Heller Ehrman opens shop in London

01/19/07

Heller Ehrman opens shop in London
U.S. law firm Heller Ehrman plans to set up shop in London this year; this will be the firm’s first venture on the European shores. The London office, the firm’s fourth off shore venture and the 13^th worldwide, will leverage the firm’s core practice areas in corporate, real estate, and competition by widening its scope of operation on a broader global platform. With the new office in London, the firm’s technology practice spans key global technology markets from Asia to the U.K. Three current shareholders: Brian D. Smith, Edward P. Henneberry, and Stephen C. Ferruolo will relocate to handle the London office early this year.

In the face of emerging prospects in the growth and technology industry companies’ arena, the move also consolidates its position as a leading services provider in the life sciences sector. It also provides a boost to the firm’s Venture Law Group (VLG) brand, which it acquired post-merger in September 2003. The VLG is a premier U.S.-based technology and emerging growth practice.

Of the trio, Ferruolo will hold his forte concentrating on emerging growth and public life sciences and technology companies in the new office. His main areas of practice are corporate finance, governance, and mergers and acquisitions. While Smith will look after real estate private equity and hospitality, the third partner Henneberry will practice in the areas of antitrust and competition. They will collectively supervise the office’s growth, leading European business development and also make lateral recruitments. The firm envisages recruiting as many as 15 to 25 lawyers by year-end.

Heller Ehrman’s more than 700 attorneys build the firm’s three core practice area strengths. The firm’s expanding client base’s continued demand for quality and experienced legal services emboldened it to take a step further into the global legal arena.

Dorsey & Whitney shows peers how to M&A!
With 174 domestic merger and acquisition (M&A) deals worth $33 billion completed successfully during 2006, Dorsey & Whitney LLP was ranked third among U.S. law firms. In 2005, Dorsey deals in the U.S. were worth $13 billion, while the worldwide figures increased from $19.5 billion at the same time to almost $54 billion in 2006. Since 1994, Thomson Financial has been publishing the law firm M&A rankings, wherein Dorsey acquired a position among the top three each year in the domestic category. In the worldwide rankings, Dorsey bagged the ninth position for deals completed in 2006, which increased to 243 from 205. The year before, in 2005, the firm had placed in the 13^th position.

Dorsey’s more than 650 lawyers in 19 locations represent some of the most successful clients from Fortune 500 companies leaders in the financial services, investment banking, etc.