JD Journal » corporate law

Josheph Flom Dead at 87

joshua — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:13:58 +0000

Joseph Flom passed away last night in a New York hospital from hear failure. The last living named partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom was 87 years old.

Flom was a New York native and began his education by taking night classes at City College of New York, while working a day job as an office boy in a small law firm. During World War II he served in the US Army, and then got his law degree from Harvard University with the help of the GI Bill. The following year he was the first associate hired by the three founders of Skadden, and became a partner in 1954.

In the 70′s, Flom brought M&A into the mainstream of corporate law and served as lead counsel in numerous hostile takeovers.

Joseph Flom was the founding trustee of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, whose mission is “to give Fellows the freedom to pursue public interest work.” In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the foundation.

LeClairRyan Selects New CEO

joshua — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:41:33 +0000

LeClairRyan has selected David C. Freinberg, a shareholder in its Newark, N.J. office, to become its next CEO.

Freinberg, who’d led the firm’s 75-employee Newark office, will officially assume responsibilities as CEO no later than the fall of 2012, following a management transition period.

The firm’s co-founder, chairman and CEO, Gary LeClair, will retain his role as chairman once Freinberg’s transition into the CEO role is complete.

In the press release at the firm’s site, Gary LeClair was quoted as saying: “We are fortunate to have a leader with an extraordinary commitment to excellent client service accept the reigns of our client-focused business strategies. I am confident that, with David’s proven leadership, our externally driven strategies will remain LeClairRyan’s core mission and that our best days are indeed ahead of us.”

Freinberg was quoted as saying: “LeClairRyan has a tremendous client-driven structure that is focused on making sure that we are delivering the highest quality of client service and counsel possible. This is a wonderful opportunity to lead and work with an energetic team of nationally dispersed attorneys and professionals who are very dedicated to their profession. I am fortunate that I have been chosen to be a steward of a truly great, forward-thinking firm.”

Freinberg has held numerous managerial positions within the firm. He focuses his legal practice on commercial real estate transactions, and general business matters.

LeClairRyan was founded in 1988 by LeClair and Ryan. With over 300 attorneys and nine offices, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and high-stakes litigation for a wide variety of clients throughout the nation.

Study: Third Quarter Legal Hiring Looks Promising

joshua — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:18:38 +0000

The legal world is optimistic that more jobs will be forthcoming in the third quarter of the year, according to the quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring Index.

Exactly one-third of lawyers surveyed said they plan to add jobs in the next quarter and just two percent expect to cut staff. The net 31-percent hiring increase is up five points from the previous quarter’s survey.

The hiring index is conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 100 lawyers at law firms with 20 or more employees; and 100 corporate lawyers at companies with 1,000 or more employees. All of the respondents have hiring authorization within their organization.

Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, noted in a press release that 83 percent of respondents expressed confidence in their organizations’ prospects for growth.

”In particular, law firms specializing in bankruptcy, foreclosure and litigation are adding staff to meet increased demand for their services,” Volkert said. “Successive waves of bankruptcies and restructurings, along with a surge in labor relations and employment-related litigation, are fueling hiring.”

The survey also found that, despite a competitive legal jobs market, nearly half respondents (47 percent) said it is challenging to find skilled legal professionals, which is a 6 percent increase from the previous survey.

“Specific attributes that may have been listed as ‘preferable’ in a job posting in the past may now be ‘required,’ which narrows the range of viable candidates for a given position,” Volkert said.

List Of Top Corporate Law Firms Released

eric — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:25:16 +0000

The Law.com has released its list of top corporate law firms. Check it out.

The list is based on a number of different rankings compiled by Corporate Board Member Magazine, FTI Consulting Inc., and big business corporate directors and general counsel throughout the country.

Not to ruin the surprise (if you haven’t yet noticed which firm’s logo is in the upper right hand corner of this post) … but Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has topped both board directors’ and general counsels’ list again. Congrats Skadden!

Skadden is a New York City based firm with 2,000 lawyers in offices around the world including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Beijing, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Bowie & Jensen Opens Office in Manhattan

joshua — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:26:10 +0000

Towson, Maryland based Bowie & Jensen today announced the opening of its New York office located in Midtown Manhattan.

According to the article at baltimore.citybizlist.com, Bowie & Jensen Founder Robert R. Bowie, Jr. was quoted as saying: “The firm’s operations have grown significantly over the past few years, and a New York office will be a tremendous asset as we continue our growth. At Bowie & Jensen we are very lucky. We are small enough to be personally responsive to clients of all sizes and sophistications, but large enough to handle the most complex legal issues.”

