Ward Bower, 69, law-firm analyst

Ward Bower, 69, of Newtown Square, a leading law-firm analyst at Altman Weil whose career spanned a period of enormous change in the legal profession, died Thursday, Sept. 28, of a heart attack.

Mr. Bower was in the vanguard of law-firm consultants when he joined Altman Weil in 1975. He was instrumental in the emergence of a growing profession focused on updating the staid world of law-firm management, which more resembled an old-style guild than a modern service profession.

His work was widely published in legal journals, and he often appeared on industry panels and broadcast news shows, explaining the arcane and at times secretive world of large law firms.

"He was a joy to work with," said Altman Weil principal Tom Clay, a longtime friend.

In addition to his easygoing and friendly manner, Mr. Bower's calling card at big firms was his expertise on compensation issues. He assisted in a string of major law-firm mergers in the United States and abroad, helping to guide combinations from the early stages to the final transaction.

Mr. Bower was often called upon by journalists for commentary on trends in the legal profession, and he closely followed the frenzy of merger and acquisition activity following the 2008-09 recession. He saw the trends not necessarily as signs of renewed financial health, but as gambits to boost revenues during a time of restrained spending by clients.

"Law-firm mergers and acquisitions are a primary strategy to acquire new business in a market where demand is flat or constrained," Mr. Bower told the Inquirer this year. "The record number of deals in 2015 is a reflection of the intense competition among law firms for new work, and we expect the market to remain hot in 2016."

Mr. Bower was born in Carlisle, Pa., and raised in nearby Mechanicsburg, where he went to high school. He attended Bucknell University and earned a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law. He assisted in the 2000 merger of the Dickinson law school with Pennsylvania State University and was a member of the Dickinson school's board of governors.

In 1970 and 1971, Mr. Bower served as an air defense officer in the Army in Germany. He was proud of his role as captain of the 1969 Bucknell Bisons baseball team, for which he was a third baseman.

Mr. Bower had a wide circle of friends, who praised his geniality and generous spirit. Each year, he traveled to a lake in Ontario to join friends for an annual fishing trip, which came to be known as "Bob's Lake Walleye Club." He also was a regular at his sons' sporting events and musical performances.

Although Mr. Bower had a law degree, he never practiced law. He was recruited to Altman Weil by Mary Ann Altman, also a Dickinson law graduate, who had partnered with Robert Weil to found the firm. Altman and Weil were pioneers in the legal consulting world, but it was Mr. Bower who helped fuel the growth of the firm, Clay said.

"I always referred to Ward as the accelerant," said Clay, who had been recruited by Bower. "Bob and Mary Ann had this great idea, but Ward accelerated a lot of things at our company. It was extraordinary."

Mr. Bower is survived by his wife, Linda; sons Miles, Chase, Reid, and Seth; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Main Line Unitarian Church, 816 S. Valley Forge Rd., Devon.

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