Paul Hastings hiring spree includes new Brazil office overseen by 3 former Allen & Overy partners

Following news of a record $1 billion in gross revenue in 2014, Paul Hastings is on a hiring spree. The approximately 875-attorney firm brought in two BigLaw practice leaders this week, and is opening a new office in Brazil overseen by three partners from a Magic Circle firm in the…

Mar 6, 2015 12:55 PM CST

Dentons and McKenna Long reportedly resume merger talks

Dentons and McKenna Long & Aldridge have reportedly resumed merger discussions after a vote on a proposed combination was called off in 2013. Multiple anonymous sources told Bloomberg BNA’s Big Law Business and the Am Law Daily about the new talks. Neither firm commented on the report, though they offered…

Mar 5, 2015 1:44 PM CST

Troutman Sanders adds 4 more K&L Gates lawyers to growing Charlotte office

A four-lawyer team led by two partners has exited K&L Gates for the growing Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Troutman Sanders. Established last May with a five-partner team of corporate and real estate lawyers from K&L Gates, the 19-attorney office is now welcoming a corporate team led by Chad Warpula…

Mar 4, 2015 4:20 PM CST

DLA Piper and Canadian law firm vote to merge

DLA Piper and Canadian law firm Davis have agreed to a merger. The Vancouver Sun and the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) have news of the deal, approved by Davis last Wednesday and by DLA Piper the prior week. Davis has about 260 lawyers, including about 112 partners, in six…

Mar 2, 2015 7:11 AM CST

Fowler Rodriguez acquires 2 firms in Miami, opens another Florida office

A Louisiana-based international maritime boutique has acquired two Miami law firms and has opened another office in Tampa, Florida. Fowler Rodriguez announced Thursday that Hayden Milliken & Boeringer, which focuses on maritime insurance claims, and the law offices of Santiago J. Padilla, an immigration and international law specialist, are now…

Feb 26, 2015 3:10 PM CST

How Dewey management’s rosy picture masked an ugly truth

In December 2011, Dewey & LeBoeuf chair Steven Davis used a calm, matter-of-fact tone in a phone interview about his firm's uncharacteristically aggressive streak of lateral partner hiring during the previous year. It was all part of the plan, Davis said.

Feb 1, 2015 4:30 AM CST

82 law firm mergers got the green light in 2014

Feb 1, 2015 1:50 AM CST

Signing ceremony marks Dentons’ combination with Chinese firm, creating world’s largest law firm

Leaders of Dentons and Chinese law firm Dacheng commemorated the joining of their two law firms—producing the world’s largest law firm by head count—in a signing ceremony this week. The ceremony was held in Beijing on Tuesday morning after Chinese regulators approved the deal, Law 360 (sub. req.) reports. A…

Jan 27, 2015 6:57 AM CST

Nixon Peabody to acquire Ungaretti on Feb. 1, making Chicago its 2nd-largest office

It’s official: A major law firm is expanding its Midwestern footprint by acquiring Chicago-based Ungaretti & Harris. Nixon Peabody announced the merger Monday, which will make its Chicago office the firm’s second-largest after Boston. Formed by the merger of firms with historic roots in New York and Massachusetts, the 600-attorney…

Jan 26, 2015 12:20 PM CST

Dinsmore to acquire 40-attorney law firm based in West Virginia

Dinsmore & Shohl is acquiring a 40-attorney law firm headquartered in Huntington, West Virginia. Effective Feb. 1, the merger with Huddleston Bolen will also add 56 staff members to the Cincinnati-based Dinsmore, Louisville Business First reports. “The Huddleston Bolen merger increases the heft, depth and breadth of our litigation group…

Jan 20, 2015 1:45 PM CST

Bradley Arant to open first Florida office with acquisition of smaller firm

A major Southeastern regional law firm is opening its first office in Florida, with the acquisition of a 12-attorney Tampa firm. Alabama-based Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will operate in Tampa out of the offices of Glenn Rasmussen, which will be Bradley Arant’s eighth location, reports Alabama.com. The 460-attorney firm also…

Jan 15, 2015 2:50 PM CST

After losing BigLaw jobs, ex-Skadden associates form own firm, join Dentons as partners

Losing their BigLaw jobs five years ago during a mass layoff in the midst of the Great Recession turned out to be beneficial for two former Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom associates. Randolph Adler Jr. and Michael Chung founded their own New York law firm in 2009, focusing their…

Jan 8, 2015 6:40 AM CST

Verrill Dana to hire 20 lawyers from Connecticut firm, will tie Pierce Atwood as biggest Maine firm

Although technically not a merger, an agreement by Verrill Dana to acquire the employees of a Connecticut-based law firm effectively is one, says managing partner K.C. Jones. And when the 20 lawyers from Levett Rockwood come on board around the beginning of the year, the combined roster of approximately 140…

Dec 2, 2014 3:00 PM CST

Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman to merge into 1,000-attorney firm

The partners of Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman Palmer have OK’d a merger, effective Jan. 10, that will put the melded 1,000-attorney firm among the county’s 50 highest-grossing law partnerships. A joint announcement Monday says the new firm will be known as Locke Lord Edwards. Locke Lord chair Jerry Clements…

Dec 1, 2014 11:55 AM CST

More than 750 Bingham partners, lawyers and staffers are going to Morgan Lewis

Morgan Lewis is acquiring 525 lawyers and staffers from Bingham McCutchen in addition to 226 partners from the law firm. Terms of the acquisition were finalized on Friday, the Am Law Daily reports. The acquisition gives Morgan Lewis about 2,000 lawyers in 28 offices. Morgan Lewis chair Jami McKeon said…

Nov 24, 2014 9:23 AM CST