Could Defections Derail The Edwards Wildman / Locke Lord Merger?

Who is leaving Edwards Wildman, and what implications might this have for the Locke Lord transaction?

A few weeks ago, we shared with you the news of a possible merger between Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman Palmer. We noted at the time that “as with any merger, expect some folks to leave, voluntarily or involuntarily, both leading up to and after the transaction.”

The partner departures from Edwards Wildman have commenced — and some of them might be material. Could they create problems for a potential transaction with Locke Lord?

Here’s a recent report from the American Lawyer:

As Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman Palmer move closer to the potential formation of Locke Lord Edwards sometime by year’s end, more partners from the latter have found new homes.

Foley Hoag announced earlier this month its hire of tax partner NICHOLAS ROMANOS in Boston, making him the latest lawyer to leave Edwards Wildman’s headquarters for another firm. Further down the Eastern Seaboard, commercial lending, corporate and finance partners CHARLES BERMAN and TIMOTHY KALAS left Edwards Wildman’s office in Morristown, N.J., for Sherman Wells Sylvester & Stamelman in nearby Florham Park….

The Am Law Daily reported late last week that a client conflict would preclude a sizable group of Edwards Wildman IP partners in Boston led by IP litigation cochair DAVID CONLIN from joining a potential Locke Lord Edwards. Conlin’s group is expected to join Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, and the Boston Business Journal reports that 10 Edwards Wildman lawyers are expected to make the move to the firm.

That’s a fairly factual account of recent events. An ATL tipster told a more dramatic tale:

You guys should be following what is going on at Edwards Wildman. The place is falling apart as the merger comes to a vote. They announced on a Friday (of course) that the Boston IP group was leaving to Mintz. The Boston IP group is a gem practice and this must be a huge loss.

Also the firm removed the managing partner of the London office and replaced him with a Boston partner (who happens to be the old managing partner that was relieved of his duties after an affair with another partner during the last merger). The change in London [from Nick Bolter to Walter Reed] signals that the entire London IP team may go to Cooley. That would be another HUGE loss because the London IP team is one of the best in the world.

Anyway, there is a lot going on there, and with Water Reed [back in the picture] it gets a little juicy. One wonders whether Locke Lord will walk away.

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We reached out to both Edwards Wildman and Locke Lord for comment on the current state of the proposed merger. Edwards Wildman issued this statement through a spokesperson: “The situation continues to move forward. Both firms still hope for a merger vote this month.”

As we pointed out back in September, it’s only natural for some partner turnover to take place in advance of a merger, as partners decide for various reasons that the post-merger firm wouldn’t be a good platform for their practices. Let’s hope that these departures are just a small hiccup and that both firms will have a deal to be grateful for by Thanksgiving.

Edwards Wildman Trio Departs [Am Law Daily]
Mintz Levin Looks to Poach Edwards Wildman IP Group [Am Law Daily]
Edwards Wildman left rudderless in London as management switches stateside [The Lawyer via Mimesis Law]

Earlier: Law Firm Merger Mania: Locke Lord And Edwards Wildman Might Combine

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