Bill Green jumps to Dilworth Paxson

Bill Green is joining the law firm of Dilworth Paxson L.L.P.

Green, head of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission and a former city councilman, makes the jump from Duane Morris L.L.P. on Tuesday. He will become special counsel in Dilworth Paxson's corporate and business department.

Green is the latest heavy hitter to join the storied Philadelphia firm. Former U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews also joined Dilworth Paxson this year.

The move was confirmed by Ajay Raju, the firm's new chief executive and cochairman, who has made attracting civic-powerhouse lawyers a priority.

"We want to be a magnet for people like that," Raju said Monday. "We want to attract those folks who have steel in their spine, who think broadly beyond their clients, of the larger region."

Raju praised Green's legal skills - he has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, securities and business start-ups. But he underscored the importance of Green's work as SRC chair, which is unpaid but nearly a full-time job, especially as the Philadelphia School District grapples with a $216 million gap for the 2014-15 year.

Fixing the city's beleaguered public school system is "probably the most pressing issue" for the region, Raju said. He said Green is uniquely equipped to do that, and will have the full support of his new firm.

"We wanted to make sure that he had a home here," said Raju. "We wanted to be part of that fight."

Green said he was excited to join Dilworth Paxson.

"The firm is in an exciting transition," he said. "I just think there's an exceptional opportunity in an entrepreneurial environment that I am excited about participating in."