Carlos Burruezo, who had been managing partner in Fisher & Phillips' Orlando office, led the exodus of six lawyers to Littler Mendelson, which has made Orlando the site of its 43rd office nationwide and second in Florida after Miami.

Burruezo said he had been contacted by Littler "not many weeks ago to found an office in Orlando," and that by joining a significantly larger firm he and his colleagues could "take our practice to the next level."

Meanwhile, Theresa Gallion, the manager and sole remaining lawyer at Fisher & Phillips' Orlando office, is actively recruiting replacements, she said this week. Expressing no hard feelings, she said she expects to have three or four new lawyers working in the Orlando office by summer's end, and as many as 10 lawyers in the office within a year or two.

"We don't want people to be concerned with our commitment to Orlando," said Gallion, who also manages Fisher & Phillips' Tampa office, one of 18 nationwide.

Joining Burruezo at Littler Mendelson are Anthony Hall, Desiree Hill-Henderson, Jeffrey Jones, Juan Lopez-Campillo and Janine Toner. Burruezo said the office will move from its temporary quarters in Baldwin Park to permanent space in downtown Orlando within the next few months.

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