Two months after losing its San Diego office managing partner, Buchanan Ingersoll said Thursday it has acquired seven-lawyer San Diego law firm Alhadeff & Solar. Buchanan said it will maintain its four-lawyer office in Del Mar, Calif., as well as its new one in downtown San Diego that opens officially Friday.

The latest additions are led by partners Sam Alhadeff and Keith Solar, who handle business law, litigation and water law matters, among others. Solar's practice revolves around water law and in the tuna industry, with clients such as Basin Water Inc., South Pacific Tuna Corp., Chicken of the Sea International and FCF Fishery Co. Alhadeff has a land-use and environmental law practice with clients such as Beazer Homes, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton. Inc., Standard Pacific Homes, Pulte Homes Inc./Del Webb and Meritage Homes Corp.

The acquisition comes after the April 3 departures of San Diego office managing partner Daniel T. Pascucci, who also led the firm's California litigation practice, and intellectual property litigation partner Andrew Skale for Boston's Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo.

Buchanan Ingersoll is based in Pittsburgh and has 80 lawyers in Philadelphia. It has 550 lawyers firmwide.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Heiko Kai Schultz has joined the Los Angeles office as of counsel. Previously a partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Schultz practices commercial litigation.

Schultz's practice covers a wide range of disputes, including commercial, intellectual property, bankruptcy, securities, accounting malpractice and environmental litigation. He has experience representing companies and individuals in the medical, financial, accounting, aircraft and electronic industries.

Recent matters include his representation of the debtors in 1,600 adversarial cases arising out of the In re Fleming Companies bankruptcy; a surgeon and inventor in a patent and contract dispute case with a medical device firm; and Arthur Andersen in an accounting malpractice case brought by Frederick's of Hollywood.

Schultz received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1997 and a degree in history from the University of California in 1994.

As General Counsel, a newly appointed professional position at Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, Mr. Traeger is responsible for addressing potential issues regarding professional responsibility and legal compliance, mentoring, continuing legal education and attorney recruiting practices, as well as internal matters of attorney-client privilege and confidentiality.

Mr. Traeger is a member of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman’s Real Estate Practice Area and chairman of the firm’s Environmental Law Practice Area. He has extensive experience in areas of environmental, administrative and corporate law. He also serves on the firm’s Ethics Committee, Mentoring Committee and Lateral Committee, the latter of which focuses on attorney recruiting. Mr. Traeger will continue to serve clients of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman and to chair the firm’s Environmental Law Practice Area.

Thomas J. Campbell, Managing Partner of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, said, “The appointment of John Traeger as General Counsel strengthens our firm’s commitment to client service excellence, mentoring and professional responsibility in the legal profession.”

Before joining Gallop, Johnson & Neuman in 2000, Mr. Traeger served as internal corporate counsel at Ralston Purina Co. and Continental Baking Co in St. Louis. His legal experience in environmental areas includes matters of mergers and acquisitions, Superfund litigation, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, environmental site assessments, wetlands and hazardous waste issues. Mr. Traeger also serves clients regarding business and real estate issues, and electronically stored records management programs to assure compliance with federal and state regulations.

Mr. Traeger is a member of The American Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. He earned a J.D. degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and a Bachelor of Sciences degree from Colorado College.

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman has served clients in St. Louis and around the world for more than 30 years. The law firm and its attorneys are distinguished by a Commitment to Excellence. The firm serves public and privately held corporations, small companies, start-up enterprises, entrepreneurs and non-profit entities, as well as individuals and families. Gallop, Johnson & Neuman is one of the ten largest law firms in St. Louis. Offices are located at 101 South Hanley Road, Suite 1700, Clayton, Missouri, 63105.

For the new group, the law firm said it will use lawyers from its South Florida, Tampa and Orlando offices who are experienced in the fields of bankruptcy, creditors' rights, real estate, receiverships, taxation and litigation.

"We are anticipating increased demand for workout advice as Florida's economy faces headwinds from residential overbuilding, shifting market demands and soaring construction, insurance and other costs," said Shutts & Bowen Chairman Bowman Brown.

Lee D. Mackson, a partner in the firm's Miami office, is to lead the new practice group. Mackson represents financial institutions and other companies in real estate and banking litigation, multimillion-dollar commercial foreclosures, and complex workouts.

He said the firm's statewide complex loan workout practice group will work with investment banks, pension funds, insurance companies, lending institutions, developers, investors, landlords and private equity funds.

"The collapse of the subprime mortgage market is creating a ripple effect on other sectors of the U.S. economy," Mackson said. "Foreclosure rates and mortgage fraud claims are rising and excess liquidity in the capital markets has been keeping borderline companies afloat. As these stresses mount, we anticipate that companies in a wide range of industries will be seeking our advice on restructuring loans, reorganizing business ventures and addressing complex contract disputes."

The practice group is to advise clients on loan workouts and modifications, restructurings, bankruptcy alternatives, reorganization, capital infusion and strategic and development alternatives for real estate in all stages of distress.

Other members of the new practice group include partners Don Wasil, Peter Levitt, and Bob Fracasso in Miami; Peter Shapiro in Fort Lauderdale; Art Menor in West Palm Beach; Rob Soriano in Tampa; and Andrew Brumby and Michael Gore in Orlando.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Heiko Kai Schultz has joined the Los Angeles office as of counsel.  Previously a partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Schultz practices commercial litigation.

Schultz's practice covers a wide range of disputes, including commercial, intellectual property, bankruptcy, securities, accounting malpractice and environmental litigation.  He has experience representing companies and individuals in the medical, financial, accounting, aircraft and electronic industries.

Recent matters include his representation of the debtors in 1,600 adversarial cases arising out of the In re Fleming Companies bankruptcy; a surgeon and inventor in a patent and contract dispute case with a medical device firm; and Arthur Andersen in an accounting malpractice case brought by Frederick's of Hollywood.

Schultz received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1997 and a degree in history from the University of California in 1994.

The combination won't affect Stinson's Kansas City office, a spokeswoman said. That office has 197 attorneys and 276 staff members. The combination will be effective July 1, subject to due diligence and a review of potential client conflicts.

"We are always looking for what is best for our clients and providing them with the best service and expertise possible," Mark Foster, Stinson's managing partner, said in a release. "Blumenfeld Kaplan & Sandweiss is an excellent law firm with a top-notch team of lawyers. Our clients will benefit from the synergies created as a result this combination."

Stinson traces its heritage to 1878. The firm opened its St. Louis office in 1994. The firm's lawyers have extensive experience in real estate law, mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment, business litigation, financial services, health care, sports law and product liability.

Blumenfeld was established in St. Louis in 1950 by John Blumenfeld, a prominent real estate lawyer who continues to be active with the firm. Today, it ranks among the 15 largest law firms in St. Louis. Its main areas of practice include real estate, tax, estate planning, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, immigration, labor and employment, intellectual property and litigation.

"The potential benefits for our clients created by this combination with Stinson Morrison Hecker are significant," Philip Kaplan, president of Blumenfeld, said in the release. "Our practice has continued to grow on the local, national and international stages, and this combination will allow us to provide additional talent that will expand and enhance the efficient delivery of legal services."

Stinson ranks No. 2 on the Kansas City Business Journal's list of area law firms. Blumenfeld is tied at No. 15 with Lashly and Baer PC on the St. Louis Business Journal's list of area law firms.