New York firm Dreier Stein & Kahan recently opened a Los Angeles affiliate firm focusing on entertainment law. The 100-lawyer litigation boutique, headed by litigator Marc S. Dreier, has opened several affiliate firms specializing in areas like trusts and estates, labor law and lobbying. For the LA firm, Dreier recruited around 40 lawyers from the litigation and transactional practices of Los Angeles’ Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Nixon Peabody acquired a four-lawyer Century City, California, boutique, gaining two partners with expertise in video games and new media transactions. The lawyers from Offner & Anderson will join Nixon’s 18-lawyer downtown Los Angeles office and bring all of their clients with them. Daniel Offner and David Anderson come aboard as partners and the firm’s two other lawyers as associates. In the past two years, the LA office has grown from two to 22 attorneys.
Source: www.law.com
Arent Fox makes its presence known in California with Tuesday’s takeover of Los Angeles-based, litigation boutique O’Brien Abeles. This is the first expansion for the Washington firm since they closed four offices starting in 1993, keeping open only the D.C. and NY headquarters. Besides O’Brien Ables’ nine lawyers, Arent Fox is also adding two new attorneys and relocating two others to the CA office. Arent Fox’s revenue was up 7.7 percent last year, grossing $153 million in revenue with 260 lawyers.
Source: www.law.com
Denver firm Brownstein Hyatt & Farber and Las Vegas’ Schreck Brignone will merge on Jan. 1, 2007. The new firm will be called Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. After the merger, Brownstein Hyatt will have over 170 associates in seven different locations. The 25-attorney Schreck Brignone is known for its gaming practice, while Brownstein Hyatt has political, real estate, corporate and litigation practices. Bruce James of Brownstein Hyatt will remain CEO and managing partner of the new firm, and Schreck Brignone managing partner Ellen Schulhofer will join the executive committee.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Continuing its ambitious expansionary path, New York’s Dreier has set another goal: Los Angeles. In a merger set to go through by January 1, Dreier looks to pick up thirty attorneys and an office from L.A. firm Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan, including name partners Stanton Stein and Robert Kahan. Head-man Marc Dreier expects the office to house 100 attorneys by next year.
Source: www.nylawer.com
Hunton & Williams, the 850 attorney firm based in Richmond, Virginia, is opening its 18th overall office in Los Angeles. The firm will enter the market with the recruitment of 8 lawyers from dissipating L.A. boutique O’Donnell & Mortimer. The office’s initial practice will concentrate on product liability, environmental law and intellectual property.
Source: www.law.com
Hunton & Williams has opened its 18th office in Los Angeles, California. Five litigation partners from local boutique O’Donnell & Mortimer will seed the new office. 10 current Hunton & Williams lawyers will join from other offices to aide in the job. The firm will focus initially on IP and environmental litigation.
Source: www.legalweek.com
In an annual survey conducted by Vault.com, New York’s Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz placed number one as the most prestigious law firm in the country. The rest of the top ten was dominated by major NY firms.
1 Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz New York, NY
2 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP New York, NY
3 Sullivan & Cromwell LLP New York, NY
4 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP New York, NY
5 Davis Polk & Wardwell New York, NY
6 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP New York, NY
7 Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP New York, NY
8 Latham & Watkins LLP Los Angeles, CA
9 Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP New York, NY
10 Kirkland & Ellis LLP Chicago, IL
(From Vault.com’s 100 Most Prestigious Firms)
In a move to expand its national presence, Washington, D.C.-based firm Venable LLP has opened a new office in L.A. throught the aqcuisition of two boutiques: Gorry Meyer & Rudd L.L.P. and Whitwell Jacoby Emhoff LLP. The move brings twenty attorneys to Venable, with a total of approximately 500 firm-wide. Venable has offices in Washington, New York, Maryland, and Virginia.
Source: www.law.com
In a move contrary to the current trend, Pillsbury Winthrop is set to close its Century City, California office. Citing the office as “redundant,” Pillsbury will consolidate the attorneys and staff to its downtown L.A. location. The move comes at a time when many other firms are opening new offices in Century City in order to reduce the time their employees spend commuting.
Source: www.law.com
Washington D.C. firm Steptoe & Johnson will open a new office in Century City. The office will be seeded with four partners acquired from Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan, with plans to quickly expand to 20 attorneys and a long-term number between 40 and 50. The practice will focus on insurance, tax and commercial litigation, including intellectual property. Steptoe currently has a 20 attorney downtown L.A. office, along with locations in New York, Phoenix, Brussels, Washington, and London.
Source:www.law.com
