JD Journal » law firm merger

2012 Emerges with the Merger of Long and Luce

danielj — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:21:47 +0000

2011′s season of mergers continues into 2012, with the Washington based international law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge announcing on Tuesday their plans to merge with San Diego based law firm Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, planned for March 1. This merger will strengthen McKenna Long & Aldridge’s standing in the Golden State, and extend Luce & Forward’s reach beyond California.

McKenna Long, whose clients include 3M, Monsanto Company, Bank of America N.A and Raytheon Company, whose offices include 475 lawyers internationally, with nine offices, including one in Brussels, others across the United States, and three already practicing in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, hopes to strengthen its fields in California in insurance, real estate, government contracts, and corporate law.

“We took a long look at ways to better meet the growing needs of our clients on the West Coast,” said MLA Chair Jeff Jaidet. “The market for legal and regulatory work in California is growing, and Luce Forward’s statewide platform represented a perfect fit for our firm. MLA and Luce Forward Share similar values and cultures, and are fully committed to delivering innovative solutions to our clients. Combining with Luce Forward is part of our common strategic vision to pursue growth opportunities in our clients’ industries, to strengthen our core practice areas, and to further extend our culture of collaboration to our client relationships.”

The merger is by no means an act of desperation by either firm. In 2010, according to Am Law 100 financial data, McKenna Long increased gross revenues by 2.4 percent to $276.5 million, while Am Law 200 data shows Luce Forward increased gross revenues by 3.6 percent to $101.5 million. Luce Forward managing partner Kurt Kicklighter explained:

“Its really all about listening to our clients and doing what our clients want us to do. We’ve had clients saying we needed to be deeper in various practices, and if we had offices in other areas, they would consider us for more work. By combining with McKenna Long & Aldridge, we provide our clients with an international network of talented attorneys who can service any needs they might have beyond California.

Indeed, Luce Forward has long nursed national aspirations, at one time holding offices in New York City and Chicago. Yet the merger does not come without a cost. Luce Forward’s name is the oldest in San Diego, reaching back to their establishment in 1873. Said Kicklighter, “I think all of us who are San Diegans feel some sadness at the loss of the name. That name is an iconic one in San Diego.” They will take the name of McKenna Long and Aldridge.

Luce Forward has shuddered with the changes: some partners fearing layoffs or de-equitization have left, including Edward “Pat” Swan, the partner in charge of Luce Forward’s San Diego office, moving on to Jones Day.

Nevertheless, Kicklighter says “The merger is good for the bulk of lawyers here.” The current offices in California will be maintained as they are, though some changes may arise, “depending on leases and the integration of the practicing group.”

The merger will place McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP as one of the top 80 largest law firms in the US, and rank it in the 20 largest firms in California.

Arnold & Porter Set to Tie the Knot with SF’s Howard Rice

chelsei — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:01:53 +0000

Arnold & Porter LLP will merge their company with San Francisco’s Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin PC on January 1, creating a new firm of more than 800 lawyers and boosting Arnold & Porter’s California presence, the firms announced on Tuesday.

The new, combined firm, which will remain named Arnold & Porter, will have more than 160 lawyers in three different California offices: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. Arnold & Porter currently have 19 lawyers that are based in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and the additional o Howard Rice’s 82 attorneys will nearly quadruple the number of boots the firm has on the ground of North California.

Arnold & Porter’s partner Trent Norris, who heads the offices of the firms in San Francisco and Silicone Valley, said that the addition of Howard Rice would allow the firm to pursue major transactional work in the tech-happy Northern California for the first time.

”It’s an opportunity we’ve missed, and we’re eager to pursue it alongside Howard Rice,” Norris told Law 360 on Tuesday of this week. ”It was a recognition on our part that this was a need for our clients.”

Howard Rice has been an independent firm since it was founded back in 1954. But as the landscape of legal work has shifted, said managing partner Doug Winthrop, the opportunity to hook up with Arnold & Porter–which has offices throughout the US and in Europe–was much too good to pass up.

”We realized we could be doing a lot more for our clients if we had a deeper bench, a broader reach and increased geographic reach,” Winthrop told Law360. ”We’ve watched our clients’ needs change; our clients absolutely have needs beyond the San Francisco Bay area, beyond the US even.”

Winthrop has said that Howard Rice’s transactional work dovetails with Arnold & Porter’s antitrust practice, and its financial services practice will be boosted by Arnold & Porter’s banking and regulatory work in Washington.

”Our bread-and-butter is high-stakes commercial litigation, and Arnold & Porter is one of the premier litigation firms in the country,” Winthrop, who will have a seat on the Arnold & Porter’s policy committee, said.

The tie-up between Arnold & Porter and Howard Rice was the second law firm merger that was announced on Tuesday. The St. Louis-based Bryan Cave LLP and Denver-based Holme Roberts & Owen LLP also announced that they were joining forces, a week after rumors of a possible merger first surfaced.

This merger will make Bryan Cave one of the 25 largest firms in the world, with 1,100 attorneys in over 30 different offices around the globe.

According to legal management firm Altman Weil Inc, there have been 55 law firm mergers in 2011, compared with just 39 in 2010.

Law Firm Mergers Continue

jim — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:41:47 +0000

Law firms are continuing to merge in Ohio in 2011 and it appears that mergers will continue to happen throughout the end of the year and into 2012. This comes as no surprise as hundreds of firms across the country have merged over the past three years due to the economy.

One of the primary reasons why these law firms in Ohio are choosing to merger is because it is a way to survive in such an economy. With the downward spiral of the economy within the past three years, many law firms all over the United States have been forced to merger as a means of survival. Law firms would rather merge with other firms instead of having to go out of business completely. A merger can make or break law firms and these mergers are happening very frequently.

