Law Firm Mergers

Law Firm Merger Mania: K&L Gates and Bell Boyd Merge

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In early December, we reported that K&L Gates was engaged in merger talks with Bell Boyd. Today, the firms made it official. An email just went out to K&L Gates associates from Peter Kalis:

Colleagues:

We wrote you in December to announce that our firm and the Chicago-based law firm Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP were in discussions with a view to combining the two firms. We are now pleased to report that the two firms’ partnerships have voted overwhelmingly in favor of the combination. I have appended below the news release that is being distributed to media outlets throughout the world. Please feel free to forward the release outside the firm to clients and other friends of the firm with your own message instead of mine. Thanks.

Pete

You can read the official press release after the jump.

Good news on a Friday? Yay!


K&L GATES — STATEMENT — MERGER

K&L Gates, Bell Boyd Partners Vote to Combine Firms

Merger of global and Chicago-based law firms to occur March 1, 2009

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Pittsburgh and Chicago– Partners of the law firms K&L Gates LLP and Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP (Bell Boyd) today voted overwhelmingly in favor of a combination of firms, effective March 1, 2009. The combined firm will comprise approximately 1,900 lawyers in 31 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and expands K&L Gates’ domestic offerings to include the strategically significant legal markets of Chicago and San Diego.

“We are delighted and enthused that our partners have seen and supported the strategic value of this combination,” said K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis and Bell Boyd Chairman John T. McCarthy. “We truly believe that the combined firm’s value proposition for clients will be unsurpassed in the profession.”

The combined firm will have offices in Anchorage, Austin, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Harrisburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Orange County, Palo Alto, Paris, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Spokane/Coeur d’Alene, Taipei, and Washington, D.C.

Strategic advantages resulting from the combination include:

Global Reach for Chicago and San Diego Businesses: The combined firm will provide businesses and enterprises in the economically vibrant markets of Chicago and San Diego access to one of the legal profession’s few credible three-continent platforms, including offices in global financial and commercial centers, world capitals, and other key markets.

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Leading Practices: In addition to enhancing the existing strengths of both firms in such areas as investment management, intellectual property, corporate transactions, bankruptcy, and real estate, the combination also adds a K&L Gates presence in the key life sciences market of San Diego. At the same time, with two dozen Bell Boyd lawyers joining the already formidable Washington, D.C., office of K&L Gates, the combined firm’s presence in the U.S. capital will grow to approximately 250 lawyers and policy professionals.

Enhanced Domestic Coverage: K&L Gates’ entry to the Chicago and San Diego markets expands the firm’s domestic footprint to 23 U.S. offices – now including the world’s fourth-largest legal market in Chicago – and creates greater opportunities for current and prospective clients of both firms. With more than 200 lawyers in Chicago, K&L Gates’ Chicago office will be among the largest of any non-Chicago-based firm.

Earlier: Law Firm Merger Mania: K&L Gates In Talks To Acquire Bell Boyd

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