International law firm Nixon Peabody LLP and Chicago’s Ungaretti & Harris LLP will merge effective February 1, 2015. The move reaffirms Nixon Peabody’s position as a major law firm in Chicago and the Midwest with the addition of 100 lawyers whose experience spans the full range of legal services. The combined firm retains the Nixon Peabody name and brand.

Andrew I. Glincher, who continues as Managing Partner & CEO for Nixon Peabody said, “We are privileged to team up with a prestigious law firm like Ungaretti & Harris with a stellar reputation serving public and private clients.” He continued, “This combination is responsive to the needs of our clients with interests in Chicago and the Midwest as we grow and diversify our services there. At the same time, this merger offers Ungaretti & Harris clients more than 600 lawyers across Nixon Peabody’s international platform that includes offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London.” More >>

Former U.S. Department of Education civil rights attorney Phil Catanzano has joined Holland & Knight as a senior counsel in the Boston office. Mr. Catanzano will be a member of the firm’s education practice, one of the largest in the country.

At the U.S. Department of Education, Mr. Catanzano worked in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), where he conducted investigations and compliance reviews of public and private secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, as well as state agencies, across New England to ensure compliance with federal statutes, regulations and guidelines. He also negotiated and monitored compliance agreements following investigations, facilitated mediations between educational institutions and complainants, and provided individualized training to educational institutions and other groups. More >>