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Accounting Mismatch Spins Accrual Fate for Merger Deal

By Jennifer Fried
June 01, 2004

[Editor's note: Last month's edition featured a new book excerpt on resolving balance sheet issues in law firm mergers. This recent news report underscores the potentially extreme challenges of harmonizing disparate accounting systems.]

When the end finally came, Pennie & Edmonds' death certificate revealed few surprises. The IP firm had been bleeding key partners and was facing a serious real estate crunch, with its New York office lease nearing expiration and too few partners willing to be on the hook for another 15 years with personal guarantees. But the firm's funeral in December took an unexpected turn.

Rather than simply dismantle its practice or merge with a general practice firm, as many expected it would, the 120-year-old boutique did something in between: It ceased its operations and sent nearly 100 attorneys, including an estimated 29 partners, to Jones Day, a firm with which it had been in on-and-off discussions for years. Not all Pennie lawyers were asked to make the move, and some chose on their own to bail out. In all, at least 16 of Pennie's original lawyers will not end up at Jones Day.

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