One of the biggest law firms in Ohio, Taft Stettinius & Hollister made an announcement that it is merging with Chester Wilcox & Saxbe. The two firms will combine with one another on January 2, 2012 which means the two firms will start off the new year as one. After the two law firms combine with one another, the firm will consists of close to 350 lawyers. This firm has four separate offices in the Ohio area which means that the lawyers will be scattered within those offices.

Aside from this merger, the law firm, McKenna Long & Aldridge and Luce, Forward, Hamilto & Scripps may be combining together as one as well. The two firms have been talking about the possibility of a merger and while a decision has not yet been made, it is likely that these two law firms will combine with one another

The managing partner for Holme Roberts & Owen, Randall Miller, has also spoken out about mergers and has made comments about his conversations with law firms who would be interested in merging with this firm. Miller believes a merger would help this firm to grow and expand especially after dealing with turmoil in the past.

Miller says that he has been receiving phone calls with inquiries about merging with the Holme Roberts & Owen firm. The law firm consists of over 150 attorneys and works primarily on cases that have to do with gas and oil. Miller claims that many other law firms have a major interest in merging with the firm which means there is a lot of thought that will need to go into which firm is chosen for the merger.

Some smaller law firms are also merging with firms as a way to expand in a time where many law firms have gone out of business due to the economy. Any law firm that seems to be suffering could benefit greatly from following the footsteps of other law firms and going ahead with a merger.

Two Prestigious Leaders Open Large Law Firm in Cincinnati

jim — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:05:51 +0000

A former state senator and a former mayor are coming together to open up a large law firm office, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, in Cincinnati. While the law firm office will be located in Cincinnati, it will be large enough to take on projects from other areas of Ohio which will include the Cleveland and Columbus areas.

“Establishing a presence in Cincinnati makes us even more accessible to our clients here and gives us a base from which to expand,” said Brent Ballard who is the managing partner at Calfee. Ballard has also said, “Calfee is fortunate to have two such widely known and respected individuals, Charlie Luken and Senator Finan, leading this effort.” Because the former senator and mayor are both respected leaders and are widely recognized in the community of Cincinnati and surrounding areas, the law firm will continue to expand and improve greatly within the next few years.

Charlie Luken was the mayor of Cincinnati for fourteen years. Luken was the mayor of Cincinnati longer than any other mayor before him in the city of Cincinnati. He served as mayor in 1983 until 1991 and then again from 1999 until 2005. Luken says, “Our Cincinnati office is opening with a strong government relations base and we look forward to expanding, particularly in the area of intellectual property.” While the office will open with a strong government relations base, the office will also work with private and public clients on other issues.

Senator Richard Finan will be working alongside of Charlie Luken to lead the Calfee office in the Cincinnati area. Richard Finan has been a stage legislator for almost thirty years and has spent the majority of his career in the area of Ohio. Finan has said, “As a lifelong resident of Greater Cincinnati, I am strongly committed to the city and look forward to being part of Calfee’s operations here.” He has also said, “The new office will bring us even closer to the Cincinnati business community and help strengthen our relationships with our clients here.” Luken and Senator Finan will be working together to help clients with a number of different issues. Their commitment to the city and the state of Ohio will help make this office even more successful than before.

The Calfee firm is one of the largest law firms in the Ohio area and is composed of over one hundred legal professionals. The law firm works with both private clients and public clients. The Calfee firm has earned an outstanding reputation for their services and for having some of the best attorneys.

The firm plans to keep up with the outstanding reputation and expects that it will only get better now that there are two prestigious leaders who will be leading the firm in Cincinnati. Calfee and its attorneys have received high rankings from the U.S. News & World Report, Best Lawyers, and Chambers USA.

19 Attorneys Get Added to Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis as Several Core Practice Groups Get Expanded

jim — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:55:59 +0000

On October 13, 2011, Waller, Lansden Dortch and Davis, one of Nashville, Tennessee’s oldest law firms, announced that 19 extra attorney’s will get added to practice groups including corporate, government, tax law, health care, real estate, trial and appellate, and labor and employment. Here’s how the numbers break down:

Corporate gains three attorneys.
The government sector gains one Of Council attorney.
Trail and Appellate gain four associates and one partner.
Labor and Employment will see three associates added plus two staff attorneys.
Real estate will wind up with three extra staff attorneys.
Health care will see one new associate.
Tax law wills see one extra Of Council employee added to their section.

Part of the reason for the hiring spree, according to Josh Tishler, is that “The diversity of law we practice at Waller Lansden is one of the core strengths of our firm.” The new attorneys, listed below, will add their experience and knowledge of the law in the different categories that their being placed in.

Corporate:

Jillean M. Dubatowka is a new associated who will cover acquisition and mergers, venture capital and counsel to private and public corporations. Keven R. Tran, an associate, will work with clients in the healthcare industry. Stephen Quinn will add his experience as an associate who specializes in assisting clients who are part of a corporation.

Labor and Employment:

Maralee Downey was just hired as an associate at WLDD who will offer the law firm her experience representing employers dealing with civil right laws, Family and Medical Leave Act, Age Discrimination and the American’s with Disability Act. Tremain Mattress will work as an associate at WLDD assisting clients who are employers fighting a variety of employment problems. Stephanie Roth will offer WLDD her experience, as an associate, to the area of labor and employment. Judd Peak will cover many areas of family law, as a staff attorney, inducing family and medical leave, discrimination, employee benefits and civil rights.Brian Clifford is also a new staff attorney with WLDD who will work in areas representing employers who are fighting against discrimination.

Trial and appelate:

Richard Westling started working with WLDD as a partner who currently works on the defend white collar crimes. Christopher W. Hayes will work as an associate, who will represent clients needing help with environmental compliance issues and regulatory matters. Jacquelyne D. Garfield, a new associate, will help out large corporations with matters including commercial litigation. Laura P. Merrit is a new associate who will spend her time dealing with intellectual property and commercial disputes. Keith Randall works as a new associate in WLDD’s trail appellate litigation practice.

