Peter F. Vaira
1339 Chestnut Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19107
About Peter F. Vaira
Practice Areas
- Federal
Education
- Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1962J.D.
- Duquesne University, 1959B.A.
Classes and Seminars
- "International Arbitrations", Saltzburg, Austria, 2004
- "Electronic Filing in the Eastern District of PA", Philadelphia Bar Institute, 2004
- "Dealing with IRS Agents", Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, 2003
- "The Trial of the September 11 War Criminals", Philadelphia Bar Institute, 2002
- "The 2000 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure", Philadelphia Bar Institute, 2000
- "Civil Practice and Procedure in the Eastern District", Philadelphia Bar Institute, 1999
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1962
- Illinois, 1984
- District of Columbia, 1968
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1962
- U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1962
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1962
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1972
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
Other Affiliations
- Philadelphia Police Commissioner, 1992 (Member, Mayor's Selection Committee)
- Seminar panelist Controlling International Organized Crime, Rome, Sorrento, Italy, 1994
- Independent Commission to Review Palatine Illinois Murders, Chicago Crime Commission, 1996 (Member)
- Panelist at the International Conference on Trial by Jury in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1996
- Police Corruption Task Force, 1997 (Member)
- American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)
- American Law Institute (Fellow)
- USGA 2003 Women's Amateur Championship (Press Officer)
- The Legal Intelligencer and The Philadelphia Lawyer (Editorial Board)
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow)
- Criminal Procedure Committee, 1991 - 1994 (Chairman)
- Communications Committee, 1996 - Present (Member)
- International Committee, 2009 - Present (Member)
- Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL)
- Executive Director, Mayor’s Independent Commission Regarding the Licenses & Inspections Department, 2013
- Special Hearing Master, Commerce Court Program, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, 2012 to present
- Member, Philadelphia Mayor’s Police Department Transition Team, 2008 Independent Hearing Officer, Laborers’ International Union of North America, 1995 to present
- Mayor’s Selection Committee for Philadelphia Police Commissioner, 1992 - Present (Member)
- Philadelphia Commission on Police Corruption, 1997 - 1998 (Member)
- President’s Commission on Organized Crime, 1984 - 1985 (Executive Director)
- Court Appointed Arbitrator, Fen Phen Diet Drug Class Action Suit settlement, Philadelphia
Past Positions
- United States Navy, Lieutenant, 1963 - 1968
- Laborers' International Union of North America, Independent Hearing Officer
- President's Commission on Organized Crime in Washington, D.C., Executive Director
- Eastern District of Pennsylvania, United States Attorney
- Office of Judge Advocate General, Washington, D.C.
- United States Navy (Judge Advocate), Active Duty, Officer, 1963 - 1968
Articles
Published Works
- Author of Eastern District of Pennsylvania Federal Practice Rules Annotated, Gann Law Books Company, published annually since 1998
- Author of Corporate Responses to Grand Jury Investigations, Matthew Bender, 1984, revised annually
- 10 Questions for Magistrate Judge Jacob Hart, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Fall, 2003
- 10 Questions for Judge John P. Fullam, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Spring, 2003
- The Police Arbitration Procedure, A Realistic Appraisal, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Spring, 2002
- Preventive Management Guide Agents on Your Doorstep: Managing the Government Investigation, Corporation Criminal Liability Reporter, Winter, Vol. 2, No.1, 1998
- Review the State Supreme Court, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August, 1996
- Interview of Chairman of South African Free Election Committee, The Legal Intelligencer, January, 1995
- Memo to the New Police Commissioner, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August, 1992
- To Streamline Federal Criminal Cases, The New York Times, November, 1991
- 10 Questions for Judge Bruce W. Kauffman, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Summer, 2006
- 10 Questions for Judge Joseph A. Hudock, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Summer, 2002
- Regular columnist, “Eastern District Practice” and the Legal lntelligencer, a daily commercial legal newspaper
- Blogger, Professional Blog – Peter Vaira, Eastern District Practice
- Member, Editorial Board, The Philadelphia Lawyer magazine (Editor 2008-2009) and The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer
Office Info
Other Colleagues
- Civil Rights, Criminal Law
Nearby Lawyers
- Federal
- 0.5 mile away
The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law.