FAMOUS SON = MARQUEE SPOT?
Pop quiz: Who has better name recognition, Harold Preston or Bill Gates?
If you guessed Gates, then you’re in the same boat as the architects of the merger between Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham and Preston Gates & Ellis, which partners approved Thursday.
The official name of the new 1,400-lawyer firm will be Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, but it will be branded as K&L Gates.
“The branded name is a decision to employ each firm’s strongest elements,” said Peter Kalis, chairman and global managing partner of the new firm. “K&L is the strongest component of our brand and Gates is the iconic name of the 21st century.”
Yes, the Gates in the name of the Seattle-based firm is for a William Gates, but he’s the father of the more famous Microsoft founder. The elder Gates was a longtime partner, but no longer practices. The Preston was for Harold Preston, who first established himself as a solo practitioner in Seattle in 1883, according to the firm’s Web site.
Although Preston is hailed for drafting the Workmen’s Compensation Act in the state of Washington in 1911, it just might be that having a billionaire son who’s richer than God is a little more noteworthy.
On the other side of the name (and the pond), the Nicholson Graham handle will be dropped just two years after it was added when then-Kirkpatrick & Lockhart joined with London’s Nicholson Graham & Jones. Kalis said the London firm has become well-integrated, adding that the London office voted unanimously for the new name.
Not only are names being dropped, but Kirkpatrick’s famous ampersand logo may not withstand the merger. Although Kalis is fond of the ampersand, the new firm is still in discussions over whether it will continue to be used.
� Zusha Elinson
FIRM HOPES FAT IS DE RIGEUR
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton is stepping onto the runway with the launch of its new practice group: fashion and apparel.
From negotiating contracts for TV reality show “Project Runway” to fending off UGG boot knock-offs, the new group is marketing itself as the go-to firm for Los Angeles and New York’s booming fashion industries.
To kick off the group, which includes lawyers from practice groups ranging from entertain-ment to labor, the firm chose a head-turning name: FAT. Not as in plus-sized, but an acronym for the Fashion Apparel Team.
At first, entertainment partner Robert Darwell wasn’t sure that was the most fitting team image: “I thought, that doesn’t sound great � but then, we ran with it.”
The firm’s debut seminar during this year’s New York fashion week advertised: “Get the skinny on FAT law,” and displayed a sketch of a lanky model. The event featured talks on topics such as celebrity licensing agreements and modeling contracts.
Sheppard, Mullin has already done quite a bit of work in this area, but thought it was a smart strategy to pull together resources in an organized fashion, Darwell said.
“We started thinking that there aren’t that many firms focusing on fashion and apparel,” Darwell said. “We’re unique in focus � I don’t see everyone else doing it.”
So far, the group’s clients include Abercrombie & Fitch Stores; Victoria’s Secret Stores; Louis Vuitton U.S.; and Gap Inc.
It also is hoping to court celebrity clients who use their famous name to launch their own perfume or clothing line � such as when pop singer and fashion icon Gwen Stefani launched a clothing line in 2003.
“Celebrities once shied away from endorsement but now it’s all about expanding the brand,” Darwell said. Celebrities can use the merchandising to “extend their popularity between projects.”
� Kellie Schmitt
