Top 50 Biglaw Firm To Merge With Prominent Litigation Boutique
A new merger for the new year. Congratulations!
When Fairfax Associates predicted that there would be “robust” merger activity during 2022’s fourth quarter, they weren’t joking. Earlier this week, global giant Dentons announced a historic combination with Indian firm Link Legal, and now Am Law top 50 firm Morrison & Foerster is getting in on the action by announcing a tie-up with Durie Tangri.
Here are some details from the firm’s press release:
Durie Tangri’s lawyers will further strengthen Morrison Foerster’s intellectual property (IP), complex civil litigation, and trial capabilities and its leading position at the cutting-edge of technology and life sciences. Thirty-six Durie Tangri lawyers are anticipated to join Morrison Foerster, including 12 partners.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Durie Tangri team to Morrison Foerster,” said Eric McCrath, chair of Morrison Foerster. “Their stellar IP, complex civil litigation and trial law capabilities will add significant strength and talent to our ranks on the West Coast. Our shared commitment to serving clients on the forefront of technology and life sciences, while staying true to our values, in particular our commitment to diversity and inclusion, make this the perfect match for our firm.”
“Providing access to Morrison Foerster’s global platform will be transformational for our lawyers’ ability to grow their practices and is a natural next step in our evolution,” said Daralyn Durie. “Morrison Foerster’s deep roots in the Bay Area, continued tradition of leadership in the tech and life sciences sectors, coupled with its well-respected bench of IP lawyers, and premier litigation department all make MoFo the ideal fit for us. We look forward to carrying on its tradition of trial excellence.” Ragesh K. Tangri added: “We are proud of what we have built and achieved in the last several years at Durie Tangri. We look forward to bringing our next generation of diverse trial talent and shared values to the firm, and focusing on developing the best trial teams for clients across MoFo’s global platform and scale.”
In an interview with Reuters, McCrath said, “This is actually a dating process that occurred rather quickly.” After a whirlwind legal romance, the two firms went straight from dating to marriage. In a separate interview with The Recorder, Durie said that joining forces with MoFo would allow the boutique’s younger lawyers to “spread their wings and grow.” Aww, merger partners love it when you whisper sweet nothings like this.
MoFo will officially welcome Durie Tangri’s lawyers to the firm, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Congratulations and well wishes on a successful merger!
Durie Tangri to Join Morrison Foerster [MoFo]
Morrison Foerster absorbs California litigation firm Durie Tangri [Reuters]
Morrison & Foerster to Merge With Durie Tangri [The Recorder]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