Founded in 1990, Bowie & Jensen is a law firm focusing on all aspects of business law. The firm offers extensive experience in litigation, and corporate and intellectual property law. The firm supports clients that include companies in all stages of development.

Lau Joins Goodwin Procter’s Hong Kong Office

joshua — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:02:33 +0000

Loretta Lau, formerly a partner at Mayer Brown, has joined Goodwin Procter’s Hong Kong office as a corporate finance partner. Goodwin Procter established a presence in Asia with the opening of its Hong Kong office in 2008. Lau, a graduate of the University of Hong Kong and China University of Political Science and Law, will help Goodwin Procter expand its client base in Asia, the firm said in a press release.

“The Asian markets continue to be an area we have targeted for investment,” said Regina M. Pisa, chairman and managing partner of Goodwin Procter. “Loretta will be an instrumental part of our team and bolster our capabilities in serving clients, particularly in Hong Kong, (China) and Asia, in a broad range of complex transactions.”

Lau’s practice includes advising on all aspects of corporate law.

In addition to Hong Kong, Goodwin Procter also has offices in Boston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington D.C.

Morrison Foerster Adds Partner in New York Office

joshua — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Spencer Klein has joined the corporate practice of Morrison & Foerster as a partner in its New York office. Klein, who was previously with O’Melveny & Myers, will co-head MoFo’s mergers and acquisitions practice.

In addition to M&A issues, Klein’s practice also focuses on high-profile corporate governance matters. He is also a frequent advisor for U.S. and multinational companies across multiple industries.

Keith Wetmore, chairman of Morrison & Foerster, explained the addition in a press release.

“A core element of our strategy is the continued growth and development of our corporate and capital markets practices, particularly in New York,” Wetmore said. “The addition of Spencer advances our ambitions for corporate practice growth…and represents an important expansion of our strong M&A capabilities across the firm.”

Morrison & Foerster is a global firm with over 1,000 lawyers in technology and financial centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Nixon Peabody Managing Partner Moves to Foley & Lardner

joshua — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:05:42 +0000

James Chapman, who established and managed Nixon Peabody’s Palo Alto office, has moved to Foley & Lardner in Silicon Valley. Chapman has more than 20 years of experience in corporate and securities law and has been involved in over 200 mergers, acquisitions and finance transactions. He also represents emerging growth companies and investors and has extensive expertise in international and cross-border transactions, particularly with respect to China.

Foley & Lardner LLP is an international general practice law firm started in 1842 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It employs 1,000 attorneys in 21 offices and 60 practice groups, and is the 24th largest firm in the United States.

Robert Joffe, Former Presding Partner of Cravath, Dead at 66

joshua — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:52:06 +0000

Robert Joffe, presiding partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore from 1999 to 2006, died Thursday of cancer at age 66.

Joffe spent 42 years at Cravath where he developed a special practice, advising independent directors on corporate boards. Among other notables, he advised the directors of Fannie Mae during its accounting scandal in 2004 and again during the government buyout in 2008. He recently assisted Citigroup as the bank accepted billions in government bailout funds. As a corporate lawyer, he represented Time Inc. in its mergers with Warner Brothers and again with AOL.

With the exception of a two year fellowship in Malawi where he worked on law reform projects, Joffe spent his entire career with Cravath. He passed up many other attractive offers to remain with the firm he loved, including the position of general counsel for Time Warner. Joffe was committed to pro bono work and encouraged colleagues to do the same. In 1989 he took Martin v Wilks, a pro bono civil rights case in which he represented black firefighters in Alabama to the US Supreme Court.

In a fitting display of compassion for the man who loved his firm and loved his work, Cravath’s home page is black tonight with a simple memorial for Robert Joffe.

Reed Smith Adds Two

joshua — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:22:37 +0000

Reed Smith has added two partners to its corporate and securities group in New York. Michael Smith, whose practice focuses on corporate and securities law with regards to international financing moved from Patton Boggs. Kenneth Regensburg, who moved from White & Case, has a practice focused on M&A, public capital markets, private equity, and venture capital.

Founded in 1877, Reed Smith LLP employs 1500 attorneys in 23 cities worldwide. The firm counsels 28 of the top 30 US banks, and 10 of the world’s 12 largest pharmaceutical companies. In addition to the United States, Reed Smith has offices in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Haitian Law Firm Reopens Amid Uncertainty

joshua — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:38:19 +0000

Nearly two weeks after the massive earthquake that killed an estimated 100,000 pepole, Jean-Frédéric Salès reopened his law office, Cabinet Salès, located outside Port–au-Prince, Haiti. Salès counts himself lucky, as both his house and the law office, located in the suburb of Pétion-Ville, escaped major damage. The firm’s eight attorneys and its staff also survived.