Real Estate:

Jatin Shah, Mogan Jones and Kathy Pennington were all hired on to work in the firm’s real estate division as staff attorneys.

Health Care:

Carol Brass is a new associate working in healthcare regulatory law.

Tax:

David Newman works as an affiliate council who provides clients with tax advice on an international level.

Government:

Judge Alberto R. Gonzalas works for the firm as an Of Council and and is the 80^th U.S. Attorney General.

Cleveland Firm buys Lewis Overbeck & Furman

jim — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:20:25 +0000

On October 1st the Chicago law firm Lewis, Overbeck, & Furman was officially bought out by the larger Cleveland based law firm of Roetzel & Andress. This addition is number eight for the growing law firm and it’s the first Chicago based firm for them.

So why tackle the tough Chicago market? Jeffery Castro the firm’s president stated “ Chicago is an attractive market for Roetzel because it’s a major business center” and “We’ve had a number of clients that have approached us about whether we were able to open an office in Chicago” so it seems like the perfect fit for the growing firm.

Just one of many acquisitions and mergers this year

Mergers and acquisitions have been on the rise recently despite tough economic times in the country. This was not the first major merger of law firms in recent times. As of September 2nd 2011 there have been 40 acquisitions and mergers according to Altman Weil MergerLine who currently tracks acquisitions and mergers of law firms as it is released to the press.

Half way through this year the numbers of combinations were at 28 which in up 47% from the previous year also according to Alman Weil MergerLiner. This last acquisition makes number three for Roetzel & Andress since 2006.

Chicago a difficult market to crack but a necessary one

Mr. Castro has made it no secret that in order for the law firm to grow Chicago was a necessary addition for the company. As he has already stated clients have long asked when a Chicago office would be a possibility and the great business center of Chicago was something that was needed for the law firm to grow. So why of all the law firms in Chicago did they choose the law firm of Lewis, Overbeck, & Furman?

This decision did not happen overnight, in fact they have been discussing this acquisition since March of last year according to Tim J. Emmit who was the managing partner at Lewis, Overbeck, & Furman and is currently the partner in charge at Roetzel & Andress. Mr. Castro said they considered other firms but felt like this firm was the “best fit”.

Both these firms coming together made the most sense because of they are more “relationship based” unlike other firms they were looking at. Mr. Emmit said it was always the intention of Lewis, Overbeck, & Furman to merge with another law firm in order to grow.

“ Chicago is a very difficult market, and we’ve not had the fortune or good luck that we’d hoped to have by growing organically or by merging with someone in the Chicago land area,”

Mr. Emmit said when asked about the acquisition. It seems like it was the ideal “marriage” for Lewis, Overbrook, & Furman to get with a larger firm to help them grow and for Roetzel & Andress to finally move to the Chicago market.

DLA Piper Australian Merger Finalized

joshua — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:17:11 +0000

As we reported at the end of January, DLA Piper and Australian firm DLA Phillips Fox are preparing to upgrade their relationship from a partnership to a full fledged merger. The partnerships of both firms completed the voting this week and the merger has been approved. DLA Phillips Fox will become a financially integrated part of DLA Piper’s International LLP as of May 1st.

DLA Phillips Fox New Zealand is not part of the merger but will retain its exclusive referral arrangement with DLA Piper.

This merger will make DLA Piper the world’s largest law firm by number of attorneys with over 4100 lawyers in 75 offices across 30 countries.

DLA Piper to Merge with Australian Alliance Partner DLA Phillips Fox

marvins — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:25:41 +0000

DLA Piper is set to become the world’s largest law firm by number of attorneys once its merger deal with DLA Phillips Fox, a trans-Tasman law firm and DLA Piper’s Australian alliance partner, is sealed. The merger is part of DLA Piper’s plan for bolstering its worldwide presence, particularly in Asia. The two firms are discussing the merger details as of now, and are expected to finalize the details by February.

DLA Piper explained that Australia offers an attractive path to enter the Asian market. In 2010, Allen & Overy launched two Australian law firm offices to boosts its presence in cross-border Asia-Australia deals. In 2008, Clifford Chance also explored a merger deal with Mallesons Stephen Jaques, one of Australia’s legal giants. Once the merger is set, DLA Piper will have over 4,000 lawyers throughout its worldwide operations, becoming one of the top law firms in Australia and the largest in the world.

Alistair Da Costa, DLA Piper’s Asia managing director, said that the new merger deal is proof that DLA Piper is aggressive enough to have a strong presence in Asia. DLA Piper has already successfully set up its operations in Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Reed Smith and Thompson & Knight Merger Called Off

marvins — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:11:38 +0000

The much awaited merger between Reed Smith LLP, a global law firm with over 1,600 lawyers, and Thompson & Knight LLP, a US-based firm with around 350 lawyers, was called off. Talks of merger have been circulating the legal industry over the recent months until the management of both firms announced that the potential merger was dismissed. Based on the statement released on Thursday, the merger plan was cancelled even before the proposal was submitted to the partnership of both firms for a vote. However, both firms asserted that they will continue to have good working relationship.

Gregory Jordan, Reed Smith global managing partner, said that their firm has nothing but good words for Thompson & Knight. However, today is not yet the best time for a merger. “We are very impressed with Thompson & Knight’s lawyers, practices, and clients. Both firms are coming off record years in terms of profitability, but we cannot get all of the pieces in the right place now.” Jordan assured that their firm would continue to be a partner in other means. “Reed Smith would continue to partner with Thompson & Knight “on shared work” as his firm pursues its strategic initiatives and serves its clients.”

