Suzanne Ilene Schiller Featured in Fellow Spotlight for Litigation Counsel of America
Philadelphia, PA (December 19, 2011) –Suzanne Ilene Schiller, a partner in Manko Gold Katcher Fox, LLP, brings a focused eye to each client she represents and an aggressive approach to each case she handles, knowing that a client’s business needs are best achieved from a position of strength. And for nearly twenty-five years, that formula has resulted in successful representations of Fortune 100 companies, leading shopping center owners, commercial real estate developers, big box tenants, building contractors, and municipalities. Suzanne has tried jury and non-jury cases in federal and state courts, arbitration proceedings, and pre- and post-trial evidentiary hearings and has appeared before appellate courts literally from coast to coast, having begun practicing in Los Angeles and, in 1992, moving to Philadelphia.
“My grandparents worked hard all their lives, saving what they made to buy land and commercial properties. They were proud of the stores and the restaurants that operated on them, and always looked at their investments with an eye to the future – what part of a town was likely to experience growth, what residential neighborhoods would become more attractive as time went on,” Schiller explains. “That gave me an appreciation for what developers, retailers, and builders do, and how, with the right vision, they can and do transform communities.” Which is why, in large part, Suzanne came to concentrate her practice in the areas of real estate and environmental litigation. “I love working with people who love land, that’s really the heart of the matter.”
A member of the International Council of Shopping Centers for more than 20 years, Suzanne is a frequent speaker at legal and industry trade conferences addressing subjects such as environmental laws, public access, Title III of the ADA, and leasing rights. She also has been a regular author on real estate issues for industry publications such as Shopping Center Legal Update and Commercial Leasing Law and Strategy. At HastingsCollegeof the Law, Suzanne was the Executive Technical Editor of Comm/Ent: Hastings Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law and as a graduate ofBenningtonCollege inVermont, she served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 1992-1996.
When not attending to her law practice, Suzanne can generally be found in one of two places: on the ski slopes or in another country. As a member of the National Ski Patrol and a certified instructor of Outdoor Emergency Care, Suzanne spends most weekends from December to March patrolling at Jack Frost Mountain in the Poconos. “In obvious ways, it is completely different from practicing law – I’m outdoors, I’m physically active, and I’m approaching medical, not legal, emergencies. But in other ways, I’m using the same personal skills, responding to people who have problems that need to be addressed and discussed.” As for the travel, “it really began in earnest after I took theCaliforniabar exam in 1987. I didn’t take just a few weeks and sit on a beach; instead, I traveled, literally, around the world.” Since then, Suzanne has traveled to all seven continents. With nearly sixty countries explored, she’s always looking forward to the next adventure. “My preference is for developing countries. While I love going to museums and restaurants and shops, there’s nothing quite the same as stumbling upon something amazing – an outstanding Roman ruin or a crumbling Byzantine church – on the outskirts of a small town that no one has even heard of before.”
