Today, that merger is final.
The new firm, Polsinelli Shughart PC, came into existence Sunday. The move creates a firm with nearly 500 lawyers in several cities, effectively becoming one of Kansas City’s biggest law firms.
The firms had combined revenue of about $174 million in 2008. Polsinelli ranked fifth and Shughart sixth on the Kansas City Business Journal’s most recent list of the top area law firms.
The Polsinelli firm was known for work in real estate, financial services and life sciences practices, and Shughart was noted for its work in business litigation, health care and construction law.
Polsinelli Chairman and CEO Russell Welsh holds those titles with the combined firm, and Shughart CEO Jack Kilroy Jr. becomes vice president.
Shughart litigator Larry Ward is the combined firm’s chairman emeritus.