Jeffrey Zlotky, Thompson & Knight global managing partner, noted that merging with another law firm is not an easy task. “A large number of issues have to align to make a merger work.”

Based on the Am Law 100 financial data in 2009, Reed Smith registered gross revenue of $942 million. The firm’s profits per equity partner reached $1 million. Meanwhile, AM Law 200 record showed that Thompson & Knight’s gross revenue was $224 million. Its profits per partner were $855,000.

Dickinson Wright PLLC merges with Aylesworth LLP

marvins — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:08:48 +0000

Dickinson Wright PLLC, a Michigan-based law firm with over 250 lawyers, announced its merger with Aylesworth LLP, a Canadian law firm based in Toronto. Dickinson Wright combined with an established local firm in Toronto, Aylesworth, to boost its existing Ontario affiliate from the current six lawyers who are focused on gaming law to about 30 lawyers who will handle various areas of practice such as general corporate, litigation, finance, real estate, and trusts and estates work. Aylesworth has been operating for more than 150 years and has a solid track record as a law firm in Toronto. The merger took effect on January 1, 2011.

William T. Burgess, Chief Executive Officer of Dickinson Wright PLLC, revealed that the merger talks have been in the work over the past several months until the deal was sealed in January 1, 2011. Burgess noted that Dickinson’s interest was fueled by Aylesworth’s reputation in the legal industry of Canada. “The Aylesworth firm, like Dickinson Wright, brings more than a century of professional excellence, and we are thrilled to have the Aylesworth lawyers join our existing team of accomplished lawyers in Ontario. We are highly aligned in our commitment to superior client service, professionalism, and broadening the areas of expertise that we offer to our expanding client base.” Burgess added that the merger would have a big impact on its current Ontario operations with the addition of Aylesworth’s expertise. “Adding the Aylesworth professionals gives a full-service component to our affiliate in Ontario and strengthens our service capabilities in the region. The Aylesworth team brings in-depth knowledge in a number of practice areas and industry sectors and we are thrilled to be adding their experience and strengths to our own.”

Eric Kay, Managing Partner of Aylesworth LLP, expressed his excitement over the recent merger. He said that his colleagues at Aylesworth are all delighted to work with Dickinson Wright. “This is an exciting move for all of us. Dickinson Wright offers a unique value proposition for talented, like-minded professionals; access to resources and expertise across the United States and Toronto, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit and approach to the marketplace. It’s a great fit for our clients and our people.”

Shackelford, Melton & McKinley to Open its New Office in Nashville, TN

marvins — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:25:56 +0000

Shackelford, Melton & McKinley LLP, a Texas-based law firm, is set to open a new office in Nashville, TN as it merges with Shackelford, Zumwalt & Hayes LLP, one of the most respected entertainment law firms in Music City. Shackelford, Zumwalt & Hayes will serve as the new office of the Shackelford, Melton & McKinley starting January 1, 2011. The combined firm is expected to bring together over 45 lawyers with vast expertise in business, technology, media and entertainment law.

John C. Shackelford, the firm’s founder, expressed his excitement over the recent partnership. “We’re very excited to be working with the top entertainment lawyers in the city. From contracts to global licensing deals to helping navigate the intersection of music and technology, we provide a level of service you just don’t find at many law firms.”

Meanwhile, Jim Zumwalt said that their tie-up with the Shackelford, Melton & McKinley is a good business decision. “John Shackelford and his team bring significant capabilities to our firm. By combining our global entertainment expertise from Nashville with the business and technology capabilities in Dallas and Austin, I believe we’ve put together a group of legal talent that’s second to none.” Jim Zumwalt and Craig Hayes and their lawyers are prominent in the entertainment industry and serve leading entertainers in the US such as Faith Hill, Creed, Aaron Neville, Lifehouse, Tanya Tucker and The Bar-Kays.

Miller Thomson Continues to Expand, Now Merges with Balfour Moss

marvins — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:57:48 +0000

Miller Thompson LLP, with 450 lawyers, announced that its merging with one of the oldest firms in Saskatchewan, the Balfour Moss LLP which has 24 lawyers in Regina and Saskatoon. The latest merger will make Miller Thompson the only national firm to have an office in Saskatchewan province. The national firm has been expanding in the past five years by merging with other firms in Edmonton and Calgary, Vancouver, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Ont., and Montreal. Miller Thomson is the fourth major Canadian law firm to announce a merger in the past month.

Gerald Courage, Miller Thomson Chairman, said that Saskatchewan province has become a competitive market in the recent years, being the largest potash producer in the world. “Saskatchewan has become a significant player in the Canadian economy, and we are eager to take part in the province’s unprecedented economic success story.”

Balfour Moss is a law firm that deals with institutional lenders and real estate developers on transactional and contractual agreements, with strong litigation and environmental law practices. The firm will assume the Miller Thomson name.

9 Lawyers from Dissolving Tabbert Hahn Earnest & Weddle Join its Rival Firm

marvins — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:00:45 +0000

Tabbert Hahn Earnest & Weddle, a mid-sized law firm based in Indianapolis that has government, lobbying and pharmaceutical practices, is now slowly dissolving after more than 20 years of existence in the legal industry. The Indianapolis Business Journal revealed that the firm will close at the end of the year, though an actual date has not yet been finalized, so many of its lawyers and staffers are leaving to transfer to a much bigger firm in the city. There are five partners and four associates who are slated to join Bose McKinney & Evans in 2011. The lawyers who will jump to Bose are: named partners Gregory Hahn and Robert Weddle, partners Matthew W. Conner, Mary M. Ruth Feldhake, and Chad T. Walker. Meanwhile, the four associates are the following: David J. Duncan, Joel T. Nagle, Kevin M. Quinn and Elizabeth Schuerman.

