PHILADELPHIA – Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, has named Christopher S. Connell, a partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office, and Valentino F. DiGiorgio a partner in the firm’s Malvern, Pa., office as co-chairs of the firm’s banking and financial services practice group. The two will oversee the 30-attorney practice, which represents community banks and thrifts, regional and superregional banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders and brokers and other financial services providers. Notably, Stradley Ronon was named one of the top firms in Pennsylvania for Business: Banking & Finance in the 2010 and 2009 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.

Connell focuses his practice on banking and real estate law concentrating on multistate compliance and licensing for banking, securities, trust and insurance products, chartering, organization and initial public offerings for de novo banks. He also represents financial institutions in merger and acquisition, capital raising, securities offerings and reorganization activities.

DiGiorgio represents and advises banks, mortgage lenders and other non-depository institution in connection with commercial lending, bank regulatory matters, federal and multistate compliance and licensing issues. Additionally, as co-chair of the firm’s public finance practice group and a member of the firm’s government affairs department, DiGiorgio represents underwriters, governmental entities, 501(c)(3) entities and other issuers of tax-exempt debt. He has served as bond counsel and has represented governmental issuers and authorities, letter of credit providers, as well as underwriters and for-profit borrowers in dozens of tax-exempt financings with an aggregate value in excess of $2 billion.

About Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young – www.stradley.com

Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon has helped private and public companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations – achieve their goals. With six offices and more than 195 attorneys located throughout the mid-Atlantic region, Stradley Ronon is the only eastern Pennsylvania member of Meritas, the world’s largest affiliation of independent commercial law firms.