Withers Expands LA Practice as 3 Local Attorneys Seek Global Reach
U.K.-based Withers, which launched its California practice in 2015, continues its expansion on the West Coast, adding three lawyers from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp.
February 14, 2019 at 12:50 PM
3 minute read
Charles Kolstad, S. Eva Wolf and Kim Jackson, of Withers in Los Angeles.
U.K.-based Withers has continued to expand its West Coast presence in the U.S., adding three lawyers from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp in Los Angeles.
The group consists of partners Charles Kolstad and S. Eva Wolf and associate Kim Jackson. They specialize in corporate, income tax and estate planning matters, and started working in Withers' Los Angeles office in January.
Wolf noted that her group, in its work with private clients, is often dealing with issues that involve multiple jurisdictions. “Being at a firm where you have the global expertise and network of private client attorneys is a great place to be when working with these clients,” she said.
Wolf focuses her practice on advising on high-net-worth individuals and families on estate planning, trust administration and charitable giving matters. Prior to joining MSK as an associate in 2014, Wolf was at the Internal Revenue Service for four years, where she worked on transfer tax compliance issues.
Kolstad joined Mitchell Silberberg from Venable in 2017. His practice focuses on international tax, corporate and partnership matters. Jackson, who returned to Mitchell Silberberg from Lynk Law last year, works with individuals and families on estate planning.
“Withers' global strategy includes growth in all areas where you would find private wealth. California has been on their horizon for quite some time,” said Michael Brophy, Withers' Los Angeles office managing director. “We were fortunate enough to find great talents in the San Diego, San Francisco [and] Los Angeles markets, but it is not the only place where Withers has been growing.”
Withers opened three offices across California in 2015 when it hired a large team from McKenna Long & Aldridge. It now has 33 attorneys in California and 112 across the U.S., according to the firm. The new team will work alongside Los Angeles-based partner Elizabeth Bawden and of counsel Paul Sczudlo, with plans to continue building out the firm's West Coast presence.
“We are committing our resources to doubling our strengths in the U.S., and the arrival of Charles, Eva and their team represents a major step forward for our practice in Los Angeles, and a great boost to our West Coast presence more broadly,” Withers chairman Ivan Sacks said in a statement. “The team's skills and substantial network of clients and contacts across the entertainment, technology and wealth planning sectors will help us drive forward the growth of our local business, as well as offer a stronger and more comprehensive set of services to our clients in California.”
The firm's international strategy isn't just focused on the U.S. In Asia, Withers recently combined with Singapore's KhattarWong following a three-year formal law alliance with the local firm, creating a new 90-lawyer firm called Withers KhattarWong. The firm also added lawyers from Baker McKenzie and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Hong Kong and Singapore in October.
Mitchell Silberberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the departures.
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