Named partner Gregory Hahn expressed his excitement over the move. He described the firm’s decision as more of a business combination rather than a merger. “Overall as a law firm, we have a number of national and international clients and this just gives us a bigger platform to represent those interests. I’m very excited about this. They’re great lawyers and have a great reputation, and this combo will help everyone go to a bigger plateau.”

Bose spokesman Roger Harvey confirmed that nine attorneys would be joining their firm. He added that their firm circulated a company-wide e-mail informing the current staff and lawyers about the new hires and the latest changes in their company.

Skadden to Shutter its Office in San Francisco

marvins — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:04:52 +0000

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, a prominent law firm based in New York City, announced that it will close its San Francisco office. The office will be merged with Skadden’s Palo Alto office. The firm first entered the Silicon Valley and San Francisco during the dot.com bubble days. Lawyers who have been watching Skadden’s progress through the years are saying that the consolidation of Skadden’s Palo Alto and San Francisco offices is not that surprising anymore since talks about it have been circulating the industry for years.

San Francisco legal recruiter, Gary Davis, said that he was not surprised by Skadden’s announcement because this decision was strategic and beneficial to the overall welfare of the firm, given that the San Francisco office is relatively small and the Palo Alto office has a promising market. He also interpreted the move to mean that Skadden has a new strategy wherein the firm will just concentrate in the growth of one office. “It would be much more surprising to hear that an indigenous firm like Morrison & Foerster announced it was closing here or in Silicon Valley. Out-of-state firms usually need a compelling reason to keep two offices open in a small geographic location, like a client or partner request.”

The new office will be led by Kenton King, the Palo Alto corporate partner. It s website also named six other partners, three counsel and 17 associates, all of whom are litigators.

Law Firms Collas Day and Crill Canavan To Merge in 2011

marvins — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:21:35 +0000

Collas Day in Guernsey and Crill Canavan in Jersey revealed their merger plan, which will take effect sometime in the spring of 2011. The combined law firms will be known as Collas Crill and will create a new 15 partner Channel Island film. The merger is designed to build on the strengths that each firm has especially in the field of corporate and banking, investment funds, property, trusts and dispute resolution.

Collas Day, a leading and highly respected law firm in Guernsey, will continue to cater to the Guernsey market through the firm’s associated fiduciary business, the Guernsey Trust Company. Collas Day IP Management will become Collas Crill IP Management, and Collas Day’s London office will support the combined legal practices.

Collas Day’s senior partner, Chris Bound, expressed his excitement over the upcoming merger. He said that this plan is not just good news for each individual firm, but for the entire Channel Islands as a whole. “Together we will service clients in the Channel Islands, the UK and internationally – including the increasingly important Asian market – and will raise awareness of our services and our jurisdictions in the international legal markets.”

Crill Canavan is a leading law firm based in Jersey but operates through three strong international networks to handle its multi-jurisdictional work. Senior partner Nuno Santos-Costa also said that he highly looks forward to the merger next year. “Both Crill Canavan and Collas Day believe we have found in each other an excellent strategic fit. As mid-sized firms in our respective markets, we already punch above our weight. The merger will strengthen both firms’ presence locally and internationally, while providing clients with greater strength and depth of expertise across our full service offering.”

Hammonds Hong Kong Office Rejects Merger of Hammonds and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey

joshua — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:30:56 +0000

Less than a month after partners at Hammonds and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey approved their transatlantic merger, the Hong Kong office of the British firm is saying no to the proposed union, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2011.

According to U.K. legal publication Legal Week, the six-partner office has told Hammonds’ management it intends to separate from the newly merged firm.

However, per the article at amlawdaily.com, it’s still unclear whether the partners from Hammonds’ Hong Kong operations will try and form a standalone firm or seek to join another firm entirely, Legal Week reports.

Creating a truly global firm was critical to both firms when Squire Sanders and Hammonds announced the merger talks in August. Hong Kong was one of the four cities in which both firms have an office. Squire Sanders chairman James Maiwurm, who will become global chair and CEO of the combined firm, told The Am Law Daily earlier this month that Hong Kong was the only remaining location where integration issues had yet to be resolved because of space limitations in each of the firm’s offices.

Hammonds managing partner Peter Crossley, who will become the new firm’s managing partner for Europe, told The Am Law Daily that the newly merged firm was focused on expanding its operations in Asia and was looking forward to doubling its size in Hong Kong with the merger.

However, as a result of Hammonds’s Hong Kong office rejecting its soon-to-be former parent, the new Squire Sanders Hammonds firm’s local operations will be comprised solely of Squire Sanders’s four-partner, 11-lawyer office, Legal Week reports.

In a joint statement, the two firms wished their Hammonds Hong Kong colleagues well, but emphasized the strength of their union.

“As is common with large law firm combinations, even in circumstances such as ours where the vast majority of the voting partnership approved the combination, a small handful of partners in Hong Kong have taken the view that they do not want to be part of a fully integrated global firm with established offices throughout China and have decided to leave,” the two firms said to Legal Week. “Regardless of this, the merger has significantly strengthened our ability to serve clients across the globe, and the collective energy of our two legacy firms is focused on the successful integration across our platform, including Asia.”

Major Bi-Coastal IP Merger Won’t Happen

eric — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:54:12 +0000

San Francisco IP firm Townsend & Townsend & Crew has broken off merger talks with Atlanta’s Kilpatric Stockton, says the San Francisco Business Times. Client conflicts found between the two firms have been cited.

Had the merger went down, a new 700 plus firm specializing in patent application, trademark and copyright practice would have been created with a nationwide network of offices.

