Dickinson Wright merges with Artz & Artz
Dickinson Wright, PLLC, will purchase Southfield, MI-based Artz & Artz by the first of June. By merging with intellectual property firm Artz & Artz, Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright plans to expand and strengthen its intellectual property practice. Nine registered patent attorneys from the IP firm (John A. Artz, John S. Artz, Robert Renke, Jay Drouillard, Angela Brunetti, Thomas Donohue, Steven Hays, Paula Schneider, and Christian Brower) have joined Dickinson Wright. CEO James Samborn earlier claimed that the merger would make Dickinson Wright's IP practice the largest among all Michigan-based full-service law firms. Its offices are located in Bloomfield Hills, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Washington.
Locke Liddell combines with Lord Bissell to form 700-lawyer firm
Waldman Smallwood wins Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics
The Waldman Smallwood Law Firm received the 2007 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics at the 10th annual award ceremony held by the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Texas. The law firm was awarded the honor in the small-business category, while Barnes & Noble Booksellers won the award in the large-business category. Carl Waldman and Charles Smallwood founded the Waldman Smallwood Law Firm, which focuses on personal injury claims, in 1957. Waldman Smallwood operates offices in Beaumont, Nederland, and Houston.
New appointee to "The Chicago Committee"
The board of directors of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms ("the Chicago Committee") has selected Wildman Harrold partner Jonathan W. Young to serve as one of its members. The Chicago Committee has 16 representatives belonging to the largest firms in Chicago. Venu Gupta, executive director of the Chicago Committee, was "extraordinarily pleased" to have Jonathan Young join the committee's board of directors. Established in 1987, the Chicago Committee provides minority lawyers in the Chicago legal community with support, business-development assistance, feedback, and networking. The committee also assists law firms with recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts aimed at promoting minority lawyers.
Want to read more law firm headlines?
For past editions of our weekly law firm news, click here.