“The impact of the earthquake on law firms in the near future will depend on their type of practice. Litigation will certainly be difficult, given the destruction of buildings housing services of the judiciary in Port-au-Prince, Léogane, Jacmel and Petit-Goave,” Salès wrote, referring to cities west of Port-au-Prince. “Corporate lawyers should also be impacted given the reduced demand for some of their services.”

Founded in 1907 to perform patent and trademark work, the firm now operates a broad base of practices including corporate law and general litigation.

Changing of the Guard at Kirkland & Ellis

joshua — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:36:14 +0000

Kirkland & Ellis built its reputation on the backs of trial attorneys Thomas Yannucci, who has headed the firm’s worldwide management committee since 2001. He is being replaced by Jeffrey Hammes, a corporate attorney from the private equities practice who has been with the firm since 1985 and has helped Kirkland & Ellis expand their private equity practice beyond Chicago. He was also instrumental in establishing the firm’s foothold in northern California.

Kirkland & Ellis has 9 offices total, with 6 in the United States. They are best known for their litigation, bankruptcy, and intellectual property departments. They have a track record of high revenues and profits, topping $1.3 billion in revenues in 2007.

Baker Hostetler Opens 11th US Office in Chicago

joshua — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:49:07 +0000

Baker Hostetler has opened a new office in Chicago, led by partner Ronald Okada who makes the move from the firms cleveland office. Currently, the office has four attorneys including Okada. Timothy Eloe has jumped from McDermott Will & Emery and will bring his practice, focused on leveraged buyouts and corporate transactions, to the new Baker office. William Kane and Erin Hines, both formerly of Lovells, round out the team.

23 New Partners at Latham & Watkins

joshua — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:08:27 +0000

Latham & Watkins & Watkins promoted 23 of its associates to partner this week. With twelve promotions coming in corporate law and five more in finance, this could be viewed as a sign of optimism about the economic recovery. In addition, 13 associates were promoted to of counsel. & Watkins

Although this years class is smaller than the 30 promoted last year, it’s one of the largest classes we’ve seen so far this year. Only Kirkland & Ellis, who promoted 51 to partner in October, has had a larger partner class so far this year.

Latham & Watkins LLP is one of the largest law firms in the world, employing around 1,500 attorneys in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive California roots, but its largest office is now in New York City.

New Partner Class at Sullivan & Cromwell

joshua — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:59:48 +0000

Sullivan & Cromwell announced its latest class of partners and four of the five promotions are women. The firm highlighted family friendly policies like flex time and maternity leave, which are aimed at recruiting and retaining more female lawyers. Three of the five promotions came in the area of corporate law which could be a sign of the firm’s belief that the worst of the economic slump is behind us.

The new partners are Whitney Chatterjee, Marion Leydier, Sarah Payne, Zena Yoslov, and S. Eric Wang.

Sullivan & Cromwell has approximately 700 lawyers in 12 offices, located in financial centers in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States.

Greenberg Traurig Adds 3

joshua — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:46:28 +0000

Arthur Don and Nancy Schimmel have joined Greeberg Traurig as partners in the firm’s Chicago office. Don and Schimmel are both part of the coporate and securities practice group. In Atlanta, Cindy J.K. Davis is a new partner in the financial institutions and business reorganization & bankruptcy practices.

Arthur Don comes to Greeberg from Seyfarth Shaw where he was a partner for more than 30 years. Over that time he has built a large investment management practice and has experience in a broad array of corporate and securities law.

Nancy Schimmel was most recently a partner at Latham & Watkins. Her experience covers the negotiation and documentation of trade, health care, loan and lease receivables securitizations and structured financings.

Cindy Davis, who comes to Greenberg from Paul Hastings, has a financial restructuring practices. She specializes in complex credit transactions involving multi-currency facilities and cross-border lending arrangements.

Greenberg Traurig is expanding its investment management practice and anticipates this trio of partners will increase the firms ability to advise clients on complex corporate transactions.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the US, Europe and Asia.

Outside Counsel Spending Predicted to Decline

joshua — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:08:54 +0000

According to a new report from legal consultants BTI Consulting Group, spending on outside counsel will continue to drop next year. In 2008 spending on oustide counsel averaged out at $20.8 million. This year outside counsel spending average out to $18.5 million and next years average is predicted to by $17.7 million.

Corporate law, real estate law, IP law and tax law groups will be hit the hardest as companies strive to handle more of that in house and the economy remains soft. Regulatory law practice groups can expect to see an increase, however, as companies look for more cost efficient ways to comply with regulations.

