There has been a recent flourish of activity for firms in New York; NY-based and non-NY-based firms alike are growing and consequently are seeking new office spaces. Small to mid-size non-NY firms such as Duane Morris, Hodgson Russ, Seyfarth Shaw, and Covington & Burling all found new homes in NY last year. The trend has been that these firms in particular are moving to the West Side. Expanding NY firms have also sought new spaces; these firms do not have much of a preference between the East and Wide Side, as long as they remain in Midtown. Indeed location and efficiency rather than price are the main concerns of these firms. They wanted spaces accessible to clients and recruits, and they also wanted offices with newer features and that could be adaptable to fit their needs.
Source: www.law.com
Dewey Discusses Merger with Italian Boutique
Despite a failed merger with Orrick Herrington & Suttcliffe, Dewey Ballantine is again in merger talks, this time with Italian boutique Galgano. Dewey’s interest in the 35-lawyer firm lies primarily in founder Francesco Galgano and his son Federico Galgano, who would lend expertise in litigation as well as an Italian legal perspective. Galgano, in exchange, could benefit from Dewey’s extended network and deal flow. Though nothing has been formally decided, sources report that a deal could be made within the next few weeks.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Womble Carlyle Opens in Baltimore with New Additions
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice announced today that former Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and a group of his top advisers are joining the firm. Ehrlich, along with David B. Hamilton, formerly of Baltimore’s Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver, will will open Womble Carlyle’s new Baltimore office. The new office is the firm’s eleventh, and will open Feb. 26. Founded in 1876, the firm has offices in 6 states and DC and has about 550 attorneys.
Source: www.home.business.wire.com
Freshfields Loses Partners
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Düsseldorf office has lost corporate partner André Kowalski to German boutique Franz Rechtsanwälte. The firm’s Frankfurt office has also suffered the loss of a three-lawyer IP team to SJ Berwin, as well as partner Lutz Kramer to White & Case’s Frankfurt equity capital martkets practice.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Heller Ehrman in London
Heller Ehrman will soon open a new London office with the arrival of a senior associate from Slaughter and May. Douglas Lahnborg will join the firm as partner in the competition practice. Heller expects to hire a team of associates to work in London, and the firm has already also hired a three-partner corporate technology team from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr’s London office. The office is expected to open in mid-March.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Quinn Emanuel Expands NY Office
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges is expanding its NY office, adding 11,292 square feet to its previous holding of 56,261 square feet. Growing from 50 to 77 attorneys over the past year, the firm needed the extra space to accomodate its new hires. Other tenants at 51 Madison Ave. include Addison Wesley Longman, Accretive Technology Partners, and the Henry Luce Foundation.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
King & Spaulding Grows in NY; Loses Three in DC
Last week King & Spaulding moved its real estate capital markets practice to New York from Atlanta, and also added Andrew H. Charles as a partner from Cravath, Swaine & Moore. At least six Atlanta attorneys will relocate to NY; while 30 or more real estate lawyers will remain in Atlanta and Houston, the firm expects to have up to 25 NY lawyers in this practice. As the NY office sees growth, the Washington office lost three corporate partners to Hogan & Hartson. The firm will be active in lateral recruiting efforts to fill those spots.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Troutman Has Eyes on China and West Coast
When Troutman Sanders’ managaing partner Robert W. Webb Jr. took the reins in 1993, the firm only had one office, their Atlanta headquarters. Today, 14 years later, the firm has 11 offices in New York, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, Hong Kong, and London. Webb has also been working on opening an office in China for the past couple years. His next move is the West Coast; because of a need to have offices in several cities, a merger is a strong possibility.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Three More Atlanta Firms Raise Pay
Three more firms have bumped up pay in their Atlanta branches. Atlanta-based Smith, Gambrell & Russell and Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs and Philadelphia-based Duane Morris announced today that their firms were raising first-year associates’ salaries to $130,000 per year. This increase matches the market salary in Atlanta, though a few firms decided to start at $135 thousand.
Source: www.dailyreportonline.com
Debevoise Had Profitable 2006
New York firm Debevoise & Plimpton reports a profitable 2006. Turnover and profit per partner both rose by about 7 per cent, and the firm’s net profit rose by over 11 per cent. Sources report that the firm’s success could be due to a very strong year in London.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