Recently, many smaller IP firms with a limited geographical presence, such as Townsend, have either seen their lawyers disbanding for the prospect of larger firms or have gone the merger route. Stay tuned to see on which side of the coin Townsend comes up.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:51:35 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, May 27th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Report: Varied Billing Rates Could Provide Bargaining Chip…

Twin Cities Attorney Charged With Embezzlement…

Mintz Levin Awarded Presitgious ABA Pro Bono Award…

Sonnenschein, Denton Agree on Merger…

Merger Update, As Promised

joshua — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:56:09 +0000

A scant few hours ago I promised to bring you any updates on the Hogan & Hartson/Lovells merger talks, and so here it is…

The two firms issued a joint press release this morning announcing that the management of both firms unanimously supports the merger. If the partner vote scheduled for mid December goes as expected, the merger could be finalized as early as May of next year.

Mergers between US and UK law firms are rare, in part because of different accounting systems used. The firms have not yet released details of how those differences will be resolved, but the partners in each firm will be receiving documents next week setting out the terms of the deal. If finalized, this will be the first transatlantic merger between between two top tier firms, and may trigger other US/UK merger negotiations.

The combined firm would instantly become one of the world’s largest with over 2,500 attorneys around the globe and revenues in the range of $2 billion. No report yet on what the new name would be.

Oshins & Associates Merges with Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group

Erik Even — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:51:25 +0000

Las Vegas’ Oshins & Associates has brought on the members of the Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group.

Jeffrey M. Verdon joins Oshins as of counsel. He was Managing Partner at the Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group. He specializes in estate & income taxation planning and asset & lifestyle protection planning for high-net worth clients.

Professor Jerry Hesch joins as Special Senior Tax Counsel. He is a former tax partner at Greenberg Traurig. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law and Florida International University School of Law.

Attorney Scott B. Flaherty also joins from Verdon Law Group.

Oshins & Associates is a boutique trusts & estates and asset protection law firm with eight estate planning attorneys, headed by nationally-known attorneys Steve Oshins and Richard Oshins.

Techmeier Merging with Cochran

Erik Even — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:28:28 +0000

Milwaukee’s Techmeier Law Firm is merging with national personal injury and criminal defense firm The Cochran Firm. Techmeier will operate under the Cochran Firm name.

Will Techmeier, founder of the 10-lawyer firm, will become the managing partner of the Cochran Milwaukee office.

Founded in 1979, the Techmeier Law Firm specializes in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. It has recovered more than $75 million in settlements and jury awards.

The Cochran Firm has about 300 attorneys, and is ranked as the 141st largest law firm in the United States. It primarily does criminal defense and civil plaintiff work. The firm has 26 offices in 15 states, including in offices in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Birmingham, New Orleans and Washington DC. It was founded by celebrity lawyer Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. over 40 years ago.

Appleby Hiring for Office in the Seychelles

Erik Even — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:58:32 +0000

Bermuda’s Appleby Global, which just announced a merger with the Isle of Man’s Dickinson Cruickshank, is opening an office in the Seychelles. It will be the only offshore firm operating there.

The office in Victoria will managed by partner-in-charge of the firm’s Mauritius office, Malcolm Moller. Appleby opened the office in Mauritius in February 2007.

Appleby has also hired Conrad Benoiton, chairman of the Seychelles International Business Authority, to be the managing director of its corporate practice in Victoria.

The firm seeks to expand the new office, but need lawyers with experience in British law.

The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, 930 miles east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar.

Appleby, previously Appleby Spurling Hunter, is an offshore legal, fiduciary and administration service provider, created by the merger of Bermuda’s Appleby Spurling Kemp and the Cayman Islands’ Hunter & Hunter in 2004, and a subsequent merger with Jersey, UK’s Bailhache Labesse in 2006.

It has offices in the key offshore locations of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Mauritius and the Seychelles, as well as London, Hong Kong and Zurich. It plans to open an office in Dubai.

Christensen Vaughan to Merge with Gadens Lawyers

Erik Even — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:00:51 +0000

Perth, Australia law firm Christensen Vaughan will merge with national firm Gadens Lawyers, to form an expanded commercial legal practice in Western Australia.

The combined practice will have six partners and 45 staff.

The merger will extend Gadens’ practices in banking and finance, insolvency, property, financial services recovery, commercial litigation, aged care, resources and infrastructure.

Gadens Lawyers is a top-ten national law firm with 112 partners, 1,030 staff and offices in every mainland state and Papua New Guinea.

Chicago Firms to Merge

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:06:31 +0000

Chicago law firms Schuyler Roche and Crisham & Kubes are merging as of April 1st, 2009.

The combined firm will be called Schuyler, Roche & Crisham.

James L. Komie, president of Schuyler Roche, will continue to serve as president of the new firm. Tom Crisham and Jeff Kubes will be members of the Board of Directors.

Crisham & Kubes is a Chicago-based group of trial and appellate lawyers practicing commercial and insurance litigation. Presently, Crisham & Kubes is comprised of ten attorneys, all of whom will be practicing at Schuyler, Roche & Crisham.

Schuyler Roche, one of the oldest law firms in Chicago with roots dating back to 1863, is a full-service law firm of 40 attorneys.

The firm will operate from Schuyler Roche’s current offices in the Prudential Building, where it is one of the building’s original tenants.

Haynes & Boone Absorbs MacPherson Kwok

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:02:54 +0000

Dallas, Texas-based Am Law 200 firm Haynes and Boone is absorbing San Jose, California intellectual property boutique MacPherson, Kwok, Chen & Heid.

MacPherson Kwok , a 21-lawyer firm founded in 2002, is merging into Haynes and Boone, a corporate firm with more than 500 lawyers. The deal gives Haynes its first offices in California, in San Jose and Orange County.

All the MacPherson lawyers, patent agents, technical writers and staff are making the move together. The seven partners are joining Haynes as partners.

The MacPherson Kwok additions would bring Haynes’ IP practice to 70 lawyers.

