Andrew Morton and Bryan Glover of Stoel Rives.

Stoel Rives has brought on a pair of Foster Pepper bankruptcy attorneys to continue building out its Seattle office.

Bryan Glover and Andrew Morton have joined the Portland-based firm as partners in its financial restructuring and insolvency practice. The two partners' arrival follows another 13-attorney group that joined Stoel Rives' real estate and land use group from Seattle-based Foster Pepper.

“I was attracted to Stoel Rives because of its strong regional presence and the depth and breadth of the legal talent across the firm's 10 offices, nationwide,” Glover said in an email interview.

The firm's bankruptcy group has created a high-performing, national platform for our clients, and I am looking forward to working together to offer our clients sophisticated legal counsel bolstered by the talented resources available throughout the firm.

“Seattle is an exciting market and Stoel is positioning itself well to take advantage of a broad array of opportunities arising around the Seattle area and the greater Pacific Northwest region,” said Glover, adding that he looks forward to helping the firm expand its geographical footprint in the region.

Morton added, in an email: “I believe Stoel Rives provides the best platform for me to serve clients, including the greater capability to provide a range of financial restructuring, bankruptcy, and adjacent legal services.”

The duo has been working together since Glover joined Foster Pepper from Burr & Forman in 2016. Morton joined the Seattle firm from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in 2014.

Glover has primarily worked in the insolvency space, focusing his practice on commercial and bankruptcy litigation. Morton is experienced in presenting clients in workouts, insolvency proceedings and bankruptcy matters, including cases under chapters 7 and 11, and cross-border insolvencies.

“We have complementary skills and a very good working relationship, enabling us to deliver a greater breadth of services, of greater quality, together than either might be able to provide in isolation,” Morton said. “We will continue to build on that with the many accomplished attorneys at Stoel Rives.”

In a statement welcoming Glover and Morton to the firm, Vanessa Soriano Power, managing partner of Stoel Rives' Seattle office, said, “Adding Bryan and Andrew to our bench of experienced bankruptcy attorneys allows us to strengthen our position in the Pacific Northwest and better serve our clients in key industries such as commercial real estate, energy, agribusiness and natural resources.”

Stoel Rives, which opened its Seattle office in 1987, has grown to have 125 attorneys in the office.

Last month, Foster Pepper announced that it has agreed to merge with Garvey Schubert Barer to create a 180-attorney firm called Foster Garvey. However, Morton said his and Glover's move to Stoel Rives was not related to the merger.

A spokesperson for Foster Pepper echoed that sentiment.

“Both Foster Pepper and Garvey Schubert Barer are committed to creating a supportive work environment that empowers every employee to be successful at Foster Garvey, PC,” Foster Pepper's spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “While we believe this combination is in the best interest of everyone involved, it is not uncommon for some employees to leave a firm during this time of transition.”

Correction: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the reason for Morton and Glover's lateral move.

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