San Francisco boutique, Topel & Goodman, is set to merge with New York firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman on April 1. The seven-lawyer boutique has made a name for itself in white-collar criminal defense, but the firm’s two partners feel that Kasowitz’s 230 lawyers will help to provide the backup needed to take on larger criminal cases and ancillary civil cases. For Kasowitz, the deal provides criminal defense capabilities and a West Coast presence. Kasowitz Benson focuses on general litigation, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, employment, intellectual property and family law. The two firms hope to double the number of lawyers in the San Francisco office in the next year.
Source: www.law.com
Paul Hastings Adds Two Real Estate Partners
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has added two new partners to its real esatat practice. Brad Ritter and Gregory Spitzer joined Paul Hastings’ Chicago office last month from Kirkland & Ellis. These additions are just a part of the number of real estate hires the firm has recently made; with 190 lawyers in 18 offices, Paul Hastings’ real estate practice is one of the largest among US firms. The Chicago office now has 20 attorneys and continues to seek more.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Bracewell & Giuliani Doubles Size of NY Office
New York’s Bracewell & Giuliani is expanding its NYC headquarters. The firm is taking over the 18th floor of 1177 Sixth Avenue in addition to its 19th floor offices, doubling its space to 49,000 square feet. The firm has 40 attorneys in New York now, but plans to add 20 to 30 more over the next year. Bracewell’s corporate and litigation practices especially have been growing.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Nine New Partners at Gardere
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP announced the promotion of nine new partners in the firm’s Dallas and Houston offices, effective April 1, 2007. R. Craig Baker, Steven S. Camp, Michael P. Cooley, John A. Eliason, Brett D. Lamb, Colin Martin, Robert T. Slovak, and Jeannette Vloitos practice in the Dallas office, and John T. Woodruff works out of Houston. With offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City, Gardere is one of the Southwest’s largest full-service law firms. The firm specializes in the areas of corporate, banking, real estate, bankruptcy, legislative and regulatory affairs, tax, labor, environmental, and intellectual property.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Pepper Hamilton Hires Tax Partner in D.C.
Pepper Hamilton has hired Ellen McElroy, a tax lawyer with experience in the IRS Chief Counsel Office, as a partner in the Washington, DC office. Formerly of Ernst & Young, McElroy specializes in accounting methods and inventories, in particular capitalization issues. She has also worked for the IRS, where she served as a legislation counsel and as a senior attorney with the Income Tax and Accounting division. Pepper Hamilton’s tax practice helps clients with proactive tax planning and is involved in the structure and formation of partnerships. The tax attorneys also have experience in private equity funds, hedge funds, corporate spin-offs, accounting method changes and IRS controversy matters.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Muth Chosen to Head Greenbaum’s Cincinnati and Covington Offices
C. Christopher Muth has been named as member-in-charge of Greenbaum, Doll & McDonald’s Cincinnati and Covington, OH offices. This appointment comes after former member-in-charge, Bill Robinson, left for Frost Brown Todd earlier this month. Muth is a part of the firm’s corporate and commercial practice group, and he is also the co-chairman of the M&A team. Specifically, he has experience in representing clients in mergers, asset acquisitions, stock purchase transactions and corporate finance.
Source: www.cincinnati.bizjournals.com
Stuntz Joins Hogan & Hartson to Co-Chair O&I Group
Reid Stuntz, formerly chief counsel and staff director to House member John Dingell, has joined Hogan & Hartson. Stuntz worked for Dingell for 18 years; Dingell is the longest serving House member in office and the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Along with Ty Cobb, Stuntz will co-chair Hogan & Hartson’s new investigations and oversights practice group. Working for Dingell, Stuntz served as the O&I chief counsel and staff director for four years, and estimates that he ran about 80 investigations.
Source: www.legaltimes.typepad.com
Goodwin Proctor Opens Two West Coast Offices
Boston firm Goodwin Proctor has opened two new offices on the West Coast. The 700-lawyer firm opened in San Diego and Los Angeles, and is considering a Silicon Valley office opening in the next six months. With its acquisition of former Heller Ehrman partners, Stephen Ferruolo and Ryan Murr, the San Diego office will specialize in technology and life sciences. Managing Partner, Regina Pisa, expects to hire about 25 lawyers, including eight partners, for that office. The LA office will open with Dean Pappas and Dani Vogt, former partners at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, as well as Edward Hagerott Jr., previously with Munger, Tolles & Olson. With the addition of several associates, this office will eventually employ 11 attorneys.
Source: www.law.com
Hogan & Hartson Moves Reits Practice to London
Hogan & Hartson is preparing to move its market-leading US real estate investment trusts (Reits) practice to London. The 16-partner practice is based primarily in Washington DC, although it has partners based in New York, North Virginia, Warsaw and Berlin. With this strategic move, Hogan & Hartson is aiming to take advantage of the fact that listed property investment companies are now being introduced in the UK. In the US, the firm has handled some of the largest Reits cases including the $8.9 billion acquisition of Trizec by Brookfield Properties.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Foley & Lardner Opens in Downtown L.A.
Foley & Lardner has expanded its Los Angeles operation with the addition of a downtown office to its existing Century City location. The new 53,000 square-foot office is located at 555 S. Flower St. in City National Plaza. The firm now has 20 offices worldwide with seven located in California. While the Century City office continues work in intellectual property and the entertainment industry, the downtown office will focus on its growing corporate and litigation practices.
Source: www.globest.com
