Philadelphia, and I regularly appear before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals," LeVan said.

Concerning COVID-19, Stapleton said the court closures have delayed matters, but as people have adapted, they have continued to do business and to represent their clients, such as in court hearings via video conference, and an increased exchange of information and data electronically.

"We see ourselves growing and evolving—when it comes to business, we have to adapt or be left behind," Stapleton said.

All three partners have a history of pro bono and nonprofit board service. As a founding principle of the firm, they have adopted the "My100 Initiative," which commits each firm lawyer to perform at least 100 hours of pro bono or nonprofit board service each year, the lawyers said.