MacPherson Kwok’s focus was IP and general business litigation, and writing patents and pursuing trademarks for clients such as Cisco, eBay and Samsung.

Haynes’ ultimate goal is to open in San Francisco.

Ervin Cohen & Jessup Absorbs MDFS Law

Erik Even — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:27:15 +0000

The partners of Moldo Davidson Fraioli Seror & Sestanovich (aka MDFS Law), a Century City, California-based business law firm, will join Ervin Cohen & Jessup (aka ECJ) of Beverly Hills, starting February 1st.

The MDFS Law group includes Byron Moldo, Peter Davidson, Patrick Fraioli, David Seror, Tom Sestanovich, Jeffrey Glassman, Ken Miller, and Howard Camhi, along with other attorneys and staff.

Each of the MDFS Partners worked at large Los Angeles or New York firms, before joining in their practice that has thrived in Century City for the past 12 years.

With the addition, ECJ’s roster will include more than 50 full-time legal professionals.

ECJ has been serving California and nationwide clients for the past 56 years, and provides a full range of business-related legal services. ECJ is also a charter member of the international Law Firm Alliance.

ECJ’s new partners will expand the firm’s practice in the areas of bankruptcy, receivership and reorganization; business litigation and “litigation avoidance” counseling; commercial real estate; corporate matters; “green” and other emerging technologies; and intellectual property protection and litigation

MDFS Law will leave behind its offices in Century City and move into the newly renovated ECJ offices located in the heart of Beverly Hills.

Squire Sanders Latest to Lay Off Staff; May Merge With Seyfarth Shaw

Erik Even — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Alvin Davis, managing partner of Squire Sanders‘ Miami office, has told the National Law Journal that Miami employees laid off at the firm include “a couple runners, some staffers and a few people in accounting.”

A long-time administrative assistant was also laid off, according to sources within the firm.

Davis said he did not know if there were layoffs firmwide. Drez Jennings, spokesperson for the firm, did not return calls for comment, and lawyers there said the firm had a strict lockdown on any information about layoffs.

Squire Sanders has 850 lawyers in 32 offices worldwide.

But while Davis said no lawyers were laid off, sources inside the firm said that lawyers indeed had been laid off, but were still working at the firm until they find jobs elsewhere.

In November, 30 associates and paralegals were asked to leave the firm, including three associates from the Phoenix office.

The firm is reportedly in merger talks with Chicago’s Seyfarth Shaw and could be paring down to become a more attractive merger partner.

Via NLJ.

Bradley Arant Names 17 to Partnership

Erik Even — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:36:31 +0000

The new firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, the result of the merger between Bradley Arant Rose & White with Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry, has named 17 attorneys to the partnership.

“We are very happy to elevate these members of the firm to the partnership,” said John B. Grenier, managing partner. “Each of these attorneys demonstrates not only top-level skills in their respective practice areas, but also the dedication to client service that we expect from partners of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings.”

New Partners:

Birmingham, Alabama: Rhonda Caviedes, Christian W. Hancock, Jonathan Head, Thomas Atkinson Roberts Jr, Jason A. Walters

Nashville, Tennessee: Tara L. Cleare, Andrew Elbon, Catherine Grow, Jonathan D. Rose, Eric W. Smith, Joycelyn A. Stevenson

Charlotte, North Carolina: David Hill Bashford

Huntsville, Alabama: Daniel Kaufmann

Jackson, Mississippi: J. Douglas Minor Jr., Jack Robinson Dodson III

Montgomery, Alabama: Angela Raines Rogers

Washington, DC: Daniel P. Golden

Tracing its roots to 1871, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has more than 350 attorneys in seven offices, and is the largest law firm headquartered in Alabama and one of the largest in the South.

Dickinson Wright Swallows Up Stewart Estes

Erik Even — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:05:46 +0000

Detroit’s Dickinson Wright PLLC is expanding into Nashville, picking up Stewart, Estes & Donnell’s 19 lawyers. The merger brings the total number of Dickinson Wright attorneys to 260.

Additional lawyers will join the firm soon, Dickinson Wright announced.

Stewart, Estes & Donnell was founded in 1971, and has one location in downtown Nashville. Dickinson Wright was founded in 1879, and has lawyers in more than 40 practice areas.

Thomas Donnell Jr., managing member of Stewart, Estes & Donnell, says the merger was a natural progression for both firms.

“We are combining with a firm that has a national reputation, well established relationships with clients in Tennessee and an interest in doing business in the South,” he said.

Dickinson Wright has seven offices, five of which are in Michigan. The firm also maintains an office in Washington, DC, plus an office in Macau. The firm was ranked 177th largest in the United States by number of attorneys by the National Law Journal in 2007, and was the second-largest Detroit based firm on the NLJ’s list of the 250 largest law firms in the US.

Troutman Sanders Closes Deal on Ross Dixon Merger

Erik Even — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:37:00 +0000

Atlanta’s Troutman Sanders LLP has closed on a deal to merge with Washington, DC’s Ross, Dixon & Bell LLP.

Financial terms of the merger were not disclosed. The new firm is based in Atlanta and keeps the Troutman Sanders name. It has offices in 15 cities and on three continents, employs 750 attorneys and has a total of 1,700 employees.

Troutman said the deal combines its corporate, finance, litigation, real estate and public policy practices with Ross, Dixon & Bell’s insurance, professional liability and commercial litigation practices. The merger also doubles the size of Troutman Sanders’ presence in Washington, DC, where Ross, Dixon & Bell is now based. The combined firm will have more than 100 attorneys in the nation’s capital.

Robert W. Webb Jr. remains chairman and managing partner of the merged firm.

Founded in 1897, Troutman Sanders represents Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A and Wachovia Bank.

And here’s the press release.

