BCG News - 2/23/04
2/23/04
Greenberg Traurig prepares to enter Silicon Valley with new partners
Greenberg Traurig is making a push to open yet another office in the United States, furthering the firm's ultimate goal to be able to serve every major legal market in the country locally. The Recorder reports that the firm is hiring several senior associates from top Bay Area firms, promising them a chance to be partner and start a new office for the growing firm. Included among the nine hires the firm has made thus far is a former GT attorney who left the firm during the dotcom era and will now serve as managing partner for the Silicon Valley office. The office, which will likely be the firm's 24th, will mainly work on corporate and IP matters and has yet to be officially opened. The Recorder, 2/18/04
Dykema Gossett merges with Chicago firm
Detroit-based Dykema Gossett continues to work toward its goal of becoming the Midwest's preeminent law firm, as evidenced by the announcement last week that it is merging with 78-attorney Chicago firm Rooks Pitts. Dykema's Chicago office, which will now be headed by the former managing partner of Rooks Pitts, is the firm's second largest with over 100 attorneys, including the newest additions. The move helps strengthen Dykema's litigation practice and enables Rooks Pitts to service its clients with a more diversified practice. For a short period, the Chicago office will be known as Dykema Gossett Rooks Pitts before the office fully transitions into Dykema Gossett. Both firms were coming off financially healthy 2003s. Firm Press Release, 2/23/04
Florida's largest firm opens first out-of-state satellite through merger
Billing itself as the "largest law firm exclusively in Florida" may prove more difficult for Akerman Senterfitt now, as the firm's recent merger with Tallahassee firm Katz Kutter Alderman & Bryant gives the firm its first out-of-state office in Washington, DC. Katz Kutter is bringing 40 attorneys and several lobbyists to Akerman, thereby increasing the latter firm's presence in Florida's capital and bolstering its government relations practice. Serving as managing partner of the Tallahassee and five-attorney Washington, DC offices, as well as head of the government relations practice, will be name partner Allan Katz. The merger will give Akerman 415 attorneys and is likely to be finalized over the next month. Miami Daily Business Review, 2/20/04
Tennessee firm establishes a satellite in New Orleans
Memphis-based Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz has announced the opening of its tenth office in New Orleans, as it continues to build upon its reputation as one of the fastest-growing firms in the country. The eleven lawyers that will open the office come to the firm courtesy of the New Orleans office of Houston firm Locke Liddell & Sapp, and include seven shareholders, two counsel attorneys and two associates. Two of the shareholders specialize in health care, a field in which Baker, Donelson is prominent and hopes to continue to grow. The Commercial Appeal, 2/20/04
Masons Thelen Reid creates a formal alliance with an Iraqi firm
In a first-of-its-kind move, Masons Thelen Reid, LLP, a partnership between the UK firm Masons and the New York firm Thelen, Reid, & Priest that ranks as the largest construction, engineering, and infrastructure law firm in the world, has established a formal alliance with Iraqi firm Salam Abdullah & Partners. The move will allow the firm to provide local assistance and advice to clients who are seeking to assist with the rebuilding efforts of the war-ravaged country. The firm has been working with Mr. Abdullah since June of last year, gaining an understanding of the specifics of doing business in the new Iraq. Firm Press Release, 2/18/04
Pennsylvania firm expands to Princeton
Stevens & Lee
, based in Reading, PA, announced the opening of a new office in Princeton, NJ earlier this month, with the aid of sixteen new attorneys. The sixteen attorneys are all coming from Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher & Brennan, LLP and will serve to establish a multi-practice from the outset with venture capital, intellectual property, estates and trusts, and land use specialists among them. The group includes nine partners, four associates, and three of counsel attorneys. The Princeton office is the 10th for the 200-plus attorney firm. Firm Press Release, 2/2/04
Littler Mendelson adds three partners in Minneapolis
San Francisco-based Littler Mendelson, the largest labor and employment firm in the country, just got a little larger with the addition of three partners in Minneapolis last week. Patricia Ann Burke, Dale Deitchler, and Mark Schneider all will join Littler Mendelson's six-year-old Minneapolis firm from Rider Bennett. The move increases the number of attorneys in the office to seventeen. Littler, which employs 400 labor and employment attorneys in 29 states, was considered the natural choice for a move by the three attorneys, who wanted to grow their practices in an environment focused on their specialty practice. Firm Press Release, 2/18/04
West Virginia's largest firm set to open 11th office
Jackson Kelly, West Virginia's oldest and largest law firm with more than 150 attorneys, announced earlier this month that it will open a Pittsburgh office, the firm's 11th. R. Henry Moore, an occupational health and safety attorney, has been hired as a Member and will serve as the head of the new branch office. The move allows Jackson Kelly to increase its national occupational health and safety practice as well as expand its energy practice. The office is the firm's fourth outside of West Virginia. Firm Press Release, 2/13/04
