BCG News - 1/05/04
1/05/04
Chadbourne & Parke acquires last remnants of European Altheimer practice
New York-based Chadbourne & Parke has strengthened its international practice this week with the acquisition of the Kiev and Warsaw offices of former global giant Altheimer & Gray. The two offices will be staffed by a total of 44 attorneys, 35 in Poland and 9 in Ukraine. Altheimer & Gray dissolved last year and saw its international network of law offices broken up and disseminated amongst the legal community. The Kiev and Warsaw offices were the last major parts of Altheimer's European practice to be picked up. Another former Altheimer attorney will also be joining Chadbourne & Parke in the firm's London office. Chadbourne & Parke now has nine offices, four domestic and five international. Legal Week, 1/5/04
Reed Smith bulks up its DC office with addition of IP boutique
Reed Smith announced last week that it has acquired Alexandria, VA intellectual property boutique Shanks & Hebert, which wound down its operations and joined Reed Smith on January 2nd. The Shanks & Hebert team, all of which joined Reed Smith in the DC office, comprises two partners, one counsel, 5 associates, 2 paralegals, and 5 others who serve as support staff. The move is a major step forward for the growth goals of Reed Smith, which is seeking to develop a strong intellectual property practice in its Washington, DC office to handle the IP needs of its healthcare, life sciences and government regulatory clients as well as to become a prominent presence in the DC market. Firm Press Release, 12/29/03
Proposed merger between Foley & Lardner and Edwards & Angell falls through
Last minute client conflicts between Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner and Boston-based Edwards & Angell recently prevented the two firms from closing on a proposed merger, but Foley & Lardner has not lost hope that it can find a suitable partner with which it can expand its East Coast practice. The move would have added Edwards & Angell's seven offices to Foley & Lardner's 17, including offices in the two legal markets which Foley & Lardner is seeking to expand to - New York City and Boston. Foley & Lardner is starting over in its search for the firm that can provide it with a solid Northeast presence, still preferring to merge with an existing area firm rather than open an office with lateral hires. The firm hopes to make a move into the area in the next year and a half. Milwaukee Business Journal, 12/31/03
Hong Kong office of Bryan Cave may face downsizing
St. Louis-based international law firm Bryan Cave's 12-attorney Hong Kong practice could be facing a significant reduction in staff as soon as the end of the month. The firm is currently reviewing its Asian practice, which comprises a Shanghai office as well as the one in Hong Kong, and is likely to make a change to the practice that the office provides its clients. The firm's resident manager in London has confirmed that the Hong Kong office is likely to be downsized to offer a more specialized practice. It is unlikely that the firm will follow the lead of other American firms that have chosen to leave the economically troubled area. The Lawyer, 1/05/04
McGlinchey Stafford expands into Albany, NY
New Orleans commercial law firm McGlinchey Stafford has acquired the consumer financial services group of Albany firm McNamee Lochner Titus & Williams to serve as the founding members of its own Albany, NY office. The office's new attorneys, all four of which come from McNamee, will be joining a practice with seven other offices and more than 30 attorneys. McGlinchey Stafford also operates out of two other offices in Louisiana, two offices in Texas (Dallas & Houston), and offices in Jackson, MS, and Cleveland, OH. New York Capitol Region Business Review, 1/5/03
Pittsburgh firm expands into Philadelphia and New Jersey, and has plans for Ohio
Burns, White & Hickton, a Pittsburgh, PA firm with 50 attorneys, has announced that it will acquire a small East Coast practice that will give the firm a presence in both Philadelphia and New Jersey, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Alder O'Halloran, the acquired firm, is made up of two attorneys, one practicing in Princeton, New Jersey, and the other in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. The acquisition is a result of the growing business and litigation practices of Burns, White, as well as the need to serve clients from these areas. Burns, White also plans to open an office in Eastern Ohio within the next 18 months for the benefit of its clients in that area. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/31/03
Akerman Senterfitt hires former Housing Secretary and Senate-hopeful
Republican Mel Martinez is seeking to make the law as he runs for the Senate seat of retiring Florida Democrat Bob Graham in the November elections, but until then, he landed a job with Akerman Senterfitt, where he will focus on the practice of law. Martinez had served as secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department in the Bush administration since 2001, but left last month to pursue the soon-to-be-vacant seat of the Florida Democrat for his party. The Cuban-born Martinez will handle "strategic planning" and corporate work for the Orlando office of Akerman in the meantime. Miami Herald, 12/22/03
Dallas firm adds seventh office in fast-growing Collin County
President Bush's recent approval of a federal courthouse in Plano, TX adds further emphasis to the US Census Bureau deeming Collin County the second-fastest growing small county in the country. Strasburger & Price's addition of a branch office in Frisco, TX seeks to take advantage of this flourishing community with 15-18 attorneys (and 8-10 partners) who will serve the legal needs of the area. Strasburger hopes that the new office will offer its clients in the burgeoning local economy a more local and convenient service and predicts that the office could double in size in the near future. Strasburger currently employs 200 attorneys and 300 support staffers. Dallas Business Journal, 12/29
