Gilder, Jefferson Davis

Jim Gicking, who joined the firm in 2001, devotes all of his practice to the firm's Appellate Practice Group, building on 15 years of a varied litigation experience with two prominent Philadelphia firms.  Over the past nine years, Jim has handled over 100 appeals in the state and federal courts, most involving full briefing and argument.  The appeals have covered the broad range of matters handled by the firm's trial lawyers, including medical, legal and accounting malpractice, civil rights, police and municipal liability, defamation, federal and state wiretap claims, tort, contracts, insurance coverage as well as toxic torts and consumer fraud class actions.

After a clerkship with Federal Eastern District Court Judge Edmund Ludwig, Jim began his career with Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis in general litigation and as a member of the Environmental Practice Group.  While at Schnader Harrison, Jim served on a PRP steering committee for a New Jersey Superfund site and represented clients before state environmental agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  His practice at Schnader included defense of pharmaceutical products liability claims, cases involving groundwater contamination, RCRA closure of a hazardous waste site and enforcement of employee non-compete agreements.

Before joining MDWC&G, Jim worked up complex tort cases for nine years at Litvin, Blumberg, Matusow & Young.  His practice at Litvin covered the full range of plaintiffs' personal injury cases, including vehicle crashworthiness and other product defects, industrial accidents, medical malpractice, defamation, as well as insurance and bad faith.

Jim's pro bono work has included serving on the Federal Employment Discrimination Panel, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program and Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.  For a period of years, Jim was also an on-air reader for Philadelphia's Radio Information Services for the Blind, an area broadcast news service.

In 1973, Jim graduated from West Chester University and subsequently received his J.D. in 1986 from City University of New York, Law School at Queens College.  During the years between college and law school, Jim worked in the production and artist relations departments of A&M, Artists' House and CTI Records.

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