Philadelphia Lawyer Charles Eppolito III to Serve as President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association

HARRISBURG (April 25, 2018) — Philadelphia lawyer Charles Eppolito III, a partner in White and Williams LLP, will become president of the 26,000-member Pennsylvania Bar Association at the conclusion of its Annual Meeting, May 11, in Hershey.

In his role as the 2017-18 president-elect of the organization, Eppolito called for the creation of the PBA Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee to analyze cybersecurity issues and educate PBA members about legal, regulatory and industry standards that preserve the confidentiality of protected information. The committee will advocate for best practices and legal and regulatory requirements that address data privacy concerns; for best practices to prevent, detect and mitigate data breaches; and for unified standards. He also has supported 2017-18 PBA President Sharon R. López with the implementation of her Membership Enhancement Blue Ribbon Panel on Millennials, Mothers and Minorities in the Profession, an appointed group of PBA members who are identifying new approaches to increase association membership through outreach, marketing and mentorship.

Eppolito previously served as the 2016-17 PBA vice president, PBA secretary from 2007 until 2010 and as chair of the PBA House of Delegates, the association’s policy-making body, from 2011 until 2013. He has served as a member of the PBA House of Delegates since 2001. He was the 2002-03 chair of the PBA Young Lawyers Division and is active in the PBA YLD High School Mock Trial Competition for Pennsylvania students.

In addition, Eppolito was 2014-16 co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Leadership Institute, which provides learning opportunities for emerging young leaders of the association.

Eppolito also served as chair of the PBA Membership Development Committee. He served as the chair of the PBA Quality of Life/Balance Committee, vice chair of the PBA Health Care Law Committee, co-chair of the 2005-06 PBA Annual Meeting Task Force and co-chair of the PBA Midyear Meeting.

He received a PBA President’s Award in 2009, the PBA YLD Michael K. Smith Excellence in Service Award in 2007 and a PBA Special Achievement Award in 2006. He has served as an investigative panel member for the Pennsylvania Judicial Evaluation Commission.

Eppolito is a Fellow of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation.

He has been active in the American Bar Association (ABA), serving in its House of Delegates and on the House Select Committee and the Tellers Committee. He also is a member of the ABA’s Medical Professional Liability Standing Committee, and the Bioethics and the Law Special Committee. 

He served as chair of the Medicine and Law Committee of the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and received its Exceptional Achievement Award in 2010. He previously held a number of leadership positions in the ABA's Young Lawyers Division. 

A member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Eppolito served as co-chair of its Environmental and Energy Law Committee from 2012 to 2016 and previously served on the executive board of the Young Lawyers Division. He is a member of the Montgomery Bar Association and serves on its Medical-Legal Committee. He also is a member of the Chester County Bar Association. In addition, he recently served as a board member of the Justinian Society of Philadelphia.

Eppolito is a trial lawyer whose practice consists primarily of the defense of health care providers (hospitals, health systems, physicians, physician groups, nurses), as well as defending matters involving negligence, electrical engineering and product liability issues in utilities cases. He also represents insurance companies/carriers, including primary, excess and reinsurance, throughout the nation. He has tried many medical malpractice cases to verdict in jury trials and has arbitrated others to successful resolution.

He has been named a Pennsylvania “Rising Star” attorney numerous times since 2005 by Law & Politics magazine as a result of a survey of his peers. He has been named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” by Pennsylvania Law Weekly, The Legal Intelligencer and a panel of judges throughout Pennsylvania.

Eppolito has been a speaker or panelist for a number of professional programs, including effective trial advocacy, trial strategy and tips, alternative dispute resolution, effective use and cross-examination of medical experts, mentoring, diversity and quality of life/balance. Eppolito served as a Hearing Committee member for the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Eppolito is a cum laude graduate of Villanova University and the Villanova University School of Law.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 26,000 lawyers who are members of the association.