Around the Firms

The two firms already do have some connections. In 2002, Shaw Pittman gained former Akin Gump manager Stephen Moore, who joined as chief operating officer; also, James Leary, Akin Gump's executive director, previously served as Shaw Pittman's chief operating officer, having left in 2000. Space is another link between the firms. Shaw Pittman recently began leasing Los Angeles office space from Akin Gump, and in North Virginia Akin Gump is leashing space from Shaw Pittman.

A merger is not a new concept for Akin Gump, which has had several successful takeovers since 1999. The most recent is the catch last January of a litigation group comprising 20 attorneys. Steven Zager, a prestigious litigator from the now defunct Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, had headed the group. Bankruptcy was another area in which the firm had made progress, having represented in 2002 unsecured creditors at WorldCom, among other parties, in half of the largest filed bankruptcies.

Shaw Pittman, on the other hand, developed strong technology-related practices and currently has the Northern Virginia technology market's largest office; McLean has more than 100 attorneys. However, the firm's technology outsourcing practice that developed from it suffered last summer with the loss of three integral partners who deserted the firm to join Latham & Watkins. The decline resulted in the laying off of 19 Shaw Pittman associates early last year; several more followed that summer. In April of that same year, Alston & Bird gained five of Shaw Pittman's business and finance attorneys. This reduced number of the firm's Manhattan lawyers to 17. Less than a year earlier, the number had been at a peak of 30.

There have been mixed feeling regarding whether a merger between the two firms would be successful. Law firm consultant Steven Zeughauser feels that although there would be difficulties, a merger could fortify each firm's drawbacks. He also said that because of gaps in profits per partner and revenue per attorney, partners would need to be fit into a system of compensation. However, another consultant, William Brennan of Altman Weil in Newtown Square, PA, says that cultural compatibility is an important factor and that all else will be ruined if the sets of attorneys cannot coexist in harmony; profits would not be a savior. However, he also feels that the gap between the two firms is not undefeatable.

Last month, leading national law firm Piper Rudnick made it known that two new partners joined the Boston office – augmenting and expanding the firm's Boston presence, and reinforcing its national business and technology practice. The newcomers – Jonathan M. Moulton and Lawrence A. Gold – bring the firm's total number of Boston lawyers to 35. Both attorneys previously were partners in the business practice group of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, another Boston firm, and they bring with them a wealth of experience in several areas. The two, who concentrate their work on corporate and securities law, are widely skilled in the representation of operating companies and investors in equity and debt securities private placement. They also have excessive knowledge in acting on behalf of issuers and underwriters concerning Rule 144A and PIPE transactions, among others. The attorneys' other work included mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures concerning public as well as private companies; counseling clients on Sarbanes-Oxley; and representing domestic companies doing business overseas as well as foreign countries engaging in trade in the United States.

The attorneys say that what moved them to join Piper Rudnick was the chance to become part of an office that not only made a name for itself in Boston, but also presented its clients with the first national policy for several commercial legal services. Moulton and Gold's association with Piper Rudnick comes less than a year after the Boston office was opened by 33 real estate, litigation and energy attorneys, formerly of Hill & Barlow. Moulton feels that the firm is in a good position to experience growth in the near future. It is also the consensus of a couple of higher-ups from Piper Rudnick's Boston office that overall this will be a good arrangement.

On Sept. 17, the former landlords of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison filed an appeal with San Francisco's U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the purpose of which was to store the now defunct firm's loose ends into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It is the landlords' claim that they are owed $50.4 million by Brobeck for space that was rented in San Francisco as well as in East Palo Alto and Los Angeles.

Effective Oct.1, Chicago-based firms Seyfarth Shaw and D'Ancona & Pflaum have merged. The combined firm is called Seyfarth Shaw, and D'Ancona's lawyers are now in Seyfarth's Shaw's offices. The total number of lawyers firmwide has been raised to 600. J. Stephen Poor, managing partner at Seyfarth Shaw, says that D'Ancona's attorneys will strengthen several of the firm's facilities – among them corporate, securities, mutual funds, real estate and estate planning. Furthermore, there is an advantage for D'Ancona's national and international client base, as they now have contact with Seyfarth's Shaw's national department and its combined capability and environmental presence.

Linda S. Husar has been appointed national chair of Thelen Reid & Priest LLP's 50 attorney labor and employment department. Husar, who works out of Thelen Reed's Los Angeles office, has acted on behalf of some the United States' largest employers regarding high-risk employment lawsuits and wage and hour class proceedings. Robert A. Dolinko, who has more than 20 years' experience serving management in labor and employment subjects – including experience in such areas of wrongful termination, employment discrimination and affirmative action – is now vice chair of the department and resident in the San Francisco office.

Pros and Cons of DC Firms' Merger

Washington, DC firms Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Shaw Pittman have been looking for a possible merger. However, although Shaw Pittman managing partner Stephen Huttler says talks were arranged to gain more insight into each other's firms, heads of both firms – which are two of DC's largest – stress that they are nowhere near reaching a decision to merge. On the flip side, a source has reported that although a merger has not been arranged, these were not just initial discussions.