Eckert Seamans to Merge with Hendrickson & Long [Video]

Erik Even — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:21:02 +0000

From LawCrossing.com:

The law firms of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, LLC and Hendrickson & Long, PLLC announced they will combine their practices at the beginning of 2009.

All 12 attorneys from Charleston, South Carolina-based Hendrickson & Long will join Eckert Seamans, giving the firm a significant expansion in West Virginia and an important Charleston presence.

Hendrickson & Long feels the move will build upon what the firm has already started in Charleston and will help better serve their West Virginia clients.

Via LawCrossing.com.

Rumor: King & Spalding to Acquire Most Thacher Proffitt counsel [Update]

Erik Even — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:24:17 +0000

Via Law.com:

Atlanta-based King & Spalding is in talks to acquire most, but not all of Thacher Proffitt & Wood’s lawyers, according to the Legal Times. In order to avoid dissolution, New York-based Thacher hopes to find a partner to acquire it, these sources say.

One New York legal consultant says the discussions have been ongoing for the past three to four months, and that the firms hope to reach an agreement by year-end. The consultant says King & Spalding is considering taking on about 100 of Thacher’s 195 lawyers, but that it’s not yet clear which practices and offices the 100 lawyers would come from. “There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty about who’s going to be invited to the party,” says the consultant, who asked not to be named.

Thacher currently has 180 lawyers in New York, nine in Washington, and six in its Summit, N.J., office. Its overall headcount is down more than 100 lawyers compared to last year — and so are its profits. Profits per partner fell more than 22 percent in 2007 to $1.02 million, according to the Am Law 200.

Thacher Proffitt was founded in 1848. The firm had offices in the World Trade Center on 9/11. The firm used to operate offices in Mexico City and White Plains, New York — those offices have since decamped to Chadbourne & Parke andGreenberg Traurig respectively.

King & Spalding is Atlanta’s oldest law firm, founded in 1885. It has 13 offices in the US, UK and the Middle East.

UPDATE

The WSJ Law Blog says:

The New York consultant and another individual familiar with the discussions say that if the deal falls through, Thacher Proffitt will likely go under.

K&L Gates – yet another acquisition?

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:53:28 +0000

More merger news. K&L Gates and Chicago’s Bell Boyd & Lloyd announced today that they are in merger discussions with a view to combining the firms in early 2009.

Wow – so many firms carefully contemplate an acquisition to make sure that the culture of the two firms merge. K&L Gates wouldn’t seem to have that problem anymore. K&L Gates has made so many acquisitions over the past few years that their culture is largely indistinguishable.

It’s All In There! K&L Gates is a combination of all of these firms. I hope that they have many on-boarding specialists on the payroll.

Kirkpatrick and Lockhart

Preston Gates and Ellis, a Pacific Northwest stalwart

Hughes and Luce

Nicholson Graham & Jones

Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman

Press Release: K&L Gates, Bell Boyd in Combination Talks

December 4, 2008

Pittsburgh and Chicago—Global law firm K&L Gates LLP and Chicago-based Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP (Bell Boyd) are discussing a possible combination of firms, which, if approved, would occur in the first quarter of 2009. The combination would create a firm of approximately 2,000 lawyers in 30 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

“Bell, Boyd & Lloyd is one of America’s premier mid-sized law firms with leading practices in a number of areas, including investment management and intellectual property, as well as a robust, full-service approach to meeting the legal requirements of a sophisticated clientele across a broad array of disciplines,” said Peter J. Kalis, Chairman and Global Managing Partner of K&L Gates. “At the same time, Chicago is a legal market of strategic significance in the global marketplace.”

“We believe that K&L Gates and Bell Boyd share an appreciation for the communities in which we reside, a passion for the practice of law, and an enthusiasm for the growing global market for legal services,” said Kalis and John T. McCarthy, Bell Boyd’s Chairman. “Together, we believe that we will be in an unsurpassed position to deliver value to clients and to compete in the market for talent.”

McCarthy added: “We are excited about the prospect of joining forces with K&L Gates, an organization which we believe shares our values and has the breadth and depth of practice expertise necessary for us to continue providing the highest quality legal services to clients wherever they are located.”

In addition to Chicago, Bell Boyd has offices in San Diego and Washington, D.C. The combined firm would maintain offices in Anchorage, Austin, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Harrisburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Orange County, Palo Alto, Paris, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Spokane/Coeur d’Alene, Taipei, and Washington, D.C.

K&L Gates is already one of the largest law firms in the United States according to The National Law Journal , which recently ranked the firm as the nation’s tenth largest in its 2008 NLJ 250 listing. Bell Boyd was ranked 167th on the same list.

Discussions between the firms began this past summer and have progressed continuously since that time. If the talks proceed to a successful conclusion, it is expected that formal proposals will be presented to the respective partnerships in the first quarter of 2009. A further press announcement will be made upon the resolution of the talks.

###

About Bell Boyd
Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP has helped emerging and established businesses of all sizes grow and prosper for 120 years. With approximately 250 attorneys located in offices in Chicago, San Diego, and Washington, D.C., the firm provides a full range of business related legal services, with nationally-recognized practices specializing in investment management, mergers and acquisitions, securities, finance, patent and trademark prosecution, intellectual property litigation, commercial and securities litigation, and real estate. For more information, visit www.bellboyd.com.

About K&L Gates
K&L Gates comprises approximately 1,700 lawyers in 28 offices located in North America, Europe and Asia, and represents capital markets participants, entrepreneurs, growth and middle market companies, leading FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations and public sector entities. For more information, visit www.klgates.com.

Contacts:
Peter J. Kalis (K&L Gates), +1.412.355.6562, peter.kalis@klgates.com
John T. McCarthy (Bell, Boyd & Lloyd), +1.312.807.4319, jmccarthy@bellboyd.com