Gold Sponsors 

Ballard Spahr LLP traces its origins to 1885 and became known as "Ballard and Spahr" in the early 1900s when Ellis Ames Ballard and Boyd Lee Spahr began practicing law together.  Today, we remain dedicated to our founders' fundamental guiding principle - excellence in the practice of law.

Ballard Spahr LLP has grown to be one of the largest law firms in the country, with more than 500 lawyers and 12 offices located throughout the United States in Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Bethesda, MD; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; Voorhees, NJ; Washington, DC; and Wilmington, DE.  As a large, multi-practice, multi-regional law firm, Ballard Spahr LLP is able to combine a national scope of practice with strong local market knowledge to represent companies, individuals, and other entities in virtually every state and around the world.

Wachovia is one of the nation's leading financial services companies. It is the sixth largest banking company, the eighth largest securities business, based on revenue, and the sixth largest broker-dealer, as well as a major asset manager and a leading provider of insurance products. Wachovia has the largest domestic deposit share from Florida to Connecticut and serves 16 million customers.

 Silver Sponsors

Conner Strong is a leading insurance brokerage and consulting firm. Through proprietary approaches, the firm offers customized property and casualty and employee benefit programs designed to align with organizational goals and drive bottom-line growth.

Founded in 1959, Conner Strong is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The privately held firm ranks among the largest insurance brokerages in the country. Each year, Conner Strong places more than $1 billion in premium volume and has a team of nearly 300 insurance professionals, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad.

The firm’s specialty practices include: Aviation, Construction, Construction Wrap-ups, Education, Executive Risk, Financial Services, Healthcare, Hospitality & Gaming, Life Science & Technology, Public Entity, Real Estate and Surety.

Duane Morris LLP, among the 100 largest law firms in the United States, is a full-service firm of approximately 550 lawyers. In addition, Duane Morris affiliates have approximately 50 professionals engaged in a number of nonlegal service businesses. The firm represents clients across the nation and around the world through a combination of 20 offices and a relationship with an international network of independent law firms. Throughout its 100 year history, Duane Morris has fostered a collegial culture, where lawyers work with each other to better serve their clients. Lawyers who are leaders in a range of legal disciplines and have diverse backgrounds join Duane Morris in order to use the latest technology, professional support staff and other resources in pursuit of clients' goals.  

Pepper Hamilton, LLP, is a multi-practice law firm with 400 lawyers in 9 offices. The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the nation and the world. Our firm has grown from a two-person law office formed in 1890 in Philadelphia to a sophisticated, large law firm with a national and international practice. While much about Pepper Hamilton is new and different from its beginnings, we retain traditional values passed down through the decades: respect for the rule of law, pride in an excellent work product and commitment to the client's cause. Today, Pepper Hamilton is a diverse firm of men and women from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, united in these values.  

PricewaterhouseCoopers provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 130,000 people in 148 countries work collaboratively using Connected Thinking to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. “PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.  

Quaker BioVentures is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in life science companies located in the Mid-Atlantic region. The firm leads investments in companies across the spectrum of the life science industry, including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, human diagnostics, health information technology, and healthcare services. Quaker BioVentures invests in companies at varying stages of development, from early stage businesses to public companies. 

Fellows Sponsor

Founded in 1998, the Higgins Group specializes in senior-level searches in both major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms. Owner and Founder Donna Higgins has over two decades of experience in both emerging and large corporate environments, which translates into deep knowledge of and insight into the lifesciences world, a dedicated focus on the right results, and the willingness to understand and put clients' needs first. "The proof is in our track record of successful placements", says Donna Higgins. "Out of all the searches we've performed, 98% of those placed are still with their organizations and, of those on-board more than 18 months, over half have been promoted."

Academic Sponsor

LeBow College of Business has an outstanding reputation for leadership, corporate partnerships, technological strengths, industry perspectives and flexibility to meet the demands of today's business world.

Penn State Great Valley extends the resources and reputation of one of the nation's leading research universities to suburban Philadelphia. Penn State Great Valley delivers outstanding graduate degree programs, professional development courses, and conference planning services.