The source feels that should the firms decided to merge, it is likely that success will be achieved. A merger between these firms would constitute one of the United States' largest. It would also be an exceptional move for DC's legal market: Revenue-wise, Shaw Pittman and Akin Gump are respectively the eighth- and ninth-ranked firms in the district. Unless layoffs occur, a merger would make them the largest local firm and one of the nation's 10 largest.

The two firms already do have some connections. In 2002, Shaw Pittman gained former Akin Gump manager Stephen Moore, who joined as chief operating officer; also, James Leary, Akin Gump's executive director, previously served as Shaw Pittman's chief operating officer, having left in 2000. Space is another link between the firms. Shaw Pittman recently began leasing Los Angeles office space from Akin Gump, and in North Virginia Akin Gump is leashing space from Shaw Pittman.

A merger is not a new concept for Akin Gump, which has had several successful takeovers since 1999. The most recent is the catch last January of a litigation group comprising 20 attorneys. Steven Zager, a prestigious litigator from the now defunct Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, had headed the group. Bankruptcy was another area in which the firm had made progress, having represented in 2002 unsecured creditors at WorldCom, among other parties, in half of the largest filed bankruptcies.

Shaw Pittman, on the other hand, developed strong technology-related practices and currently has the Northern Virginia technology market's largest office; McLean has more than 100 attorneys. However, the firm's technology outsourcing practice that developed from it suffered last summer with the loss of three integral partners who deserted the firm to join Latham & Watkins. The decline resulted in the laying off of 19 Shaw Pittman associates early last year; several more followed that summer. In April of that same year, Alston & Bird gained five of Shaw Pittman's business and finance attorneys. This reduced number of the firm's Manhattan lawyers to 17. Less than a year earlier, the number had been at a peak of 30.

There have been mixed feeling regarding whether a merger between the two firms would be successful. Law firm consultant Steven Zeughauser feels that although there would be difficulties, a merger could fortify each firm's drawbacks. He also said that because of gaps in profits per partner and revenue per attorney, partners would need to be fit into a system of compensation. However, another consultant, William Brennan of Altman Weil in Newtown Square, PA, says that cultural compatibility is an important factor and that all else will be ruined if the sets of attorneys cannot coexist in harmony; profits would not be a savior. However, he also feels that the gap between the two firms is not undefeatable.

Last month, leading national law firm Piper Rudnick made it known that two new partners joined the Boston office – augmenting and expanding the firm's Boston presence, and reinforcing its national business and technology practice. The newcomers – Jonathan M. Moulton and Lawrence A. Gold – bring the firm's total number of Boston lawyers to 35. Both attorneys previously were partners in the business practice group of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, another Boston firm, and they bring with them a wealth of experience in several areas. The two, who concentrate their work on corporate and securities law, are widely skilled in the representation of operating companies and investors in equity and debt securities private placement. They also have excessive knowledge in acting on behalf of issuers and underwriters concerning Rule 144A and PIPE transactions, among others. The attorneys' other work included mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures concerning public as well as private companies; counseling clients on Sarbanes-Oxley; and representing domestic companies doing business overseas as well as foreign countries engaging in trade in the United States.

The attorneys say that what moved them to join Piper Rudnick was the chance to become part of an office that not only made a name for itself in Boston, but also presented its clients with the first national policy for several commercial legal services. Moulton and Gold's association with Piper Rudnick comes less than a year after the Boston office was opened by 33 real estate, litigation and energy attorneys, formerly of Hill & Barlow. Moulton feels that the firm is in a good position to experience growth in the near future. It is also the consensus of a couple of higher-ups from Piper Rudnick's Boston office that overall this will be a good arrangement.

On Sept. 17, the former landlords of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison filed an appeal with San Francisco's U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the purpose of which was to store the now defunct firm's loose ends into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It is the landlords' claim that they are owed $50.4 million by Brobeck for space that was rented in San Francisco as well as in East Palo Alto and Los Angeles.

Effective Oct.1, Chicago-based firms Seyfarth Shaw and D'Ancona & Pflaum have merged. The combined firm is called Seyfarth Shaw, and D'Ancona's lawyers are now in Seyfarth's Shaw's offices. The total number of lawyers firmwide has been raised to 600. J. Stephen Poor, managing partner at Seyfarth Shaw, says that D'Ancona's attorneys will strengthen several of the firm's facilities – among them corporate, securities, mutual funds, real estate and estate planning. Furthermore, there is an advantage for D'Ancona's national and international client base, as they now have contact with Seyfarth's Shaw's national department and its combined capability and environmental presence.

Linda S. Husar has been appointed national chair of Thelen Reid & Priest LLP's 50 attorney labor and employment department. Husar, who works out of Thelen Reed's Los Angeles office, has acted on behalf of some the United States' largest employers regarding high-risk employment lawsuits and wage and hour class proceedings. Robert A. Dolinko, who has more than 20 years' experience serving management in labor and employment subjects – including experience in such areas of wrongful termination, employment discrimination and affirmative action – is now vice chair of the department and resident in the San Francisco office.