Greenberg Traurig prepares to enter Silicon Valley with new partners
Greenberg Traurig is making a push to open yet another office in the United States, furthering the firm's ultimate goal to be able to serve every major legal market in the country locally. The Recorder reports that the firm is hiring several senior associates from top Bay Area firms, promising them a chance to be partner and start a new office for the growing firm. Included among the nine hires the firm has made thus far is a former GT attorney who left the firm during the dotcom era and will now serve as managing partner for the Silicon Valley office. The office, which will likely be the firm's 24th, will mainly work on corporate and IP matters and has yet to be officially opened. The Recorder, 2/18/04
Dykema Gossett merges with Chicago firm
Detroit-based Dykema Gossett continues to work toward its goal of becoming the Midwest's preeminent law firm, as evidenced by the announcement last week that it is merging with 78-attorney Chicago firm Rooks Pitts. Dykema's Chicago office, which will now be headed by the former managing partner of Rooks Pitts, is the firm's second largest with over 100 attorneys, including the newest additions. The move helps strengthen Dykema's litigation practice and enables Rooks Pitts to service its clients with a more diversified practice. For a short period, the Chicago office will be known as Dykema Gossett Rooks Pitts before the office fully transitions into Dykema Gossett. Both firms were coming off financially healthy 2003s. Firm Press Release, 2/23/04
Florida's largest firm opens first out-of-state satellite through merger
Billing itself as the "largest law firm exclusively in Florida" may prove more difficult for Akerman Senterfitt now, as the firm's recent merger with Tallahassee firm Katz Kutter Alderman & Bryant gives the firm its first out-of-state office in Washington, DC. Katz Kutter is bringing 40 attorneys and several lobbyists to Akerman, thereby increasing the latter firm's presence in Florida's capital and bolstering its government relations practice. Serving as managing partner of the Tallahassee and five-attorney Washington, DC offices, as well as head of the government relations practice, will be name partner Allan Katz. The merger will give Akerman 415 attorneys and is likely to be finalized over the next month. Miami Daily Business Review, 2/20/04
Tennessee firm establishes a satellite in New Orleans
Memphis-based Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz has announced the opening of its tenth office in New Orleans, as it continues to build upon its reputation as one of the fastest-growing firms in the country. The eleven lawyers that will open the office come to the firm courtesy of the New Orleans office of Houston firm Locke Liddell & Sapp, and include seven shareholders, two counsel attorneys and two associates. Two of the shareholders specialize in health care, a field in which Baker, Donelson is prominent and hopes to continue to grow. The Commercial Appeal, 2/20/04
Masons Thelen Reid creates a formal alliance with an Iraqi firm
In a first-of-its-kind move, Masons Thelen Reid, LLP, a partnership between the UK firm Masons and the New York firm Thelen, Reid, & Priest that ranks as the largest construction, engineering, and infrastructure law firm in the world, has established a formal alliance with Iraqi firm Salam Abdullah & Partners. The move will allow the firm to provide local assistance and advice to clients who are seeking to assist with the rebuilding efforts of the war-ravaged country. The firm has been working with Mr. Abdullah since June of last year, gaining an understanding of the specifics of doing business in the new Iraq. Firm Press Release, 2/18/04
Pennsylvania firm expands to Princeton
Stevens & Lee
, based in Reading, PA, announced the opening of a new office in Princeton, NJ earlier this month, with the aid of sixteen new attorneys. The sixteen attorneys are all coming from Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher & Brennan, LLP and will serve to establish a multi-practice from the outset with venture capital, intellectual property, estates and trusts, and land use specialists among them. The group includes nine partners, four associates, and three of counsel attorneys. The Princeton office is the 10th for the 200-plus attorney firm. Firm Press Release, 2/2/04Littler Mendelson adds three partners in Minneapolis
San Francisco-based Littler Mendelson, the largest labor and employment firm in the country, just got a little larger with the addition of three partners in Minneapolis last week. Patricia Ann Burke, Dale Deitchler, and Mark Schneider all will join Littler Mendelson's six-year-old Minneapolis firm from Rider Bennett. The move increases the number of attorneys in the office to seventeen. Littler, which employs 400 labor and employment attorneys in 29 states, was considered the natural choice for a move by the three attorneys, who wanted to grow their practices in an environment focused on their specialty practice. Firm Press Release, 2/18/04
West Virginia's largest firm set to open 11th office
Jackson Kelly, West Virginia's oldest and largest law firm with more than 150 attorneys, announced earlier this month that it will open a Pittsburgh office, the firm's 11th. R. Henry Moore, an occupational health and safety attorney, has been hired as a Member and will serve as the head of the new branch office. The move allows Jackson Kelly to increase its national occupational health and safety practice as well as expand its energy practice. The office is the firm's fourth outside of West Virginia. Firm Press Release, 2/13/04
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