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Pedley Zielke Gordinier & Pence is Dissolving
Law Firm News |
2007/11/14 18:48
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The Louisville law firm of Pedley Zielke Gordinier & Pence is dissolving at the end of the year.
David Pedley, a partner and one of 17 attorneys with the firm, said he and some other staffers will move from their current location in the Meidinger Tower to a new office in the Starks Building. They will create a new firm called Pedley & Gordinier.
Pedley said some other attorneys will stay in the Meidinger Tower and form another full-service legal business called Zielke Law Firm. The split was amicable, Pedley said, and will allow both groups to focus on their own respective growth strategies. |
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South African Law Firms Merge to be Biggest
Law Firm News |
2007/11/14 16:50
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COMMERCIAL law firms Webber Wentzel Bowens and Mallinicks yesterday announced plans to merge in a move that would make the new entity one of SA’s biggest law firms, and rival corporate law advisers Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs.
The new firm, which will be led by Webber Wentzel Bowens senior partner David Lancaster, will have 300 lawyers.
The Ernst & Young Mergers & Acquisitions Review for 2006, which ranks legal advisers on the value of transactions they advised on, ranked Webber Wentzel Bowens as second last year with 29 deals worth R52bn, followed by Edward Nathan with 35 deals worth R46,75bn. Mallinicks was ranked 36th with three deals worth R178m.
Combined, the firms could be a large player in the market and their merger is part of the recent trend which has seen consolidation in the legal services sector.
The merger follows that of Edward Nathan’s recent blockbuster merger with Cape Town based-law firm Sonnenberg Hoffmann Galombik. Prior to that, Cliffe Dekker entered into an alliance with the world’s second-biggest law firm , DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.
Law experts say that the South African legal profession is a marketplace that is undergoing dramatic change. Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs chairman Michael Katz said mergers for large law firms “make good commercial sense. Nowadays law firms require scale.” Law firms must either scale up or become niche practices, he said. “Somewhere in between is problematic.”
However, Werksmans chairman Des Williams said relationships were more important at this stage than size for South African law firms to be world class.
Webber Wentzel Bowens had been looking for a merger partner for some time. “We have been focused on growth for some time now and we believe the new firm will allow us to enhance our delivery service to clients by capitalising on the enhanced quality, scale and scope of the merged firm to the advantage of our clients and staff,” Lancaster said.
The combined firm would start operating from March 1 next year . The merger would take effect when regulatory approvals were granted.
Mallinicks chairman Michael Evans said: “Webber Wentzel Bowens is the major force in corporate law in SA and merging with them will undoubtedly result in a strong, strategic and regional fit as a large part of our business is in corporate law too.”
“We will run the new merged entity as one firm. The new name and branding will underscore this fact,” Lancaster said.
Evans said both firms were committed to transformation. Between them they would have more than 100 black lawyers, of which 30 would be partners. |
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Gibson Dunn Promotes 14 Lawyers to Partner
Law Firm News |
2007/11/13 15:23
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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that the Firm has elected 14 new partners, effective January 1, 2008. The new partners represent a wide range of practice areas and geographical regions.
"We are proud to recognize the accomplishments of this extraordinarily talented group of attorneys," said Ken Doran, Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. "The new partners are exceptional lawyers, who reflect our firm's values of excellence, personal integrity, collegiality and dedication to providing the highest level of service to our clients. Representing diverse practices across our offices, they bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that will be a tremendous resource for our clients and our firm."
The new partners include:
-- Dora R. Arash -- Arash's practice focuses on federal income tax
planning for corporations and partnerships, as well as tax controversy
matters. Resident in the Los Angeles office, she graduated magna cum
laude from the Pepperdine University School of Law in 1994.
-- Ron C. Ben-Yehuda -- Ben-Yehuda practices in the areas of transactional
intellectual property, media and technology, focusing extensively on
agreements relating to technology development, marketing and licensing,
as well as e-commerce and other online activities. Prior to joining
the Firm, he was general counsel of a public software company.
Resident in the Los Angeles office, he graduated with distinction from
Stanford Law School in 1987. -- Anne Lee Benedict -- Benedict's practice focuses on corporate finance,
business combination, securities and general corporate matters.
