An Update on the Winston / Heller (or Heller / Winston?) Rumors
Here's an update to yesterday's post about rumors of possible merger talks between Heller Ehrman and Winston & Strawn. Remember, of course, that these are just rumors -- nothing more. Neither firm has offered any substantive comment. So please don't get too excited.
First, as reported by Legal Pad, the domain names of WinstonHeller.com and HellerWinston.com -- previously snapped up by an anonymous buyer -- are available once again. Legal Pad speculates:
Does the unURLing mean any merger is off? Dunno. If we were going to engage in unfounded speculation (one of the main reasons the Internet gods created blogs), we'd say low-grade talks had occurred, so someone grabbed the URLs, then decided to un-grab 'em just to quiet all the, um, unfounded speculation. Working great so far!
Second, just this afternoon, the following email from Winston's managing partner, Tom Fitzgerald, went around the firm:
From: Thompson, Nadja On Behalf Of Thomas Fitzgerald
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:49 PM
To: All Business FIRM
Subject:This morning you may have noticed on the W&S Update an article published referencing the purchase of the domain names "WinstonHeller.com" and "HellerWinston.com," along with rumors of a potential merger between the two firms. W&S Update is an online service that reports all articles about W&S, regardless of content or veracity.
We feel it is important to notify our employees and attorneys that the firm did not secure, nor was it involved in securing, any domain names, including those referenced in the article. We are constantly contacted by other law firms, attorneys, and professional search firms to look at business opportunities which we explore as appropriate. As a matter of policy the firm does not acknowledge or otherwise comment on rumors regarding internal firm business or its clients.
Our tipster's take: "[A] rather shady explanation. They don't address the substance of the rumors, just that they didn't secure the domain names."
Right now we have nothing more than rumors. When we have something more substantive to report, we'll let you know.
Who Dumped WinstonHeller.com ... and Why? [Legal Pad / Cal Law]
Earlier: Law Firm Merger Mania: Winston and Heller, Sitting in a Tree? M-e-r-g-i-n-g?
(12) Comments
Figgiti FIRST!
Captain FIRST!
This topic is getting old.
I'm very tempted to spend a few bucks and register them both, just in case.
As much as I hate cybersquatting, it's just stupid if they dropped the domain registration just trying to quell rumors.
I don't know what the big deal is. Can't a guy register his own domain name?
Signed,
Winston P. Heller, III
A cyber-squatter can register a domain name for a short period of time without having to pay for it. Usually that time frame is under 24 hours. This may be a case where the name was registered and then released.
What kind of dumbass firm lets articles from the internet go right into some kind of distributed report without being checked for accuracy and content? That is terrible judgement. They are lucky no one has a "Winston & Strawn sucks" webpage that does well in search listings.
Lat, Seriously. This is not even worthy of posting space. I don't know if you changed with the new format, but ATL is going downhill.
Let's see: this post, which provided no news, was an update of a previous post, which contained not news but unsubstantiated speculation, which updated a previous post, which contained some news but mostly speculation. Why the continued interest in this non-story?
Okay, okay, you got us. Now that you've run a third thread we've decided to come clean: We're buying those lightweights at Heller.
Regards,
Winston & Strawn.
Heller has a lot of baggage. See page 4 of this epistle: http://www.wikileaks.se/leak/california-bar-complaint.pdf I can't imagine they can attract a merger partner.
11:35am -- A crackpot suit from 5 years ago? Bravo.
Didn't V&E's entire international trade group just leave to go to Heller? That seems more newsworthy than this "maybe" merger.