Firm History

1871
Wayne MacVeagh, John B. McPherson and Lyman D. Gilbert Firm founded by Wayne MacVeagh, John B. McPherson and Lyman D. Gilbert.
1879
Major Reno Lyman D. Gilbert defends Major Reno in a Court of Inquiry concerning his conduct at the Battle of the Little Big Horn on June 25-26, 1876.
1880

Duncan v. Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Duncan involved 19th century urban infrastructure development in the City of Philadelphia. Firm attorneys persuade Pennsylvania Supreme Court to establish railroad's right to construct branch lines on purchased railroads.

Hall v Pennsylvania Railroad Co. After striking railroad employees in Pittsburgh started a fire that destroyed a shipper's goods, the United States District Court held that the railroad could not be held liable for the actions of a lawless mob, so exception to liability applied.

1881
Wayne MacVeagh Wayne MacVeagh appointed U. S. Attorney General by President Garfield.
1882
Firm name changed to Weiss and Gilbert.
1899
Lyman D. Gilbert Lyman Gilbert elected President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
1907

Firm name changed to Gilbert, Bergner and Cunningham.

Harrisburg v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co. Firm attorneys successfully argued that a railroad company should be allowed to construct and operate its own water mains on and through its property to supply water for its own purposes.

1912
John B. McPherson John B. McPherson appointed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President Taft.
1914
Firm name changed to Bergner, Cunningham and Nauman
1925
J. E. B. Cunningham appointed to Superior Court of Pennsylvania
1932
Firm name changed to Nauman, Smith and Hurlock
1934
Schwenk v. Pennsylvania R.R. Co. Firm prevailed in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to establish that not only the driver of a vehicle, but also the adult passengers, have a continuing duty to stop, look and listen when traveling over a rail-highway crossing.
1939
Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v. Driscoll. Pennsylvania Supreme Court found the challenged provisions of The Full Crew Act of 1937, which prescribed the size of crews required to operate trains of various types, size and purpose, unconstitutional as applied to the Pennsylvania Railroad because the provisions were unreasonably costly to implement and did not increase safety.
1940
Alwine v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Firm attorneys successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that the Interstate Commerce Act making both the receiving carrier and the delivering carrier liable for all damages on a through bill of lading did not apply when the shipment originates in a foreign country.
1946
Picking v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co. After railroad was sued for false imprisonment in connection with the transportation of persons in the custody of peace officers from Pennsylvania to New York, the United States District Court held that since railroads were required to transport such persons, the railroad was simply doing its duty and claims were dismissed.
1949

Nauman, Smith, Shissler & Hall Firm name changed to Nauman, Smith, Shissler and Hall

United States v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that a three-hour break was sufficient to break the continuity of a train crew's service, and railroad was not liable for violation of the Hours of Service Act.

1954
John McI. Smith / William E. Shissler Scibelli v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co. Nauman Smith successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to affirm that railroad had no duty to provide guards to keep people from climbing upon trains.
1958
Spencer G. Hall Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v. Schwartz, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Firm successful in arguing before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to negate the remaining provisions of Full Crew Act of 1937.
1968
James S. Bowman James S. Bowman appointed first President Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
1971
Nauman, Smith, Shissler and Hall celebrates 100th Anniversary
2000
Nauman Smith successfully represents the Patriot News in a Sunshine Act review of the empowerment teams of both the Harrisburg and Steelton School Districts.
2004
Benjamin Dunlap Consolidated Rail Corp. v. City of Harrisburg, Nauman Smith successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to preserve the ability of railroads to enforce their rights under literally thousands of contracts with public utilities.
2006

Craig Staudenmaier Nauman Smith chosen to represent Patriot News reporter, Jan Murphy, in Murphy vs. PHEAA to gain access to PHEAA records. This was the first appellate decision in history to award attorneys' fees to the prevailing media entities under a Right to Know case.

Krentz v. Consolidated Rail Corp. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously reaffirmed the occupied crossing rule as a complete bar to recovery on a negligence claim. The Court also found for the first time that Pennsylvania's blocked crossing statute was preempted under the Federal Rail Safety Act.

2007
Nauman Smith wins court case before The Pennsylvania Supreme Court forcing State Retirement System to release salary records of Penn State University personnel.
2010
Spencer G. Nauman 2010 Spencer G. Nauman, Jr. designated a Living Legacy by the Harrisburg SusqueCentennial Commission.
2011
Nauman, Smith, Shissler and Hall celebrates 140th Anniversary
 
Nauman Smith Shissler & Hall, LLP
200 North 3rd Street, 18th Floor
P.O. Box 840
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.236.3010
fax: 717.234.1925
info@nssh.com