Venable LLP announced today that it has added seven new attorneys to its Los Angeles office by acquiring Los Angeles-based boutique Weingarten Brown LLP (Weingarten). The acquisition brings one partner, six associates and a paralegal to the firm’s commercial litigation practice.

The group includes founding partner Alex Weingarten who joins Venable as partner along with associates Eric Bakewell, Varty Defterderian, Leslie Eggers, Logan Elliot, Jeffrey Logan and Micol Sordina. The attorneys held those same positions at their previous firm.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alex and his talented team to the firm,” said Douglas Emhoff, Managing Partner of Venable’s Los Angeles office. “We’ve known Alex for a long time and have tremendous respect for him and his team. Their talents are obvious when you look at how quickly his small firm grew its client base. Our two firms have great compatibility. Together, we will continue to offer complementary and sophisticated resources to our clients.”

With substantial litigation experience in the fields of entertainment, intellectual property and business litigation, Weingarten and his team have handled matters of significant depth and sophistication in the areas of media, corporate, real estate, finance, probate and bankruptcy litigation across the nation.

Alex Weingarten is well respected in the legal community. He was honored as a Top 20 California Lawyer Under 40 by the Daily Journal 2013; a Southern California Super Lawyer 2014; and a Super Lawyers Rising Star 2008-2013. A thought leader in his field of practice, he has served on the Law360 Media and Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board and on the Los Angeles Lawyer Editorial Board. Weingarten is active in the community and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Junior Statesmen Foundation and on the National Young Leadership Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America.

“We have thrived as a small firm for the past 9 years and have rebuffed countless offers to join a big firm over the years but the comprehensive reach of Venable’s highly-regarded commercial litigation practice coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit of the firm, the natural synergies of our practices and the additional resources of a large firm provide exciting opportunities for significant collaboration,” said Weingarten. “I look forward to expanding my practice and working with my new colleagues, as well as with lawyers in other practice groups and offices.”

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