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The Final Fate For A Troubled Law Firm

Best of luck as these firms try to hammer out a final deal.

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Kenyon and Kenyon law firm logoHas the beleaguered firm of Kenyon & Kenyon finally found a suitable partner to merge with? Though both firms have refused to comment, Law.com reports that according to anonymous sources at Kenyon and its rumored paramour, Andrews Kurth, leadership at the firms have voted to approve the partnership, though it isn’t final. And there is another bit of info some clever internet sleuthing has uncovered:

Internet registration records show that the two firms share a common domain name. The website www.andrewskurthkenyon.com was registered anonymously on Aug. 12, according to data on file with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Looks like things have at least gotten to the planning stage.

Kenyon & Kenyon has been at the center of merger rumors for a while — the firm’s headcount is down to about a third of its historic high, and the firm’s survival has been questioned. But according to Law.com, the merger just might make sense for both parties:

Rumors of merger talks have intensified this summer, as Kenyon & Kenyon has slimmed down to about 55 attorneys, down from about 150 in 2014. Kenyon & Kenyon managing partner Edward Colbert—a brother of the late night talk show host with the same last name—told the New York Law Journal this spring that he expected the boutique to decide in 2016 whether to merge or stand alone.

A combination with Kenyon & Kenyon would give a critical IP boost to Andrews Kurth. The 320-lawyer firm has only about 30 lawyers in its IP group, including four in New York, according to the firm’s website. Both Andrews Kurth and Kenyon & Kenyon have relatively small offices in Washington, D.C.

Best of luck as these firms try to hammer out a final deal.

UPDATE (1:52 p.m): Andrews Kurth and Kenyon & Kenyon have just announced they will not be merging the two firms. BUT! As Law.com reports, all 55 Kenyon lawyers have been hired by Andrews Kurth in a mass lateral hire:

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In early August, Andrews Kurth partners voted “overwhelmingly” to approve the deal, managing partner Robert Jewell said. Kenyon partners finished up their vote, which was unanimous, by Aug. 18, said Edward Colbert, the Kenyon managing partner.

“This was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up to bolster a key practice. The core assets of so many of our clients are IP assets,” Jewell said in an interview Monday morning. “We are always looking to add tier-one practices and Kenyon has clearly had a premier IP and technology practice for a long time.”

Colbert said it was to the firm’s advantage to join a firm of Andrews Kurth’s caliber.  “They can deliver to us what we don’t have – a great geographic spread,” he said.

The Kenyon & Kenyon firm will dissolve after the lateral move.

Once the Kenyon lawyers join Andrews Kurth, the law firm will be known as Andrews Kurth in Texas and Andrews Kurth Kenyon on the East and West Coasts.

As of yet there’s no word on the fate of Kenyon staff members.

Sources: Andrews Kurth, Kenyon & Kenyon Vote to Merge, But Not a Done Deal [Law.com]
Andrews Kurth to Hire All 55 Kenyon & Kenyon Lawyers [Law.com]

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Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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