Bill Roberts, longtime lawyer at Blank Rome and Center City Renaissance man, has died at 79

Bill Roberts, 79, of Philadelphia, longtime lawyer and general counsel at Blank Rome LLP, botanist, musician, literary scholar, volunteer, and Center City Renaissance man, died Friday, Aug. 30, of interstitial lung disease at his home.

Mr. Roberts was a popular associate in the litigation department, then partner, then general counsel at Blank Rome from 1972 to his retirement in 2021. He helped shape the firm’s leadership structure and oversaw a rapid expansion as its first general counsel in 2009.

Colleagues called him “a lawyer’s lawyer,” and he represented clients in complex cases about antitrust, free speech, legal malpractice, federal election campaign finance law, and other high-profile issues. He was known as Blank Rome’s “lethal weapon in a velvet glove,” and Grant S. Palmer, chair and managing partner, said Mr. Roberts was “instrumental to our success. We are all better people for having known Bill.”

Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Harvard University and law degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and was versed in fishing, international travel, and ancient Greek and Latin literature in addition to botany and music. “His legacy is not just in the legal wisdom he imparted,” said Alan J. Hoffman, chair emeritus at Blank Rome, “but in the cultural richness he brought to our lives through his shared experiences and deep knowledge.”

He lived in Center City for decades and was a research associate on the botany staff for the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University. He specialized in the wild plants of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, and searched for botanical references in the original texts of authors such as Homer, Theocritus, and Virgil.

He played the violin and lute. He was president of the board of directors for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for 30 years, chair of the board of trustees for the Harvard Review of Philosophy, and trustee and member of several other cultural, academic, and professional groups.

In 2023, as a member of the advisory council of Rowan University’s College of Performing Arts, he arranged for famed pianist Mikhail Voskresensky to play at Rowan. “Bill pursued richly varied interests with unabashed singularity,” his family said in a tribute.

Mr. Roberts represented communications specialist Stephan Rosenfeld and SEPTA in the 1990s, and Rosenfeld said his work was “masterful, and not only was his laserlike focus and intellect obvious to any observer, in his humble, understated way, he commanded the respect of all involved.”

Other colleagues at Blank Rome called Mr. Roberts “wise, distinguished, calm, ethical, funny, and honest” in a tribute, and noted his “unmatched contributions, sound advice, and steadfast commitment” to the firm. His niece, Lisa Detwiler, said: “He was enthusiastic, insightful, and thoughtful.”

William Henry Roberts was born June 14, 1945, in Buffalo, N.Y. He was curious and energetic as a boy, and he became known for his remarkable memory and what colleagues called his “encyclopedic knowledge of everything.”

He lived in Williamsport, Pa., and Short Hills, N.J., before settling in Philadelphia. He clerked for judges in federal court and state court before joining Blank Rome in the early 1970s, and he did pro bono jobs for years for organizations he supported.

He followed politics closely, enjoyed the theater, and traveled to Canada and Europe often. When a nearby bookstore closed, he bought its giant shelves and hired a carpenter to refit them for his vast personal library.

He fished for trout with fly rods and led botanical sightseeing tours in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He even pointed out distinctive plants at company golf outings and hosted botany happy hour on Fridays after work to talk about flora with friends and colleagues.

“He was friendly and patient,” his niece said. “He was lovely.”

In addition to his niece, Mr. Roberts is survived by a nephew and two great-nephews. A sister died earlier.

A celebration of his life is to be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at the Philadelphia Club, 1301 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107.

Donations in his name may be made to the Harvard Review of Philosophy, Emerson Hall, 25 Quincy St., Cambridge, Mass.; and the Marlboro Music School and Festival, 2472 South Rd., Marlboro, Vt. 05344.