More Ex-LeClairRyan Lawyers Land at Lewis Brisbois, Fox Rothschild
Both firms have already attracted teams from the dissolving firm. Now Lewis Brisbois is opening a new office in Roanoke, Virginia, while Fox Rothschild has landed six more lawyers, mostly in Washington, D.C.
August 26, 2019 at 02:48 PM
3 minute read
As the dust settles from the implosion of LeClairRyan, a growing number of its attorneys are finding new homes at two firms: Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and Fox Rothschild.
For both law firms, LeClairRyan's closure and the resulting lateral movement has spurred plans to open in Virginia. Both picked up teams of lawyers from LeClairRyan in the weeks before and after the announcement of the firm's dissolution, and on Aug. 23, Lewis Brisbois announced it would be opening a new office in Roanoke, Virginia, with six more medical malpractice lawyers from the firm.
Meanwhile, Fox Rothschild—whose acquisition of a 15-lawyer aviation team from LeClairRyan in July on the heels of several smaller groups' exits provided a hint that the latter firm's end was imminent—has brought on board six more attorneys, four of them partners.
The new Roanoke office is Lewis Brisbois' first in Virginia and its 51st nationwide. It is led by managing partner John T. Jessee, who joined alongside partners Paul C. Kuhnel, Charles L. Downs Jr., Eleanor Lasky and Martha "Mollie" W. Elder, and associate Sarah C. Jessee.
"We saw this as an incredible opportunity for our team to grow while working at a firm with a truly national platform," Jessee said in a statement. "Lewis Brisbois' reputation preceded itself, so when Steve [Lewis] first reached out to us, we knew it was the right move. We're looking forward to bringing our expertise to the firm, and the firm's talents to the Roanoke community."
Lewis Brisbois earlier announced that it had hired 11 former LeClairRyan products liability attorneys, including five partners, across several of its offices, including Newark, New Jersey, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Lewis, who oversees the firm's lateral hiring efforts, welcomed the arrival of the latest group.
"Their record of success in the med mal space is truly impressive, and their strong network in the Roanoke business and legal community will guarantee a smooth entry for the firm into this new city and state," he said in a statement.
The new hires at Fox Rothschild are weighted toward the firm's Washington, D.C., office, where it is adding five litigators, including partners Robert P. Fletcher and Brian W. Stolarz. Also joining the firm are corporate partner Christopher L. Pizzo in Morristown, New Jersey, and labor and employment partner William E. Hammel in Dallas.
The firm intends to open a new office in Northern Virginia to host partner Mark Dombroff, one of two leaders of the earlier acquired aviation practice, but he is currently in Washington as well.
At least two other firms have provided homes to other LeClairRyan veterans in the last week.
Labor and employment attorneys Michael C. Harrington and Elizabeth M. Smith both joined management-side specialists FordHarrison in the firm's Hartford office, Harrington as partner and Smith as counsel. Commercial litigator Jennifer Gray, who specializes in defending banks against consumer finance class actions, joined Hinshaw & Culbertson in Los Angeles.
Read More
How LeClairRyan's Grand Plans Unraveled
LeClairRyan Leaders Moved to Launch New Firm as Partners Left
Rivals Scoop Up LeClairRyan Lawyers as Clock Ticks on Dissolution, Insurance Coverage
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