Trial Magazine

The plaintiff bar is mourning the loss of Philadelphia mass tort lawyer and longtime AAJ member Arnold Levin, who passed away on Sept. 20. His friends and colleagues remember him for his larger-than-life personality and take-charge attitude. He was proud of his service as a captain in the U.S. Army, and he approached his legal career in much the same way.

Arnold Levin
1939–2024

“Arnold developed a cadre of loyal followers who gladly learned from him and carried through his visions to obtain justice on behalf of clients,” remembered his law partner and friend Fred Longer.

Trial lawyer Russ Herman, Arnold’s close friend of 50 years, said “Arnie was an exceptional lawyer and human being. I loved him dearly.”

A proud son of South Philadelphia, Arnold graduated from Temple Law School in 1964 and went on to establish the plaintiff firm Levin Sedran & Berman. He focused his career on class actions ad nationwide multidistrict litigation, including those involving asbestos, Chinese drywall, and the drugs Vioxx and Fen-Phen. He took on leadership roles in many of these cases, including lead liaison counsel in the Fen-Phen litigation.

“I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with Arnold over a number of years,” said friend and colleague Steve Herman. “Even in a room of successful trial lawyers—when he spoke, people listened.”

Longer remembered Arnold as an attorney with a strong work ethic who prepared extensively. “He had a tremendous capacity for handling all aspects of a case—from soup to nuts,” he said. “Meeting the client, preparing the complaint, trying the case, handling any appeals, negotiating settlements—he was capable of doing everything. He was smart in the law and very engaging as a trial lawyer.”

Longer also remembered Arnold as a voracious reader with a remarkable memory that made him “an encyclopedia of case law,” he noted. “Because he was so smart and innovative, he was capable of shaping the law to advance our clients’ best interests.”

Longtime law partner Larry Berman echoed these sentiments and added: “The respect that the firm was able to gain under his tutelage and leadership is something that will enable the firm to have a legacy.”

Arnold joined AAJ in 1973 and in 2003 became a member of the association’s Leaders Forum^®, which supports AAJ’s mission and is the premier network of plaintiff firms in the country. He served AAJ in a variety of capacities over the years, including on the State Delegates Committee, the Amicus Curiae Committee, and the Justice List Committee. He was a member of the Class Action Litigation Group and the Class Action, Environmental and Toxic Tort, and Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sections.

“Arnold embraced the changing landscape of the profession and was generous when his own knowledge and experience might advance the cause of fellow trial lawyers and their clients,” said Steve Herman. “On a personal note, he was a friend to our firm and our family, and was always encouraging, even when I was a young lawyer and lost a few arguments that Arnie assured me no one could have won (even though he probably could have).”

Russ Herman said, “I will never forget the fire and mischief in his smile. He was one of a kind.”

Arnold was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara. He is survived by his wife Brenda, his children, and his grandchildren.