Dan Anders, a longtime Philadelphia resident, is an attorney at the Philadelphia law firm Pepper Hamilton LLP. He represents clients in business to business litigation to help resolve disputes in a fair and equitable manner.

Dan's outstanding legal and community work has won him high praise from his peers in the legal and business communities. In 2005, he was named a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by the Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer. In 2004, the Philadelphia Business Journal named him one of the "Forty Under 40," a list of young professionals on the move in Philadelphia.

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Bar Association recognized Dan with the Pro Bono Service Award. The recognition was well-deserved considering he spends an average of 300 hours a year providing free legal advice and counsel to community organizations and individuals.

In addition to his pro bono work, Dan has served on the boards of a number of legal and community organizations in Philadelphia. He was recently appointed to the Philadelphia Municipal Authority, which oversees the city's long-term contracts including bond deals and office lease agreements for City properties. At the end of last year, he ended his terms as chair of the board of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights and as chair of the Mayor's LGBT Advisory Board. He is also a founding member of Liberty PA.

Dan lives in the East Falls section of Philadelphia. He graduated cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh's law school and served on the school's Law Review. When he's not working or volunteering his time (which isn't often) Dan is an excellent amateur photographer.

"Though lots of people know I'm gay, the coming-out process really doesn't end. It's important to be who you are and to be happy with yourself. Many other courageous people came out before me. Being gay doesn't define who I am or impact my job in any tangible way, but maybe I can be a role model for some gay kid or inspire someone to get involved in politics."

said Daniel Anders, when he took the oath as the first openly gay man to become a judge in Philadelphia.