McKee Nelson announced the arrival of a six-partner business litigation practice to its New York Office. Coming from King & Spalding, the group focuses on defending lawsuits involving complex financial transactions. The fully staffed group will comprise of about 25 lawyers, pushing McKee Nelson’s numbers up to over 200 attorneys. Will Nelson, the firm’s managing partner, commented that the firm is always interested in acquiring top practices that focus on its client base and complement the existing practices. Founded in 1999, McKee Nelson has offices in NY and Washington, DC.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
Patent Litigator Moves to Buchanan from Skadden
Constance (Connie) S. Huttner has joined Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC as the chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. The patent and intellectual property litigator was previously a partner at Skadden, Arps. At Skadden, Huttner established the firm’s patent litigation practice in 1990. Huttner joins a team of 120 attorneys and patent agents in Buchanan’s IP and IP Litigation groups, yet the firm expects to add more patent litigators over the next weeks. Buchanan has made several other acquisitions over the past two years including seven tax and immigration lawyers in Miami; 55 attorneys and patent professionals from Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis; and three government relations professionals in Washington, D.C.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
Eight Buchan Ingersol Lawyers Join Crowell & Moring
An eight-lawyer financial institutions practice from Buchanan Ingersol & Rooney was recruited by Crowell & Moring to join its New York office. These additions puts the DC-based firm’s five-month old NY office to 28 lawyers. Headed by William M. O’Connor, the group handles transactional and litigation matters for banks and other financial institutions. Crowell & Moring has 350 attorneys firmwide.
Source: www.law.com
Salary Hikes in Charlotte
Hunton & Williams has raised starting salaries in Charlotte, NC to $145,000. National firms Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Dechert; and Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw are also reported to have increased to $145,000 or plan to next year. Until now, first-year associates at Hunton’s 43-lawyer Charlotte office were making only $117,5000, making the increase a 23 per cent raise. The firm’s Raleigh, Richmond, DC, LA, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Norfolk, and Knoxville offices also now have a starting pay of $145,000. The NY office also increased to match the market rate of $160,000.
Source: www.charlotte.bizjournals.com
Drinker, Biddle & Reath Expands in DC
Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP expanded its Washington D.C. office by 33,000 square feet, now occupying 93,171 square feet of space in the Southern Railway Building. The firm has a 10 year lease at the building which was constructed in 1928 and renovated in 1988.
Source: www.costar.com
Ropes & Gray Relocates in Boston
Ropes & Gray is moving its Boston office from One International Place to the Prudential Tower. The firm will occupy 15 floors of the 52-floor building, increasing its space from 350,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet. Ropes & Gray also recently moved its New York office to a new location in Midtown NYC. The firm expects these new offices will better accommodate their expected growth over the next years.
Source: www.boston.com
Dewey Adds One in Frankfurt
Dewey Ballantine’s Frankfurt office has a new addition. The firm acquired capital markets partner, Matthias von Oppen, from White & Case. Von Oppen was at White & Case for seven years, and his clients include Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and HVB. In the wake of Dewey’s failed merger with Orrick, the firm lost a number of of key partners. With hires such as von Oppen, the firm hopes to rebuild.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Ohio firm Gains IP Senior Counsel
Ohio firm, Ulmer & Berne LLP, recently added Eric M. Robbins to its Cincinnati office as a Senior Counsel in the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Group. Robbins comes to the firm from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, and deals with the securement, ownership, licensing, and enforcement of patents, trademarks and copyrights. Ulmer & Berne was established in 1908, and is one of Ohio’s largest firms. With four offices across the Midwest, it is also one of the region’s fastest growing firms.
Source: www.home.businesswire.com
Arent Fox Hires Higher Education Partner
National law firm, Arent Fox, has hired Dennis H. Blumer as a partner in its higher education practice. Blumer joins the firm’s Washington D.C. office after 12 years of service as vice president and general counsel at The George Washington University. Prior to his work at GW, Blumer was the executive assistant to the president of the University of Maryland, College Park. He has been a part of the higher education legal community for 40 years. Besides its D.C. branch, Arent Fox also has offices in NY and LA; the firm has over 300 attorneys.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
New Partner in Perkins Coie’s Menlo Park Office
Perkins Coie announced that David Frazee joined the firm’s Menlo Park, CA office. As a partner in the firm’s Business group, Frazee will focus on helping companies develop comprehensive corporate, business, and intellectual property strategies. Perkins Coie has over 600 attorneys in 15 offices in the U.S. and China. In 2007 it was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For”.
Source: www.home.businesswire.com
