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DAUPHIN COUNTY
Conrad O'Brien's expansion into Harrisburg brings heavy hitters
The expansion of Philadelphia firm Conrad O'Brien into its new Harrisburg office has just two full-time lawyers.
While that sounds small, those two lawyers are as powerfully connected to the capital as any in town.
Stephen C. MacNett, who retired as chief counsel for the Republican Senate after about 35 years, and Christopher D. Carusone, the former secretary of legislative affairs for Gov. Tom Corbett, are representing the firm as it expands into the region to take on more government and consulting work.
"It's gone beyond our expectations," said Matthew H. Haverstick, a shareholder and practicing attorney in the firm's Philadelphia office and a native of Washington, Lancaster County. "It's not every day guys like that are available and interested in being your partners. Those guys could have gone anywhere."
For both men, it's the new start they were looking for.
MacNett retired from the Senate in early 2011 and quickly found that retirement didn't suit him.
"I did nothing. And I mean, nothing," he said about the first few months of retirement. "And it was the most unsatisfying period of my life."
He got to know Jim Rohn, chairman of Conrad O'Brien, as the firm was involved in defending some of the Pennsylvania legislators involved in the "Bonusgate" investigation in the late 2000s. The two met during and after the investigation at times over the years - "to break bread, have coffee," as MacNett put it - but there was never a job offer floated.
When he got bored with retirement, the two met and agreed to have MacNett come on part time in spring 2011. While work was slow in the beginning as the firm started in Harrisburg, it...