Barton L. Post, cofounder of the Post & Schell law firm and community-minded entrepreneur, has died at 95
Former colleagues at Post & Schell called him “a visionary leader” and “cherished friend” in a tribute.
Barton L. Post, 95, of West Chester, cofounder of the Post & Schell law firm, cofounder and onetime president of the Professional Casualty Association medical malpractice insurance carrier, founder of a daycare center in Philadelphia, corporate healthcare financial adviser in Chester County, and South Jersey avid deep-sea fisherman, died Sunday, Aug. 10, of complications from pulmonary disease at his home.
Born in Philadelphia and reared mostly by his mother and uncle in Kensington and West Philadelphia in the 1930s and ’40s, Mr. Post worked his way through the Wharton School and law school at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s by driving cabs and waiting tables. It was those long days and nights, his family said in a tribute, that likely instilled the empathy and community service ideals that characterized the work environment at Post & Schell and the nature of his later entrepreneurial pursuits.
“He prided himself on being down-to-earth,” said his son, Ben. “Because he had come from such humble beginnings, this was who he was, and juries related to him.”
He and partner Albert J. Schell founded Post & Schell in 1968 and, recalling the experiences of his uncle, a doctor, and others, specialized in defending physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers in often complex medical malpractice cases. William Sullivan joined the firm later, and it had grown to several branches and more than 100 lawyers by the time Mr. Post fully retired in 2000.
Former colleagues at Post & Schell called him “a visionary leader” and a “cherished friend” in a tribute. A. James Johnston, president and CEO of the firm, said: “Bart led by example, and his work ethic and courtroom prowess were legendary.”
He was a legal expert in economics and navigating the healthcare system, and is one of the few attorneys to be inducted into the College of Physicians of Philadelphia for “advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine”
He became a champion of equal employment opportunity at the highest levels in the workplace. The Inquirer published a story in 1997 about local female lawyers and cited Kenwyn Dougherty of Post & Schell as the only female managing partner of a large firm.
“Any success I had, I owe to him,” a former male colleague said online. A former female colleague said: “He gave me the opportunity to not only survive but to succeed.” His son said: “He always tried to help others both professionally and personally.”
Mr. Post also handled workers’ compensation cases, employment disputes, and business law issues. “He was admired,” a former colleague said, “and led with a quiet kind of brilliance.”
He established a daycare center for working parents in Philadelphia in the 1990s and opened the Eddystone-based Professional Casualty Association in 2001 to provide affordable insurance for physicians and hospitals in Pennsylvania. “He could not stand the idea of physicians leaving Philly because of the cost of insurance,” his son said.
In 2021, he spearheaded efforts to consolidate and improve services at three Chester County hospitals to avoid their closure. He told the Daily Local News: “If these hospitals close or staffing is reduced, what would happen would be catastrophic for the communities they serve.”
He mentored his son and other attorneys, and wrote letters to the editor of The Inquirer about the need for “reasonable malpractice insurance reform” in 2003 and decrying “politicians bribed by the National Rifle Association” in 2018. He and his law partners especially enjoyed deep-sea fishing, and they co-owned and operated several boats together for years at the Jersey Shore.
His granddaughter Haley said: “He was the kind of man who made the impossible possible.”
Barton Lynn Posternock was born July 29, 1930. He grew up with a younger brother, and his mother changed their last name to Post after she and his father divorced.
He was good at basketball and baseball as a boy, and graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1948. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Wharton in 1952 and a law degree at Penn in 1955.
He met Pauline Krouse in junior high school, and they married in 1951. They had a son, Ben, and adopted a daughter, Pam, and a son, Rob, and lived in Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Chester County, Longport, N.J., and elsewhere. His wife and daughter died earlier.
He married Patricia Parsons, and they lived most recently in Florida and West Chester.
Mr. Post enjoyed time in Cape May and Longport with family and friends. He was a big-picture guy and news junkie. “He was charming by all accounts,” his son said. “He was the epitome of a devoted husband, brother, father, and grandfather.”
His granddaughter Haley said: “He was the wisest, most consistent, and generous figure in our lives.”
In addition to his wife, children, and granddaughter, Mr. Post is survived by five other grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and other relatives. His brother died earlier.
A celebration of his life was held on Aug. 20.