BCG News - 8/16/04
8/16/04
Baker Donelson merges with New Orleans firm, opens new office
Memphis-based Baker Donelson Caldwell & Berkowitz continued its torrid growth rate of recent years by adding an office and bolstering another last week. The New Orleans satellite, founded in February of this year, is going to be strengthened by the arrival of four new attorneys, all of whom will come via a merger with small local firm Shaw Norton Degan. The office now has 28 attorneys. Additionally, the merger will bring five attorneys into the fold in the Southern Louisiana city of Mandeville, where the firm will establish a new office. Shaw Norton Degan offered clients a wide variety of legal services, so the firm's addition will benefit many of Baker Donelson's practice areas. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Proskauer Rose looks to advise law firms with new practice
New York-based Proskauer Rose announced last week that the firm was establishing a new practice area designed to aid other law firms in their hours of need. The "Law Firm Advisory Practice Group" will be co-chaired by Steven Krane, a partner, and David Ellenhorn, a counsel, and will include a "substantial number of lawyers" from various firm departments, including labor, corporate, and litigation. The new practice will take on everything from risk management issues to partnership disputes and malpractice defense. In a press release announcing the new practice, Proskauer chair Alan Jaffe cited the firm's experience in handling cases of this nature as a reason why the practice area was already well equipped to handle the needs of law firms. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Reed Smith announces novel program with top business school
Pennsylvania-based Reed Smith has announced that it has devised a program that will take advantage of its state's most prestigious educational institution, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School. In conjunction with Wharton School, Reed Smith will put its attorneys and staff through an educational training program called Reed Smith University, which will provide attorneys and students access to Wharton facilities and faculty. The main focus of the training will be on leadership, but it will also have schools devoted to business development, technology, professional support, and law. Each school will be lead by deans, all of whom are partners from the firm. Firm Press Release, 8/11/04
New hire gives Weil Gotshal new practice in DC
Weil Gotshal & Manges has hired Alexander Hadjis from the large IP boutique of Fish & Richardson to grow a patent litigation practice for the firm's Washington, DC, office. Before Hadjis' was added to the ranks, Weil Gotshal did not have any patent litigators in Washington, DC, but had more than 100 in the national practice. According to a press release announcing the hire, the firm was looking for someone to head this new DC venture for a while and was pleased to be able to get someone as accomplished as Hadjis. The firm expects to add to the practice very quickly. Firm Press Release, 8/12/04
Bingham makes major hire in Boston
Boston-based Bingham McCutchen took on one of its local rival's main pieces last week when Jordan Hershman joined the firm from Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault. Hershman formerly served as the co-chairman of Testa Hurwitz's securities litigation group. At Bingham, he will take on a senior role in the securities litigation practice group and look to broaden his client base by representing more organizations in the accounting and investment sectors. Hershman cited the firm's growth and excellent management team as reasons for his decision to leave the firm where he has spent the last 12 years. Bingham cites this move as another coup for its plan to build up its broker-dealer/securities litigation areas, to which the firm has made many recent additions. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Epstein Becker & Green expands national ADA practice
With the firm foreseeing many changes in the way companies will have to handle Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues, Epstein Becker & Green is ramping up its ADA practice to meet the needs of this area. A subsection of its larger labor & David Simon will head the New York office's practice. Simon, like Vu, has worked in a government role with the civil rights department of the DOJ. The practice will seek to assist companies in making transitions to what will be more stringent ADA-compliance rules expected later this summer. Firm Press Release, 8/16/04
Jones Day
, Fulbright & Jaworski to be neighbors in LA
Both Jones Day and Fulbright & Jaworski signed new leases last week to occupy space in the Arco Plaza building in downtown Los Angeles. Jones Day, which currently considers the Gas Company Tower as home to its Los Angeles office, signed a 15-year lease to occupy six floors. Fulbright & Jaworski signed a 12-year lease to occupy two floors and a portion of a third. Both firms cited the moves as reflective of their dedication to the Southern California market, which is not home for either of them, and as necessary to accommodate recent and future growth plans for the offices. Thomas Properties Group Press Releases, 8/9/04
Akin Gump draws two to Houston litigation practice
Two litigators have joined the litigation practice of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Houston. The pair includes one partner, James Wetwiska, and one associate, Leah Thomas Rudnicki, both of whom come to the firm from Fulbright & Jaworski. Wetwiska focuses his practice on product liability and commercial litigation, and has worked in virtually every arena, including state and federal courts and arbitration panels. Rudnicki mainly handles product liability, mass tort and toxic tort litigation. Akin Gump mentioned a growing national mass torts defense practice as part of the reason for the hires. Firm Press Release, 8/11/04
McDermott Will & Emery establish tax practice in Miami
Two attorneys - one partner and one associate - were hired earlier this month to establish a tax practice for McDermott Will & Emery's Miami branch office. Philip Tingle, the partner, focuses his tax practice on the electric and gas industries, while Mead works with large corporations on federal income tax issues. The two will work closely with the tax group in Washington, DC, in getting the new department off the ground. McDermott Will & Emery counts more than 100 tax attorneys among its staff. Firm Press Release, 8/15/04
