DLA further expands in Western Europe
Less than a week after announcing that the firm would be opening an office in Cologne, Germany, UK-based DLA announced it would add another satellite to its international network, this time in Rome. DLA, which is still involved in discussions with Piper Rudnick for a potential trans-Atlantic merger, will open its second office in Italy with nine attorneys on September 1st. Two new corporate partners, Francesco Cerasi and Roberto Pera, join from EY Law and Macchi di Cellere Gangemi, respectively. Another partner, Stefano Modenesi, will move from the firm's Milan office. Three associates and three trainees are also expected to join. Later in September, partner Manlio Niccolai will join the Rome office to work on banking and finance matters. The office was established in part because of the early success of the Milan office, which was opened last October. Firm Press Release, 7/26/04
Mayer Brown hires DC white collar crime team
A four-attorney white collar criminal litigation team from Beveridge & Diamond in DC defected to the local offices of Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw last week. The team is led by partner David Krakoff, who is a former federal prosecutor with 30 years of criminal law experience. One other partner, Christopher Regan, counsel Ilana Sultan and associate James Parkinson make up the balance of the group. In a firm press release announcing the hires, Krakoff cited Mayer Brown's sterling reputation in industries such as banking where white collar crime rates are high as one of the reasons for the move. Firm Press Release, 7/26/04
White & Case expands Frankfurt operations
Two hires in Frankfurt have allowed White & Case to expand two practices in its 60-attorney international office. Wolfgang Möllenhoff joins the firm as a partner in the litigation department; he brings experience in banking and corporate litigation, national and international civil law and arbitration from Siemens. Dr. Lucia Magelli will join the office's Italian Desk as counsel to work in the M&A and Capital Markets group. She is qualified in both Italy and Germany and comes to the firm from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Firm Press Release, 8/2/04
Carlton Fields opens in Atlanta
When Florida's largest firms look to expand outside of the state, Atlanta is generally the first market they go to; Carlton Fields was no different. The 210-attorney firm established its first presence outside of its home state last month when it announced that Wayne Shortridge had been hired from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker to serve as the office managing shareholder of a new Atlanta satellite. Shortridge, a corporate attorney, formerly served as the managing partner of Paul Hasting's Atlanta office, and as managing partner of Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy. The firm said that the move to Atlanta was a logical step for the burgeoning firm. Firm Press Release, 7/21/04
Cozen O'Connor merges practices
Two practices became one for Cozen O'Connor recently, as the firm merged its public utilities & energy law practice with its environmental regulatory practice. The new practice, which will be called the energy, environmental and public utilities group, will be based in the firm's Cherry Hill, NJ office and chaired by Peter Fontaine and Ira Megdal. The firm cites the increasing environmental legal needs of utility companies as the main reason for the restructuring. Philadelphia Business Journal, 7/28/04
Dallas firm expands to Houston with merger
Last week, Dallas-based Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, a commercial litigation firm, announced a merger with Houston-based bankruptcy boutique Floyd Jones Rios Wahrlich that created a combined firm of more than 100 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Austin. The Houston office will open with 10 attorneys, including five shareholders, one of counsel and four associates, all bankruptcy attorneys from Floyd Jones. The merged firm will continue to be called Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr and will "aggressively" seek to grow the office, according to the firm's press release. The firm looks forward to increasing the number of services it can offer in Houston beyond its current bankruptcy, reorganization and litigation specialties. Firm Press Release, 7/28/04
Raleigh firm adds patent law capabilities
Through the hiring of Allen Baum, formerly of Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, and two associates, Hutchison & Mason, has added patent law capabilities to its practice. Baum will join as a patent partner, bringing a group of two patent attorneys and support staff with him from his former firm. Hutchison, a modest-sized firm with around fifteen attorneys, said that adding patent protection services to its practice, which focuses on business and technology law, will help the firm serve its clients more effectively. Firm Press Release, 8/2/04
Asian firm merges with Australian firm
Australia-based Malleson Stephen Jaques and China-based Kwok & Yih announced that the two firms will merge their Asian practices, effective October 1st. Both firms have strong corporate practices that are considered among the elite in their home countries, allowing each side to declare the move a "merger of equals." The new firm, which will practice under Malleson Stephen Jaques, cites the merged Asian practice as a viable local alternative to the US- and UK-based firms which dominate the market there. The move increases the two firms' capabilities in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Firm Press Release, 7/27/04
Holland & Knight seeks to take over the West Coast The Recorder reported last week that Tampa-based Holland & Knight is seeking to scale up its West Coast practice in a major way over the next three years. The firm hopes to increase its West Coast practice from 125 attorneys to 500, and to increase from 30 to 100 in San Francisco. To do this, the firm wants to absorb the local practice of a large firm or acquire several small firms. The Recorder, 7/29/04
Firms increase office space as a means to expand
Dissolved firm Pennie & Edmonds moved out, and White & Case moved into the firm's New York City digs. White & Case added four floors formerly occupied by the now-defunct intellectual property boutique last week to accommodate its somewhat cramped office situation. The firm carries over 400 of its 1800+ attorneys in the New York office, and has experienced increased expansion in recent years. New York Law Journal, 7/28/04
Foley & Lardner is committing long term to its Detroit market as a way to strengthen its Midwest operations. The firm signed a 15-year lease with an option to expand its space to accommodate the firm's growth in the area. Since October of 2000 when the firm opened in Detroit, the office has increased in size from 8 attorneys to 37. The new office space has room for 50 attorneys. Firm Press Release, 7/26/04
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