Chadbourne & Parke acquires last remnants of European Altheimer practice
New York-based Chadbourne & Parke has strengthened its international practice this week with the acquisition of the Kiev and Warsaw offices of former global giant Altheimer & Gray. The two offices will be staffed by a total of 44 attorneys, 35 in Poland and 9 in Ukraine. Altheimer & Gray dissolved last year and saw its international network of law offices broken up and disseminated amongst the legal community. The Kiev and Warsaw offices were the last major parts of Altheimer's European practice to be picked up. Another former Altheimer attorney will also be joining Chadbourne & Parke in the firm's London office. Chadbourne & Parke now has nine offices, four domestic and five international. Legal Week, 1/5/04
Reed Smith bulks up its DC office with addition of IP boutique
Reed Smith announced last week that it has acquired Alexandria, VA intellectual property boutique Shanks & Hebert, which wound down its operations and joined Reed Smith on January 2nd. The Shanks & Hebert team, all of which joined Reed Smith in the DC office, comprises two partners, one counsel, 5 associates, 2 paralegals, and 5 others who serve as support staff. The move is a major step forward for the growth goals of Reed Smith, which is seeking to develop a strong intellectual property practice in its Washington, DC office to handle the IP needs of its healthcare, life sciences and government regulatory clients as well as to become a prominent presence in the DC market. Firm Press Release, 12/29/03
Proposed merger between Foley & Lardner and Edwards & Angell falls through
Last minute client conflicts between Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner and Boston-based Edwards & Angell recently prevented the two firms from closing on a proposed merger, but Foley & Lardner has not lost hope that it can find a suitable partner with which it can expand its East Coast practice. The move would have added Edwards & Angell's seven offices to Foley & Lardner's 17, including offices in the two legal markets which Foley & Lardner is seeking to expand to - New York City and Boston. Foley & Lardner is starting over in its search for the firm that can provide it with a solid Northeast presence, still preferring to merge with an existing area firm rather than open an office with lateral hires. The firm hopes to make a move into the area in the next year and a half. Milwaukee Business Journal, 12/31/03
Hong Kong office of Bryan Cave may face downsizing
St. Louis-based international law firm Bryan Cave's 12-attorney Hong Kong practice could be facing a significant reduction in staff as soon as the end of the month. The firm is currently reviewing its Asian practice, which comprises a Shanghai office as well as the one in Hong Kong, and is likely to make a change to the practice that the office provides its clients. The firm's resident manager in London has confirmed that the Hong Kong office is likely to be downsized to offer a more specialized practice. It is unlikely that the firm will follow the lead of other American firms that have chosen to leave the economically troubled area. The Lawyer, 1/05/04
McGlinchey Stafford expands into Albany, NY
New Orleans commercial law firm McGlinchey Stafford has acquired the consumer financial services group of Albany firm McNamee Lochner Titus & Williams to serve as the founding members of its own Albany, NY office. The office's new attorneys, all four of which come from McNamee, will be joining a practice with seven other offices and more than 30 attorneys. McGlinchey Stafford also operates out of two other offices in Louisiana, two offices in Texas (Dallas & Houston), and offices in Jackson, MS, and Cleveland, OH. New York Capitol Region Business Review, 1/5/03
Pittsburgh firm expands into Philadelphia and New Jersey, and has plans for Ohio
Burns, White & Hickton, a Pittsburgh, PA firm with 50 attorneys, has announced that it will acquire a small East Coast practice that will give the firm a presence in both Philadelphia and New Jersey, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Alder O'Halloran, the acquired firm, is made up of two attorneys, one practicing in Princeton, New Jersey, and the other in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. The acquisition is a result of the growing business and litigation practices of Burns, White, as well as the need to serve clients from these areas. Burns, White also plans to open an office in Eastern Ohio within the next 18 months for the benefit of its clients in that area. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/31/03
Akerman Senterfitt hires former Housing Secretary and Senate-hopeful
Republican Mel Martinez is seeking to make the law as he runs for the Senate seat of retiring Florida Democrat Bob Graham in the November elections, but until then, he landed a job with Akerman Senterfitt, where he will focus on the practice of law. Martinez had served as secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department in the Bush administration since 2001, but left last month to pursue the soon-to-be-vacant seat of the Florida Democrat for his party. The Cuban-born Martinez will handle "strategic planning" and corporate work for the Orlando office of Akerman in the meantime. Miami Herald, 12/22/03
Dallas firm adds seventh office in fast-growing Collin County
President Bush's recent approval of a federal courthouse in Plano, TX adds further emphasis to the US Census Bureau deeming Collin County the second-fastest growing small county in the country. Strasburger & Price's addition of a branch office in Frisco, TX seeks to take advantage of this flourishing community with 15-18 attorneys (and 8-10 partners) who will serve the legal needs of the area. Strasburger hopes that the new office will offer its clients in the burgeoning local economy a more local and convenient service and predicts that the office could double in size in the near future. Strasburger currently employs 200 attorneys and 300 support staffers. Dallas Business Journal, 12/29
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