Holland & Knight #1 in Wealth Management

08/01/06

Holland & Knight #1 in wealth management
Chambers USA, a research-based publication of Chambers & Partners, has ranked the wealth management practice of the law firm Holland & Knight LLP as No. 1 for the year 2006. Holland & Knight has the largest number of trusts and estate lawyers across the U.S. The publication has also given individual recognition to the chair of Holland & Knight's private wealth services group, Edward F. Koren Jr. The law firm has also received the top national ranking for its shipping and aviation transportation practices.



Chambers USA ranks law firms and attorneys based on their merits as explained by their clients. Chambers USA also considers other qualities which include technical legal ability, professional conduct, commercial awareness, diligence, and commitment.

Goodwin Procter's private equity practice to get a facelift
Boston-based Goodwin Procter LLP has embarked on expansion plans to widen its private equity practice. The firm's New York office has already seen the hiring of prominent attorney Jeff A. Hess, who specializes in private equity acquisitions, venture capital, and growth equity investments for leveraged buyout, private equity fund, and merchant banking clients. Recently the law firm added five new partners to the private equity practice in its Washington, DC, and New York offices, taking the firm's total number of private equity attorneys to 75.

With more than 40 years of experience in the private equity practice, the law firm was rated as the sixth most active in private equity and venture capital by Private Equity Analyst in 2005. Goodwin Procter offers services in debt, tax, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, ERISA, employment and real estate law.

Fish & Richardson strengthen corporate and litigation practice
The national law firm of Fish & Richardson has hired eight new corporate and litigation attorneys in its Austin office. With the new additions, Fish & Richardson now has 20 lawyers in Austin and 49 in Dallas bringing its total ranks to 380. Since opening its Austin office in January 2005, the law firm has been looking to consolidate its staff strength and increase its client base in the region. The Austin office offers services in the areas of intellectual property, litigation, technology transactions, general corporate matters, labor and employment, private placements of securities (including venture capital financings), public offerings and public company compliance matters, and mergers and acquisitions.

According to the July 2006 edition of IP Law & Business, Fish & Richardson firm handles more patent litigation than any other law firm in the U.S. The new hires, previously with the firm Andrews Kurth, are expected to set the firm on track to figure among the few firms in Austin to represent all aspects of the legal needs of technology companies, including patent and IP issues.