Resident in the Washington, D.C. office, she graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1999. -- Frederick S. Chung -- Chung practices intellectual property litigation,
focusing on patent litigation. Resident in the Palo Alto office, he
graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1995. Following his
graduation from law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable
Karen Nelson Moore of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, in
Cleveland, Ohio. -- Rachel Couter -- An English-qualified lawyer, Couter practices
international litigation, arbitration and other dispute resolution,
including contentious regulatory disputes. She is a Solicitor of the
Supreme Court of England and Wales. Resident in the London office, she
obtained a first class honors degree in law from the University of
Cambridge in 1994. -- Michael M. Farhang -- Farhang practices white collar criminal,
securities, and general business litigation. Prior to joining the
Firm, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central
District of California, where he specialized in white collar fraud
prosecutions in the Major Fraud section. Farhang also participated in
legal assignments in Iraq for the Department of Justice in 2003.
Resident in the Los Angeles office, he received his law degree cum
laude from Harvard Law School in 1995. -- Drew C. Flowers -- Flowers focuses his practice on real estate
transactions, with a particular emphasis on representing capital
partners, developers and lenders in complex financing transactions.
Resident in the Los Angeles office, he received his law degree from the
University of Southern California in 1998. -- Eduardo Gallardo -- Gallardo concentrates his practice on mergers and
acquisitions and general corporate transactions. Resident in the New
York office, he graduated from Columbia Law School in 1999, where he
was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. -- Joshua Lipton -- Lipton is a member of the Firm's Antitrust Practice
Group. His practice includes antitrust litigation, merger and
acquisition investigations, antitrust counseling, and antitrust
investigations by federal and state agencies and the European
Commission. Resident in the Washington, D.C. office, he received his
law degree magna cum laude from the University of Michigan School of
Law in 1998, where he graduated first in his class. -- Michael K. Murphy -- Murphy's practice focuses on environmental
litigation and counseling. He also has experience handling various
government contract-related issues. Resident in the Washington, D.C.
office, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in
1999. -- Julian W. Poon -- Poon is an appellate and general commercial
litigator, with a broad range of experience at both the appellate and
trial court level across the country in antitrust, intellectual
property, class action, labor, energy, media-access, and general
commercial litigation. Prior to joining the Firm, he served as a law
clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United
States during the 2000-2001 Term, and to Judge J. Michael Luttig of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1999-2000. Resident
in the Los Angeles office, he graduated summa cum laude from Harvard
Law School in 1999, receiving the Fay Diploma for placing first in his
class. -- C. William Thomas, Jr. -- Thomas's practice emphasizes the formation
and operation of domestic and international private investment funds,
including hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds and
funds of funds. Resident in the Washington, D.C. office, he received
his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1998. -- Michael L. Reed -- Reed's practice involves corporate securities,
merger and acquisition, corporate finance, and general business and
contract matters. Resident in the San Francisco office, he received
his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1994. -- Aric H. Wu -- Wu practices complex commercial litigation with a
significant concentration in the area of securities litigation.
Resident in the New York office, he received his law degree, with
distinction as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, from Columbia University
School of Law in 1998.
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Tully law firm adds office in D.C.
Law Firm News |
2007/11/08 16:36
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An Albany law firm will be adding offices in Washington, D.C. early next year, buoyed by a recent contract with the largest union of federal employees in the country.
Tully Rinckey & Associates PLLC plans to open a Washington office with three attorneys in the spring, while later adding a branch office in Utica, N.Y., firm partner Greg Rinckey said today. Before those sites open, the firm is scheduled to move its main office to 441 New Karner Road in Albany, a quarter-mile from its current site. Rinckey said the firm hopes the Washington office will be "a springboard" for landing future contracts with federal agencies. Recently, the firm agreed to take on a backlog of 3,000 cases for the American Federation of Government Employees, Rinckey said. The union represents about 600,000 workers holding jobs with the federal government and the District of Columbia. Steven Herrick, the firm's senior counsel, will move to Washington to head that office. Associate attorney Tracy Dam-Chieco will run the Utica office. |
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Helms Mulliss & Wicker Receives Top Ranking
Law Firm News |
2007/10/30 17:20
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Helms Mulliss Wicker, PLLC, (HMW) announced today that it won the top ranking, “Highly Recommended,” in the debut issue of Benchmark: Litigation, The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys.
