aker Donelson's offices in Washington, D.C. Baker Donelson's offices in Washington, D.C. July 18, 2014. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM.

Lawyers from shuttering LeClairRyan continue to find new homes, with a group of four attorneys and four intellectual property professionals landing at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz's offices in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, and five litigators opening a Richmond, Virginia, office for Baltimore-based Miles & Stockbridge.

An intellectual property team led by shareholders Robin Teskin and Kenneth Kalafus started in Baker Donelson's D.C. office Aug. 13. Meanwhile, shareholder Gretchen Jackson and attorney Peter Zuk have joined the firm's products liability and mass tort practice, with Jackson in Falls Church, Virginia, and Zuk in D.C.

"Baker Donelson has long been committed to expanding our capabilities for our clients through smart growth, and the addition of these professionals exemplifies that commitment," chairman and CEO Timothy Lupinacci said in a statement. "They bring substantive experience that enhances our offerings in both intellectual property and product liability and mass tort."

Teskin joined LeClairRyan with Kalafus from Hunton & Williams in 2013. She said that she started considering a move for her team, which includes four intellectual property professionals, several months ago, when it became clear that the financial troubles facing LeClairRyan were insurmountable.

While she had conversations with a number of firms, Baker Donelson stood out in part because of its size and history, which extends back to 1898.

"That obviously had some importance to me," Teskin said, alluding to the instability at the younger LeClairRyan.

She cited the prospect of synergies with Baker Donelson's health care practice as well as practices focused on emerging companies and university technology transfer. And she said the firm's reputation would aid her efforts to add more talented people and grow her team.

Teskin also pointed to the collegiality she'd witnessed in her meetings at the firm and its success in addressing diversity, noting the firm's COO is a woman.

"It just seemed like people enjoyed working together," she said. "When you move, you want it to be comfortable. Three weeks in, that's the case."

Jackson, who is joining Baker Donelson in Falls Church, formerly led LeClairRyan's Charlottesville, Virginia, office. She focuses her practice on transportation litigation, tort defense, business litigation and construction law.

The former LeClairRyan attorney who will be leading Miles & Stockbridge's Richmond office, Tom Wolf, is also an construction law expert, and he pointed to his new firm's reputation in the arena as one of the reasons he joined.

Wolf did not begin looking for a new home until after it was announced internally that LeClairRyan would be shuttering, saying that he had been optimistic the firm's turnaround efforts would succeed. When the news of impending closure did emerge, Miles & Stockbridge was one of a number of firms that came knocking.

For Wolf, the culture at the new firm reminded him of what LeClairRyan used to be like.

"It's very collegial, informal, with a real dedication to professionalism,  excellent service to clients, and having fun in the practice of law," he said.

Joining him from LeClairRyan are principal Gretchen Byrd, counsel Joseph Rainsbury, associate Kenneth Stout and law graduate Jason Goldsmith. The team also will include principal John "Jack" MacDonald Robb III, a former LeClairRyan partner who spent the last two years as chief operating office and chief legal officer of HMR Funding LLC in Richmond. Two more Richmond lawyers and a law graduate are expected to join the new office as well.

"We are thrilled to be building our first office in Richmond around this highly-regarded team of lawyers for whom Richmond has been their home base," Nancy Greene, chairman of Miles & Stockbridge, said in a statement. "They join us from a unique situation, and we are well positioned to support their transition and that of their clients. We have been working on a Richmond expansion for some time as a natural next step for our practices, our mid-Atlantic footprint, and our value proposition."

Other teams of LeClairRyan veterans have recently landed at Fox Rothschild, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott.

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