Firm Watch
Aug. 8, 2000
Holland Knight: FLORIDA OUTFIT GAINS A BASE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tampa-based Holland & Knight has acquired the Los Angeles and Tokyo offices of New York-based Whitman Breed Abbot & Morgan. A total of 29 attorneys - 16 partners and 13 associates - joined the firm Aug. 1.
The move comes on the verge of a merger between Whitman Breed's 110-attorney New York office and Chicago-based Winston & Strawn. The fate of Whitman Breed's Newark, N.J.; Greenwich, Conn.; and London offices are unknown.
Whitman's Los Angeles office became available because of an "irreconcilable, non waivable conflict" with Winston Strawn, according to Mark S. Shipow, managing partner of Whitman's Los Angeles office, who will continue to manage the office for Holland Knight. Whitman represents a Japanese-based hotel developer who is a plaintiff in a construction defect litigation matter in Guam, while Winston Strawn represents a defendant in the matter.
Whitman Breed and Winston Strawn have been in merger negotiations since April and the Los Angeles group began to look for alternatives at that time, according to Shipow.
"This could have been a really difficult situation and has been," says Shipow. "Holland Knight has embraced us since Day One and they will give us a tremendous opportunity. This will be the rebirth of this office."
Whitman Breed's Los Angeles office has a significant Pacific Rim practice with clients in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea, according to Shipow. Senior attorneys at the firm include corporate lawyer Francis W. Costello, international attorney Gerold W. Libby and litigator Richard T. Williams.
"We're just delighted to be adding a group of quality lawyers with a very impressive practice in corporate litigation and with a significant Pacific Rim emphasis," says Thomas A. Zimmer, executive partner in Holland Knight's San Francisco office. "We are absolutely convinced this is a tremendous opportunity to expand both San Francisco and Los Angeles. This will bolster our efforts to meet our expansion goals in California."
Last month, Holland Knight acquired Century City's Levine & Associates, a seven-attorney firm specializing in Indian law. Four partners, one senior counsel and two associates joined, effective July 1. The group will move into the downtown Los Angeles office of Holland Knight (formerly Whitman Breed's Los Angeles office).
The Levine group focuses on economic development of American Indian reservations, including environmental litigation, gaming and other business enterprises. The firm also does real estate development, corporate, contract and partnership law.
Jerome L. Levine, who heads the group, is a national expert in American Indian law with 20 years of experience. The firm was a principal negotiator for 80 tribes that signed compacts with the states of Washington and California.
"With the growth of our Indian law business practice this was a natural progression," says Levine. "Holland Knight has committed to provide quality resources for Indian tribes and for companies that do business with Indian tribes."
Holland Knight has about 950 attorneys in 24 offices around the world. Its San Francisco office opened in 1997 with seven attorneys and now has 14 lawyers practicing aviation and aircraft finance, litigation, employment law, real estate finance and resort development. Its clients include Air France, British Aerospace, Babcock & Brown, Chevron TCI Inc., Crowley Maritime, GATX Capital Corp., GE Capital Aviation Services and Wells Fargo Bank.
Winston Strawn managing partner Jim Neis and Whitman Breed's co-managing partners, Berg Setrakian and Kevin Walsh of the New York office, did not return calls for comment.
Tamara Scott
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