Baker Donelson merges with New Orleans firm, opens new office
Memphis-based Baker Donelson Caldwell & Berkowitz continued its torrid growth rate of recent years by adding an office and bolstering another last week. The New Orleans satellite, founded in February of this year, is going to be strengthened by the arrival of four new attorneys, all of whom will come via a merger with small local firm Shaw Norton Degan. The office now has 28 attorneys. Additionally, the merger will bring five attorneys into the fold in the Southern Louisiana city of Mandeville, where the firm will establish a new office. Shaw Norton Degan offered clients a wide variety of legal services, so the firm's addition will benefit many of Baker Donelson's practice areas. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Proskauer Rose looks to advise law firms with new practice
New York-based Proskauer Rose announced last week that the firm was establishing a new practice area designed to aid other law firms in their hours of need. The "Law Firm Advisory Practice Group" will be co-chaired by Steven Krane, a partner, and David Ellenhorn, a counsel, and will include a "substantial number of lawyers" from various firm departments, including labor, corporate, and litigation. The new practice will take on everything from risk management issues to partnership disputes and malpractice defense. In a press release announcing the new practice, Proskauer chair Alan Jaffe cited the firm's experience in handling cases of this nature as a reason why the practice area was already well equipped to handle the needs of law firms. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Reed Smith announces novel program with top business school
Pennsylvania-based Reed Smith has announced that it has devised a program that will take advantage of its state's most prestigious educational institution, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School. In conjunction with Wharton School, Reed Smith will put its attorneys and staff through an educational training program called Reed Smith University, which will provide attorneys and students access to Wharton facilities and faculty. The main focus of the training will be on leadership, but it will also have schools devoted to business development, technology, professional support, and law. Each school will be lead by deans, all of whom are partners from the firm. Firm Press Release, 8/11/04
New hire gives Weil Gotshal new practice in DC
Weil Gotshal & Manges has hired Alexander Hadjis from the large IP boutique of Fish & Richardson to grow a patent litigation practice for the firm's Washington, DC, office. Before Hadjis' was added to the ranks, Weil Gotshal did not have any patent litigators in Washington, DC, but had more than 100 in the national practice. According to a press release announcing the hire, the firm was looking for someone to head this new DC venture for a while and was pleased to be able to get someone as accomplished as Hadjis. The firm expects to add to the practice very quickly. Firm Press Release, 8/12/04
Bingham makes major hire in Boston
Boston-based Bingham McCutchen took on one of its local rival's main pieces last week when Jordan Hershman joined the firm from Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault. Hershman formerly served as the co-chairman of Testa Hurwitz's securities litigation group. At Bingham, he will take on a senior role in the securities litigation practice group and look to broaden his client base by representing more organizations in the accounting and investment sectors. Hershman cited the firm's growth and excellent management team as reasons for his decision to leave the firm where he has spent the last 12 years. Bingham cites this move as another coup for its plan to build up its broker-dealer/securities litigation areas, to which the firm has made many recent additions. Firm Press Release, 8/10/04
Epstein Becker & Green expands national ADA practice
With the firm foreseeing many changes in the way companies will have to handle Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues, Epstein Becker & Green is ramping up its ADA practice to meet the needs of this area. A subsection of its larger labor & David Simon will head the New York office's practice. Simon, like Vu, has worked in a government role with the civil rights department of the DOJ. The practice will seek to assist companies in making transitions to what will be more stringent ADA-compliance rules expected later this summer. Firm Press Release, 8/16/04
Jones Day
, Fulbright & Jaworski to be neighbors in LABoth Jones Day and Fulbright & Jaworski signed new leases last week to occupy space in the Arco Plaza building in downtown Los Angeles. Jones Day, which currently considers the Gas Company Tower as home to its Los Angeles office, signed a 15-year lease to occupy six floors. Fulbright & Jaworski signed a 12-year lease to occupy two floors and a portion of a third. Both firms cited the moves as reflective of their dedication to the Southern California market, which is not home for either of them, and as necessary to accommodate recent and future growth plans for the offices. Thomas Properties Group Press Releases, 8/9/04
Akin Gump draws two to Houston litigation practice
Two litigators have joined the litigation practice of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Houston. The pair includes one partner, James Wetwiska, and one associate, Leah Thomas Rudnicki, both of whom come to the firm from Fulbright & Jaworski. Wetwiska focuses his practice on product liability and commercial litigation, and has worked in virtually every arena, including state and federal courts and arbitration panels. Rudnicki mainly handles product liability, mass tort and toxic tort litigation. Akin Gump mentioned a growing national mass torts defense practice as part of the reason for the hires. Firm Press Release, 8/11/04
McDermott Will & Emery
establish tax practice in MiamiTwo attorneys - one partner and one associate - were hired earlier this month to establish a tax practice for McDermott Will & Emery's Miami branch office. Philip Tingle, the partner, focuses his tax practice on the electric and gas industries, while Mead works with large corporations on federal income tax issues. The two will work closely with the tax group in Washington, DC, in getting the new department off the ground. McDermott Will & Emery counts more than 100 tax attorneys among its staff. Firm Press Release, 8/15/04
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