Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania), July 20, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)

Distributed by Knight/Ridder Tribune News Service

July 20, 2006 Thursday

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL NEWS


HEADLINE: H. Thomas Felix II, labor negotiator

BYLINE: John F. Morrison, Philadelphia Daily News

BODY:
Jul. 20--JOAN Parker met Tom Felix when both were involved in a labor negotiation involving Cheltenham Township in 1978.
Tom, even then recognized as one of the most skilled labor-management attorneys in the region, represented the township, and Joan was brought in as a neutral mediator.
"He was very bright, very polished, very entertaining," she said.
That was the beginning of a professional relationship, which was destined to change.
"He was intellectually challenging to work with," she said. "After we had worked on a few cases together, it became clear that he was interested in me other than professionally."
After he boldly announced to her one day that he was going to marry her, he started showing up with flowers and candy every Friday night. They were married in August 1985.
Felix was a gentleman in every sense of the word, as proclaimed not only by his wife but by everybody who knew him.
His demeanor was partially molded by the heroes of his era. "He was from the John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston generation," his wife, 15 years his junior, said. "He never missed a war movie."
H. Thomas Felix II, who represented city and state governments in labor negotiations back to the administration of Mayor James H.J. Tate, as well as business firms and public agencies, a lawyer who regularly made the national lists of "super lawyers," died of cancer Tuesday. He was 72 and lived in Haverford.
Gov. Rendell credited Felix with having a big role in the famous financial "turnaround" of the city in the early '90s, when Rendell, the newly inaugurated mayor, was handed a budget deficit of $250 million and a city on the verge of financial collapse.
"Tom negotiated historic contracts with the city unions that got us back on the track," Rendell said.
He was the city's arbitrator on a three-person arbitration panel that approved contracts that froze wages for police and firefighters, and won other concessions.
"These were tremendous victories for us," Rendell said. "We would not have made it back if it wasn't for Tom Felix."
Besides being a great negotiator, Rendell said, Felix was "one of the best and nicest people you would ever want to meet.
"He was a great storyteller, had a great sense of humor. If you were having a bad day and you ran into Tom, he'd make you feel better about everything. He was a great raconteur, so full of life."
Felix was in the forefront of hundreds of municipal labor negotiations, and also represented the school district, the Philadelphia Gas Commission and numerous local corporations.
He respected unions and never engaged in "union-busting" tactics.
Federal mediator Robert L. Kyler once said of Felix's firm (at the time, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel), "They don't go looking for decertification elections. They'd rather settle and get agreements. He loves to negotiate a good agreement for the employer."
Felix also had the respect of lawyers on the other side of the bargaining table. One of those was labor lawyer Deborah R. Willig.
"I cannot count the number of times we negotiated across the table from each other with the city, the school district and private-sector unions," said Willig.
"In each and every instance, Tom was a firm but fair negotiator. He was a terrific advocate for his clients, but always respected the other side.
"Most importantly, in the world of labor negotiations, he was a man of his word. If Tom said you had a deal, you had a deal."
Said longtime associate Ken Jarin: "He was a charming, entertaining guy. He was the best labor lawyer going, as well as a teacher and mentor. A lot of leading management-side lawyers were trained by Tom. He was highly revered."
Tom was born in Philadelphia to Claire and David Felix. His grandfather Harry Felix was an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia in the '20s and '30s.
He was a graduate of Germantown Friends School, the University of Virginia and Temple University School of Law, where he taught for many years.
He began his law practice with the Legal Aid Society of Philadelphia before joining Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, where he practiced for nearly 30 years and became a partner and chairman of the labor and employment group.
In 1984, he founded the firm of Sprecher, Felix, Visco, Hutchison & Young. In 1991, he merged his labor group into Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads. In 2002, he joined Ballard Spahr. He was actively practicing law until a few weeks before his death.
Felix was a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and authored books and articles on labor law. He was one of the first recipients of the City of Hope's Spirit of Life Award, presented by the Tri-State Labor and Management Council.
Felix and his wife were world travelers, taking a trip or cruise every year. They bought so much on the trips that they had to buy suitcases to bring it all home. They finally hit on the idea of taking a couple of empty suitcases with them, which they easily filled with their purchases.
For 10 years, they had a summer home on Long Beach Island in New Jersey, which his wife said she didn't much care for, and for the last five years they had a home on the Chesapeake in Maryland, which she enjoyed.
They had a 22-foot boat and Tom enjoyed fishing and crabbing in the bay.
"Anywhere near the water, he was happy," his wife said.
"Tom loved parties," she said. "He loved his booze. He was the first to say, 'Let's have a cocktail.' "
He also is survived by a son, H. Thomas Felix III, who will enter the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in the fall; and a brother, William.
Services: 1 p.m. today at Beth David Synagogue, 1130 Vaughans Lane, Gladwyne, with shiva at the family residence through Tuesday evening.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bryn Mawr Hospital, 130 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.
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