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Major international law firm merger

Pittsburgh-based Reed Smith and London-based Richards Butler have approved a merger between the two firms after months of debate. The move will create one of the 20 largest firms in the world with more than 1,300 lawyers and a presence across three continents. Consolidation of operations will take place in the coming six months with the firms officially merging on January 1, 2007.

The combined firm will maintain the name of Reed Smith, though in the UK and some European countries, the name of Reed Smith Richards Butler will be applied. As a result of the merger, the numbers of attorneys in the Paris office will more than double, and the firm will open offices in the Middle East and Greece as well. Annual revenue of the new entity is projected to reach $725 million.

Gregory Jordan from Reed Smith will continue to serve as managing partner, while Roger Parker, the current managing partner at Richards Butler, will become the managing partner for Europe. Michael Pollack, director of strategic planning based out of the firm's Philadelphia office, will shift to London, which will hold the distinction of being the combined firms' largest office.

As reported by Judged Law Firm News previously, the merger does not apply to Richards Butler Hong Kong, a 110-lawyer affiliate of Richards Butler UK. Attempts to motivate it to join, however, continue.

06-21-2006

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Clifford Chance launches Romanian office

The Romanian legal market is undergoing an accelerated rate of development due to frequent mergers, acquisitions, and privatizations, as well as EU compliance issues. This is attracting global firms, such as Norton Rose, Freshfields, and Allen & Overy.

Clifford Chance is equipping itself to focus on the legal market in Eastern Europe by setting up an office in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. It has collaborated with the Romanian law firm of Badea & Asociatii and opened an office of three attorneys.

Badea services large international entities investing in Romania and focuses on real estate transactions as well as finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions.

Clifford Chance and Badea have worked together in the past in Eastern European markets. Clifford Chance already has offices in Warsaw, Prague, Moscow, and Budapest.

06-21-2006

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Spotlight on labor & employment law

The development of labor law has witnessed a major shift in the past few decades. Above all, the shift in focus has been from negotiating collective bargaining agreements in unionized environments to legal counsel aiming to avoid costly discrimination lawsuits in the workplace. Practices specializing in employment have seen exponential growth in the last several years.

Originating in the Industrial Revolution, labor law represents more than just the needs of workers and the management today. As a result, there are now union lawyers, management lawyers, government lawyers, arbitrators, and agents. Previously considered a subset of labor law, today employment law is now considered a separate field.

It is the employment lawyer's job to represent plaintiffs who may have been injured in some way on the job. Likewise, they also defend the employers against these types of suits. Employment lawyers can also review employee contracts or work on employee benefits.

06-21-2006

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Changes in code of conduct for lawyers

In an attempt to stem aggressive solicitation and misleading advertising, The New York State Bar has ratified amendments to the existing Lawyer's Code of Professional Conduct. The new amendments have met with mixed reactions from New York attorneys.

The amendments include a 30-day moratorium on soliciting personal injury or wrongful death clients and a ban on using paid endorsements or testimonials by current clients. Restrictions on web-based advertising, popup ads, and chat solicitations are also in place. Further, lawyers are prohibited from using nicknames such as "heavy hitter," or anything that would imply a court victory. Violations of the new rules may lead to disbarment.

Some lawyers feel that the new rules belabor the obvious, such as the requirement that all attorney ads state clearly that they are for legal services. Others feel that the New York State Bar is micro-managing and restricting e-commerce.

06-20-2006

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McKenna unites with Hands On Network

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP and Hands On Network, a not-for-profit network of volunteer organizations, have announced a national partnership to focus mainly on raising the volunteerism level throughout the U.S.

The united entity will create a council that will work towards an increase in the number of volunteers nationwide and train 100,000 volunteer leaders. McKenna will provide pro bono legal services to the network as well. Leaders of Fortune 500 companies such as Turner Broadcasting, SAP Americas, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Coca Cola Company, Albertsons, and Accenture have also pledged to participate.

Hands On Network operates both within the U.S. and abroad. It has about half a million volunteers culled from 58 member organizations. Up to 50,000 projects per year are created and managed by Hands On as it moves towards bringing change in the community from within.

06-20-2006

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Arizona attracts law boutiques

A booming economy in the state of Arizona is attracting large law firms. In the past 6 years, the State's population has grown by over 12%. Large national law firms have taken advantage of the boom by establishing boutique satellite offices throughout Arizona.

Among the numerous firms present in Arizona are Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart and Littler Mendelson, both in Phoenix. Ogletree Deakins, the nation's third largest labor and employment law firm, opened its Phoenix office this June with a large number of lawyers defecting from rival firm Bryan Cave. The firm now has 15 lawyers specializing in labor and employment law. Littler Mendelson plans to increase the number of attorneys in its Phoenix office from 14 to as many as 20.

06-20-2006

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Philadelphia merger activity

The large Philadelphia-based law firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads will be merging with the 11-attorney firm Crawford, Wilson & Ryan on August 1st. The merged entity will be named Montgomery, McCracken.

Full-service law firm Montgomery presently employs 160 lawyers spread over four locations. The merger is in keeping with their expansion policy, which began with the recruiting of attorneys from Reed Smith and Wolf Block.

Montgomery predicts that the merger will benefit their employee benefits and executive compensation, immigration, tax, and corporate practices. Through the merger, they will join with Crawford's top-rated real estate practice.

06-20-2006

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