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Allan H. Gordon, 77, former chancellor of Philadelphia Bar Association

Family members remembered Mr. Gordon's pure love of the law, his respect for judges, and his desire to give back to his profession.

Allan H. Gordon, 77, former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association
Allan H. Gordon, 77, former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar AssociationRead morePhiladelphia Bar Association

Allan H. Gordon, 77, of Philadelphia, a prominent lawyer and former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, died Tuesday, June 19, of lung disease in Aventura, Fla.

"He was funny, personable, and an amazing storyteller," said his daughter Tara Kochman. "Wherever he went, everyone knew him. I didn't know anyone who didn't like him."

A born and bred Philadelphian, Mr. Gordon graduated from Central High School in 1958 and enrolled in Temple University a year later. He remained at Temple to study law and graduated top of his class in 1966.

In his professional career, Mr. Gordon was a pioneer in personal-injury law and founded his own firm with Temple Law classmates shortly after graduation. He left this partnership in 1970 to join Kolsby & Wolfe under the mentorship of trial lawyer Herb Kolsby. Mr. Gordon became a naming partner of the firm, now known as Kolsby, Gordon, Robin & Shore, one of the city's personal-injury practices.

An influential figure in Philadelphia's legal community, Mr. Gordon headed a number of organizations.

He served as the chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association from 2002 to 2003, chaired the association's board of governors, and was a president of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.

In addition, Mr. Gordon helped found the Judge Pro Tempore program within the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, which eliminated around 15,000 cases from the city's backlog, according to close friend and fellow lawyer Francis P. Devine III. Devine, a partner with Pepper Hamilton, met Mr. Gordon while establishing the program in the late 1980s, marking the start of a long friendship.

"Allan was not just a giant in the law, he was a legend in the law," Devine said. "He carried himself with such excellence that he not only achieved fame, he received respect from the bench, the bar, his colleagues, his clients, and his friends."

Devine said Mr. Gordon loved to talk about his family, cheer for Philadelphia and his grandchildren's sports teams alike, and enjoy a good meal accompanied by a glass of wine or a martini.

In an emailed statement, current Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Mary F. Platt described Mr. Gordon as "an accomplished leader" who was known for "his generous spirit, wit, charm, and grace."

Family members remembered Mr. Gordon's pure love of the law, his respect for judges, and his desire to give back to his profession. One of Mr. Gordon's favorite duties as bar association chancellor was the swearing in of new citizens, according to his son-in-law Cary Kochman.

About a decade ago, he moved to Florida with his wife, Sharon. Even after his retirement, he was a nationally recognized arbitrator for ADR Options, a Philadelphia-based arbitration firm, frequently commuting to Philadelphia from his new home in Florida.

Along with his wife and his daughter Tara, Mr. Gordon is survived by daughters Lauren Cohen and Pamela and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service will be on Sunday, June 24, at 11 a.m. at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, 1001 Remington Rd., Wynnewood, Pa.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.