William R. Sasso

During his 50-plus years of experience, Mr. Sasso has counseled privately and publicly held companies and religious and nonprofit organizations in various matters, including general corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare, education, medical devices, tax and real estate.

Given that Mr. Sasso recognizes the importance of fair, bipartisan and good government, as well as the fact that many of the firm’s clients operate in areas of heavy governmental regulation, he has been involved politically for several decades. For example, he was asked in November 2022 to become the chairman of the board of the transition team for the governor-elect in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro. In addition, after the November 2016 election, Mr. Sasso was asked by then Attorney General-elect Josh Shapiro to serve as senior counsel to his transition team. He was also appointed by then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to serve on the board of Independence Blue Cross. He was appointed by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett as chairman of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure and Investment Authority (PENNVEST) and as a commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority, an office he held until 2015. He was asked in 2010 by then-Gov.-elect Corbett to co-chair his transition team in preparation for taking office in January 2011.

For the last five years (2020 through 2024), and continuing to the present, Mr. Sasso has served as chairman of Select Greater Philadelphia. Select is the arm of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia responsible for marketing the Greater Philadelphia region in order to attract and retain jobs. As such, in addition to his legal practice, he has worked on a pro bono basis for the HRP project involving the development of the former Sunoco refinery site, as well as for the Philadelphia International Airport, the Port of Philadelphia, and developments at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

In 2018, Mr. Sasso received a lifetime achievement award from The Philadelphia Inquirer for his leadership in the legal and business community. In 2022, he was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Power 100 list of the most influential people in the Philadelphia region, a recognition he has received for the last six years. The publication deemed him the “dean of Philadelphia’s law firm leaders” and noted that he “often serves as the legal adviser of choice for some of the region’s key business and political leaders.” In 2019, Mr. Sasso was selected by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of Philadelphia’s Most Admired CEOs. The honorees include 25 individuals “who are established leaders with a record of innovation, outstanding financial performance, a commitment to quality, a strong vision, a commitment to diversity in the workplace and contributions to Greater Philadelphia.” He was also inducted into the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar: Hall of Fame” to honor his outstanding legal career.

In addition, Mr. Sasso was named as one of the “23 Most Influential Business People in Philadelphia” by Philadelphia Business Journal readers. He was the only practicing lawyer included on the prestigious list. He was also honored by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one the publication's “2015 Outstanding Directors” due to his work with the Children’s Scholarship Fund and by Philly Biz as one of the region’s “Best Business Lawyers.” Mr. Sasso was named to City & State Pennsylvania’s Power 100 for the last five years. He was also recognized by City & State Pennsylvania as one of the “Top 10 Titans: Power Players You Need to Know” in Pennsylvania politics and Philly Biz honored him as one of their Power 50, a list of 50 people “shaping the future of Philadelphia's business community.”

He was also recognized by the American Diabetes Association for his commitment to this organization and was the recipient of the Chairman’s Award from the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey in honor of his service to the country and his sustained and significant support of the USO mission.

Notably, Mr. Sasso and the firm were selected as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Americanism Award recipients, which recognized their commitment to the Greater Philadelphia community and to the values of ADL. Mr. Sasso was honored with the American Jewish Committee’s Judge Learned Hand Award, presented each year to a member of the Philadelphia bar whose achievements exemplify the high principles and noble traditions associated with Judge Learned Hand. Also, Mr. Sasso and the firm were presented with the Stand and Deliver Award by Philadelphia Academies for their commitment to providing educational opportunities to inner-city youth.

Pope John Paul II awarded Mr. Sasso a Papal Knighthood as a Knight of St. Gregory the Great.

He was also the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s William Penn Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a businessperson in Greater Philadelphia. Awarded annually since 1949, recipients are chosen for their outstanding contributions toward the betterment of the region, their professional accomplishments and their commitment to charity, as well as to the community.

In 2016, Mr. Sasso received an honorary degree from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. In 2015, he was chosen by Philadelphia University to serve as the school's undergraduate commencement speaker and the university conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.

Mr. Sasso was recognized by Chambers USA for being “known throughout the region for his integrity, tenacity and pragmatic approach as a business leader and attorney.”