HMW received the top ranking as a result of the firm’s success in several recent engagements in which it represented clients including Bank of America, BASF, and SAS Software in commercial or trade secrets litigation. The litigation group’s work on the Lowe’s Motor Speedway pedestrian bridge collapse litigation and Duke University Health System’s surgical sterilization litigation was also recognized.
Benchmark: Litigation also cited five members of the firm’s litigation group for excellence. Peter J. Covington, firm chairman, Douglas W. Ey, Jr., litigation practice area leader, members Jonathan E. Buchan, Jr. and L.D. Simmons II and E. Osborne “Ozzie” Ayscue Jr., the firm’s senior trial lawyer, were highlighted in the review.
“We are honored that a respected publisher of international legal journals highly recommends our firm,” said Covington. “This recognizes our litigation group’s experience and excellence, which allow us to address critical client needs and exceed client expectations.”
Benchmark: Litigation drew on Legal Media Group’s extensive database of contacts, conducting extensive face-to-face interviews with leading legal professionals, in-house counsel, judges and business owners. To be listed in Benchmark: Litigation, a firm needed to be consistently mentioned by peers and clients. To achieve the ranking of “Highly Recommended,” a firm needed to be mentioned most often and defined as being definitively dominant in their particular jurisdiction.
For more information on HMW’s litigation practice, visit www.hmw.com.
About Helms Mulliss & Wicker:
HMW is recognized as one of America’s Best Law Firms by Corporate Board Member magazine, ranked as a Top Ten Bond Counsel by The Bond Buyer, ranked Highly Recommended in Benchmark :Litigation, The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneysand is named a Go-To Law Firm by Corporate Counsel magazine. The firm is comprised of 145 lawyers, 20 who are designated Super Lawyers in the 2007 North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine and 21 who are recognized as Best Lawyers in America. HMW focuses on three practice areas: commercial litigation, complex finance and corporate law. Within these practices, specialty areas include: government relations, securities, mergers & acquisitions, employer services, private equity and others. The firm represents Fortune 100 companies and the nation’s largest financial institutions as well as many high-growth and start-up companies. Helms Mulliss & Wicker maintains offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington, NC. For additional information, visit www.hmw.com. |
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Ulmer & Berne LLP Adds Three New Associates
Law Firm News |
2007/10/30 17:14
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Ulmer & Berne LLP announced today the addition of three new associates to the Firm. LaDavia Hatcher and Reem Shalodi joined the Firm’s Cleveland office while Dacia Crum joined the Firm’s Cincinnati office.
“We are pleased to be adding these very talented individuals to Ulmer & Berne,” stated Larry Pollack, the Firm’s recruiting partner. “They all previously were summer associates for the Firm, and we know they are hardworking, bright individuals.”
Dacia Crum earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati (2007) while being heavily involved in the Black Law Students Association. She earned her B.A., with honors, from the University of Michigan (2004).
LaDavia S. Hatcher earned her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2007) while being heavily involved with the Midwest Region Executive Board of the Black Law Student Association. She earned her B.S. from Miami University (2004).
Reem Shalodi earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2007). She was the senior editor of the Cleveland State Law Review. Ms. Shalodi received her B.A. from Ohio University (2002).
Ulmer & Berne LLP, established in 1908, is one of Ohio’s largest law firms. The Firm was recently recognized in The BTI Consulting Group’s most recent survey of corporate counsel as one of only 85 firms nationally that “delivers the best value for the dollar.” Also, in a survey of Fortune 500 companies by Corporate Counsel magazine, Ulmer & Berne has been chosen as a Go-To Law Firm® for both 2007 and 2008. Less than one-half of one percent of all the law firms in the US and abroad received this distinction.
A full-service Firm with 180 attorneys in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Chicago, Ulmer & Berne represents publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.ulmer.com. |
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