Holme Roberts & Owen is First US Firm in Dublin

joshua — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:44:24 +0000

Salt Lake City’s Holme Roberts & Owen has opened an office in Dublin, their third in the European Union, and the first US firm in Dublin. The office opened with 3 lawyers, 2 partners and an Irish lawyer, and plans to build a practice around corporate and commercial clients.

Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is an international law firm established in 1898. It has 250 lawyers practicing in ten offices, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and now, Dublin.

First Monday

joshua — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:00:30 +0000

Today is the first Monday in October and as always that means a new term has begun for the Supreme Court. This year’s docket is loaded with corporate law, but instead of a full run of cases on employment law, the environment, federal preemption of injury suits and the like, look for the Court to make decisions on more traditional business issues like bankruptcy, anti trust, patents, corporate compensation and others. In this time of economic uncertainty, the Court appears to be poised to discuss the limits of government regulation and interference with corporations. Perhaps the early arguments in the Citizens United case were a harbinger of where the Court intends to go this term.

There are of course several other important cases coming before the Court, including an eighth amendment case that asks whether a life sentence without possibility of parole for a 13 year old defendant is cruel and unusual punishment and a handguns case that asks, in the wake of Heller, whether the 2nd amendment applies to state and local governments.

Carlton Fields Picks up Four Lawyers from Morris, Manning & Martin

joshua — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:02:50 +0000

Three shareholders, Susan Spencer, Terresa Tarpley and James Walker IV and one associate, Shellie Hammock, have made the move from Morris, Manning & Martin to Carlton Fields in Atlanta. The four are corporate lawyers and were attracted by Carlton Fields’ larger size and broader array of practice areas.

Carlton Fields, which is based in Tampa, opened its Atlanta office in 2005. With the addition of these four attorneys, they now have 33 lawyers in Atlanta and plan to expand further, with a target of 50.

Fish and Richardon – Update

joshua — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:11:13 +0000

UPDATED

On Friday we reported that Fish & Richardson is closing up shop in Austin. In an update to this story, the firm has announced that they are discontinuing their corporate group as a seperate practice group, effective at the end of this year. The corporate group has 14 lawyers firm wide, some of which will remain with the firm in the northeast.

Fish & Richardson is a global IP and technology firm with 11 other offices world wide. Founded in the latter part of the 19th century, F&R handled many early patent matters including the telephone, the automobile and the radio. Some of their early clients included the Wright brothers and Alexander Graham Bell.

Morris, Manning & Martin Expands into Beijing

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:37:14 +0000

Atlanta-based Morris, Manning & Martin, which last month fired incoming associates, is launching a new office in Beijing, China.

The firm just opened an office in Taiwan.

Morris’ Asian offices will deal with patent prosecution and potential litigation, as well as corporate and securities matters.

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, is 175-lawyer firm with offices in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Duluth and Savannah, Georgia; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Washington DC; Beijing and Taipei.

Baker Botts Adds Wornow As Partner

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:23:47 +0000

Scott M. Wornow joined Baker Botts L.L.P. today as a partner in the firm’s Corporate department. The firm cited Wornow’s “extensive corporate legal practice representing clients on technology, capital markets, securities and merger and acquisition matters” in their announcement of their new partner.

Wornow will be based in Palo Alto, California, extending Baker Botts’ global corporate practice to Silicon Valley and the West Coast.

“Scott’s knowledge of the high-tech industry and the complex issues that confront companies every day in our digital age, and his deep experience dealing with these issues throughout his career, enable him to provide thoughtful and comprehensive counsel to our clients,” said David Kirkland, the firm’s Corporate Department chair.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Wornow was a partner at Goodwin Procter in the Silicon Valley and at Paul, Hastings in New York. He also served as executive vice president for legal and business affairs for interactive TV company OpenTV Corp., and as General Counsel and Chief Restructuring Officer at pioneering wireless company OmniSky Corp. He also helped found several technology companies.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister Adds 8 to Dayton Office

Erik Even — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:00:36 +0000

The Dayton, Ohio office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister has added eight new lawyers.

The firm is bringing on all four lawyers from Crew & Buchanan in Dayton, effectively moving Crew & Buchanan to practice out of Taft’s local offices.

The new lawyers from Crew & Buchanan include partners Joseph Buchanan, Jennifer Hann Harrison, Jeffrey Swillinger and associate Andrew Tahler.

The firm also is adding partners Barbara Duncombe, Suzanne Sumner and Tom Menza, who come to Taft from Dayton-based Sebaly, Shillito and Dyer, to create a new focus on government contract law.

An additional lawyer will start at the firm next week.

