Law Practice
May 4, 2011
Real Estate Boutique Absorbed
The Century City office of Minneapolis-based Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP has absorbed local boutique real estate litigation firm Reeder Lu LLP.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - The Century City office of Minneapolis-based Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP has absorbed local boutique real estate litigation firm Reeder Lu LLP. Seven lawyers, including partners Christopher Reeder and Richard Schloss, moved from their Fox Plaza offices this week.
Reeder established Reeder, Lu & Green LLP with partners Beverly Lu and Gabriel G. Green in 2009. Schloss joined shortly thereafter, and Green left to join the Los Angeles office of Archer Norris PLC in April 2010.
Reeder said the firm, still in its infancy, was not necessarily looking to move. But when a recruiter introduced him to Robins Kaplan's Los Angeles Managing Partner Roman Silberfeld, he couldn't pass up the opportunity.
"I'm more excited about joining this firm than any other firm I ever joined," Reeder said, "including starting our own firm."
He said Robins Kaplan and Reeder Lu have similar client bases and that they both like to go after "large adversaries," referring to Silberfeld's success with cases against giants in the tobacco industry.
"We pick big fights, too," Reeder said.
There were almost no client conflicts to iron out before the merger, he said, noting that nearly all of Reeder Lu's clients have already moved with the firm's lawyers to Robins Kaplan.
Silberfeld said the addition of Reeder's group was part of the office's strategy to build expertise in two of the city's key industries: entertainment and real estate. Two years ago, the firm acquired a group of nine entertainment lawyers from what was then Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods George LLP, including partners Yakub Hazzard, Michael Plonsker and Mark Passin.
"Now, with Chris and Richard and their lawyers joining," Silberfeld said, "we're able to credibly say we can represent the other major industry in this town."
He added that the firm is also growing its New York office, which opened a year ago.
Asked about his founding partner, Reeder said Lu is "currently exploring other career opportunities."
Lu could not be reached for comment.
He and Schloss are joined by associates Wesley Lew, Duncan McCreary, H. Mark Madnick, Andrew Howard and Brian Lauter. href="mailto:
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erica_phillips@dailyjournal.com <!-- Real Estate Boutique Absorbed -->
Erica E. Phillips
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