Linde H. Carley has joined Kilpatrick Stockton’s Capital Markets team in the Charlotte, NC office. Carley joins the firm as a Counsel in the Financial Transactions, Real Estate, and Restructuring department. Previously, she worked for six and a half years with the Executive Advisory Services team at Bank of America. Carley specializes in the representation of national lenders on loans secured by multi-family, retail, office and mixed use real property, syndicated commercial credit agreements and construction lending. Kilpatrick Stockton has over 500 attorneys in nine offices worldwide.
Source: www.lawfuel.com

After Monday’s announcement of the free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea, several U.S. firms have set their sights on Seoul, South Korea. If the agreement becomes law, American firms could have offices in South Korea next year, though the legal market would not completely open for another five years. With the 10th largest economy in the world, South Korea is an attractive prospect for some large firms like Paul Hastings, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and DLA Piper, all of which would like to open there as soon as possible. Other firms like Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and O’Melveny & Myers have no immediate plans to open in South Korea. Approval of the pact is not yet certain, however, as it now must gain approval from American and South Korean politicians.
Source: www.law.com

Fox Rothschild has started an ad campaign geared towards attorneys whose practices are deemed not profitable enough for large firms, and for those who have established solo practices but now need the support and larger platform that a larger firm can provide. While certain firms are no longer interested in practice areas that do not contribute to their profitability models, Fox gladly welcomes these attorneys in its pursuit of growth. While most firms are reluctant to advertise outside of the internet, other firms like Saul Ewing have made use of ads over the past few years. These ads are not necessarily recruitment efforts, rather they are intended more to increase awareness of the firm.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Last year, DLA Piper increased its gross revenue by 17 percent, or $250 million, globally. Two years after the merger between DLA, Piper Rudnick, and Gray, Cary, Ware & Freidenrich, the resulting firm is thriving. Though the firm prefers to monitor its overall performance, its revenue in the U.S. did increase as well, by about 14.6 percent. A large part of DLA Piper’s profitable 2006 was due to work done in its five core areas. Mergers and acquisitions, large litigation matters, intellectual property, real estate and government affairs are the practice areas in which the firm most wants to gain an expertise.
Source: www.law.com

After toxic tort litigation partner Douglas Wah left Bishop, Barry, Howe, Haney & Ryder in February, 14 toxic tort litigators have since followed. Nine of these lawyers have joined Wah at Foley & Mansfield, while the others left for other firms. The exodus has left Bishop Barry with eight partners, only two of which handle toxic torts. Wah feels that at Foley & Mansfield he has more litigation support from attorneys experienced in abestos litigation. Likewise, the group that most recently left Bishop Barry did so because after Wah left, they had little support in their practice area.
Source: www.law.com

Loyalty among corporate clients is waning; while 53.7 percent in 2005 reported firing one of their primary firms in the last eight months, that number increased to 61.1 percent in 2006. Most clients use two “primary” firms, about 15 “secondary” firms, and 45 other firms who handle limited matters. It is those secondary, generally mid-sized, firms that are in the best position to take advantage of clients’ willingness to switch firms. Nonprimary firms are usually more willing to be flexible, creative, and responsive in meeting their client’s needs. These firms are then perceived as more client-focused and committed to attaining client satisfaction. As a result, corporate clients are relying on primary firms less and less, and instead seeking out firms that will truely put service as a priority.
Source: www.law.com