Ajay Raju


Ajay Raju is an Indian-American attorney who is currently the Chairman & CEO at the Philadelphia based law firm Dilworth Paxson LLP. Prior to working at Dilworth Paxson LLP., he was the managing partner at Reed Smith's Philadelphia office.

Early life

Raju was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India where he lived until he was 14 years old. At 14, Raju and his family moved to Northeast Philadelphia. At the time, Raju did not speak English.
In 1988, Raju enrolled at Temple University, which he attended until 1992. After graduation, he attended the Temple University Beasley School of Law, from which he graduated - with honors - in 1996. Originally, Raju planned to become a doctor before deciding to become a lawyer.

Law career

After graduating from law school, Raju took a job with Morgan Lewis & Bockius. During his time there, Raju created a group to deal with logistical issues. In 2004, Raju joined Reed Smith as a partner. There, he mainly focused on commercial real estate, telecommunications law and India. Eventually, he became the managing partner of Reed Smith's Philadelphia office.

Dilworth Paxson

In January 2014, Raju left Reed Smith to become the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive of Dilworth Paxson LLP. It is believed that Dilworth brought Raju in to eventually replace chairman Joseph Jacovini and managing partner Steve Harmelin.

Work in Philadelphia

Raju has done a variety of work for the city of Philadelphia. Currently, he serves on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the World Affairs Council, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Philadelphia Zoo. Raju is also a panelist for ABC 6's Sunday morning show.

Personal life

Raju currently lives in Society Hill, Philadelphia with his 3 kids and his wife, Pamela. Raju is also known for his love of clothes.