Cleveland-based midsize firm Ulmer & Berne will combine with Midwestern boutique Kaufman & Co. next year to expand its trial expertise, the firm announced Tuesday.

All 10 of Kaufman & Co.'s attorneys will be joining Ulmer, including four partners, four of counsel and two associates, when the merger takes effect Jan. 1. The move will also expand Ulmer's presence on the East Coast, as Kaufman & Co. has offices in Washington, D.C., and New York.

Scott Kadish, Ulmer's managing partner, said in an interview that since Ulmer was a litigation-dominated firm with a national presence, the opportunity to add the Kaufman & Co. team was once-in-a-lifetime.

"This is the kind of opportunity you don't pass by," he said, praising Kaufman & Co.'s high-profile litigation practice, led by firm founder Steven Kaufman. Kaufman will work closely with Michael Ungar, who chairs Ulmer's litigation department, he said.

Kadish added that the Kaufman & Co. attorneys will bring more first-chair trial expertise to Ulmer.

"Lots of firms have litigators," Kadish said. "We really pride ourselves in having a really good roster of trial attorneys."

Since Kadish was named Ulmer's managing partner four years ago, the firm has seen measured growth: its lawyer head count rose from 150 in 2015 to 161 last year, according to ALM data, and the firm ranked 250th on the 2019 NLJ 500 list of largest law firms by head count.

Kadish described the firm's growth as targeted.

"We wanted to be strategic about it, not just adding people for the sake of adding people," he said, explaining that Ulmer specifically sought trial attorneys to support its litigation practice, though the additions will be an asset to other practice groups and existing clients. Ulmer has existing clients in New York and New Jersey, and, Kadish added, having a New York presence creates additional opportunities to grow in the health care and pharmaceutical litigation spaces.

"We weren't particularly looking to open a New York office, but when this opportunity arose, we realized it would provide additional services for our clients," he said. "We like the Midwest, but we don't want to be geographically limited."

The firm's new Washington office will provide opportunities specifically for David Leopold, chair of the immigration law group, Kadish said, as well as the firm's national intellectual property practice.

Ulmer's leadership also wants the firm to grow outside New York and Washington in the next year, mainly targeting Midwestern markets such as Chicago, Kadish said. He said he prefers larger transactions such as mergers because lateral hires represent a slower growth strategy. While combinations present the challenge of finding the right match, he said Ulmer already has several firms in its sights that might make a good fit in the near future.

"We like the Midwest because that's who we are," he said. "We think our Midwestern roots—including our Midwestern rates and our Midwestern work ethic—give us a competitive advantage."