The Dayton office will now have more than 30 lawyers, moving it from the ninth largest law firm in the Dayton area to the sixth.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP is a corporate law firm with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Rumor: Layoffs at Detroit’s Miller Canfield

Erik Even — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:14:58 +0000

A tipster reports layoffs today at Detroit’s Miller Canfield, in the corporate practice.

We have no additional info at this time. If you know anything, please send us a tip. It’s confidential!

Founded in 1852, Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone is the largest law firm in Detroit, and one of the oldest law firms in the American Midwest. It is an international firm with offices in the United States, Canada, and China, and one of the few American law firms to have international offices in Poland. In 2007, the firm was ranked 123rd largest in the United States in terms of attorney headcount by the National Law Journal.

Watson Joins Brown McCarroll

Erik Even — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:59:13 +0000

Democratic Texas state Senator Kirk Watson has left the Austin office of K&L Gates LLP to join Brown McCarroll LLP.

Watson has been with Pittsburgh’s K&L Gates since 2005.

Brown McCarroll, which has offices throughout the Lone Star State, has about 125 attorneys, with 75 in Austin.

Watson, 50, who was Austin mayor from 1997 to 2001, has practiced law since 1981after graduating first in his class at Baylor Law School. Despite his accomplishments, however, his obituary will undoubtedly focus on his embarassing appearance on Chris Matthews in February 2008.

Seventy-year-old Brown McCarroll has historically focused on litigation as a core practice area. Its 2003 merger with business law firm Hilgers & Watkins added a corporate and transactional practice.

Merged Firm Escapes from Dreier Fiasco

Erik Even — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:17:48 +0000

About 20 lawyers at Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods George, the Santa Monica, California-based affiliate of Dreier LLP, are leaving to reconstitute Browne Woods George, a litigation boutique that merged with Dreier, Stein & Kahan one year ago.

Marc Dreier, founder and managing partner of New York’s Dreier LLP, was charged by federal prosecutors and the SEC with masterminding an investment fraud of more than $100 million.

Dreier is the only equity partner in Dreier, Stein, Kahan, Browne, Woods, George, which was formed in 2007 and employs several prominent Los Angeles lawyers; entertainment lawyer Larry Stein; corporate attorney Robert Kahan; and Eric George, a business litigator and the son of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George.

The California firm’s partners sent a letter to Dreier last week, saying he breached their employment contract, which guaranteed a certain compensation for three years. The partners have a multimillion dollar arbitration claim filed against Dreier.

Browne Woods George also is in negotiations to recruit up to four class action lawyers from Dreier LLP to open a New York office.

About 35 lawyers remaining at Dreier, Stein, Kahan, Browne, Woods, George, including Stein and Kahan, are in talks with several firms to merge. Among the possible merger candidates are LA’s Liner Yankelevitz Sunshine & Regenstreif; Pittsburgh’s Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; Boston’s Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo; New York’s Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel; and Atlanta’s Troutman Sanders.

The firm’s entertainment group and most of the corporate group are looking to stay together as part of a possible merger.

Via NLJ.

Thompson Hine Elects 13 Partners

Erik Even — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:56:46 +0000

Thompson Hine LLP has elected 13 lawyers to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2009:

Gary D. Blachman is a member of the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group in the Cincinnati office.

Dorian Daggs is a member of the Business Litigation and Product Liability Litigation practice groups in the Atlanta office, as well as the ERISA Litigation group.

Carolyn S. Flahive is a member of the Telecommunications subgroup of the firm’s Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Columbus.

Gregory J. Gawlik is a member of the Tax practice group in the Cleveland office.

Christopher R. Johnson is a member of the Labor & Employment practice group in Cleveland.

Eduardo Kim is a member of the Commercial & Public Finance practice group in Cleveland.

Tony Kuhel is a member of the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Cleveland.

Jennifer Mingus Mountcastle is a member of the Product Liability Litigation and Business Litigation practice groups in the Cleveland office.

Michele L. Noble is a member of the Business Litigation and Product Liability Litigation practice groups in the Columbus office.

Christopher T. O’Shaughnessy is a member of the Construction practice group in Columbus.

Patrick J. Saccogna is a member of the Personal & Succession Planning practice group in Cleveland.

Robin M. Wilson is a member of the Business Litigation and Real Estate practice groups in Cleveland.

M. Scott Young is a member of the Labor & Employment and Business Litigation practice groups in the Cincinnati office.

Established in 1911, Thompson Hine is a business law firm that has been named one of the Best Corporate Law Firms in America by Corporate Board Member magazine. Thompson Hine employs over 400 lawyers in Atlanta, Brussels, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, New York and Washington, DC.