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Nussbaum leads Loeb & Loeb to top IPO lists

Loeb & Loeb's Partner and Securities Practice Group Chair, Mitch Nussbaum, was named top U.S. Initial Public Offerings (IPO) lawyer. The firm bagged the 13th overall position, according to IPO Vital Signs. An IPO information database, it ranks firms on the basis of the number of IPOs closed in 2006; and among lawyers, those who represent issuers in the same period. These rankings were published in The IPO Week in Review. The firm's securities group represents issuers and underwriters in IPOs, Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation (SPAC) offerings and acquisitions, PIPEs, and public and private companies. Last year, Loeb & Loeb completed SPAC deals between $27 million and $225 million for clients in a range of industries in the U.S., Europe, China, and India.

Loeb & Loeb's international securities practice team grew last year with the addition of two lateral partners, Joseph P. Sverchek and Angela M. Santora Dowd, as well as four associates. Nussbaum, who leads the group, represents more than 35 Asian companies. These include the first Chinese, Taiwanese, and Thai companies to figure on the American Stock Exchange lists. He is the main architect behind the firm's alliance with the Chinese law firm in Shanghai and Beijing. Currently, Nussbaum is utilizing his experience in forging liaisons between international corporations and global clients, especially in new areas.

A multiservice national law firm, Loeb & Loeb has 250 attorneys spread across its offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Nashville. It is recognized for its corporate and securities matters practice besides litigation, finance, intellectual property, and tax and wealth services among others.

03-19-2007

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Are Florida attorneys losing on pro bono commitments?

Florida-based big time law firms registered a sharp decrease in its lawyers' commitments to voluntary community services. This was revealed in the data collected by The American Lawyer magazine and the Daily Business Review, states law.com. Akerman Senterfitt, Greenberg Traurig, and Holland & Knight — while responding to an annual survey conducted by AmLaw 200, said there was a decline in their lawyers' voluntary services. Reportedly, the hours spent by the firms' U.S. lawyers on pro bono work declined by as much as 16 percent between 2005 and 2006. The survey is conducted among 200 highest-grossing firms in the country.

However, Tampa-based Carlton Fields showed good signs. The community commitments of its lawyers scaled up by more than 3 percent. In contrast, attorneys at Akerman and Holland, who offered more than 20 hours of pro bono work last year, registered a steep downhill movement. While Holland attributed the drop to a decline in attorney numbers in the firm, Akerman's management tried to cover up on the plea that bad book-keeping on pro bono records may have added to the perceived dwindle. The decline in pro bono work comes as a marked contrast to the firms' record revenues and profits.

According to seniors in Florida's legal arena, this does not bode well because the decline marks a growing indifference to community needs and lawyers' commitments to the tradition of serving. The report follows close on the heels of the remark made by Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Pariente that pro bono contribution by Florida lawyers is on the wane. Pariente had focused on the near 50 percent drop between 1998 and 2005 in pro bono contribution of attorneys to legal aid organizations. In 1998, 26,031 lawyers from Florida's legal arena devoted time to pro bono works. This dwindled to 16,618 in 2005.

While the Florida Bar recommends 20 hours of pro bono work annually, and 50 by the American Bar Association, Akerman reported an average 6.5 hours of work per lawyer in 2006. Though Greenberg Traurig reported an average of 20 hours per lawyer in 2006, its total pro bono contributions climbed down by 14.7 percent last year. Similarly, Holland & Knight went down by 15 percent.

03-19-2007

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Partners at Powell Goldstein law firm jump ship

James C. Rawls, senior healthcare and media litigator, along with five other attorneys from Powell Goldstein, joined McKenna Long & Aldridge. These five lawyers, including Rawls, were healthcare partners at Powell. The other five partners are Charlene L. McGinty, Joann G. Jones, Kathlynn Butler Polvino, Summer H. Martin, and Charlotte A. Combre. Besides them, another senior litigation associate in the media and healthcare work practice, S. Derek Bauer, also joined McKenna. Sources opine that Margaret M. Joslin, McKenna's Atlanta managing partner was the architect behind the mass move to the firm.

Rawls has 33 years of experience at Powell Goldstein. The lawyers in transition handle litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters. Their teaming up with McKenna was a favorable move as both firms share clients in the area, especially the Northside Hospital. James J. McAlpin Jr., managing partner at Powell Goldstein, said the firm derives a great deal of business from the healthcare sector. McAlpin was also critical of the lawyers' move to take away the Northside Hospital practice along with them.

McKenna, wanting to broaden its healthcare practice, looked towards the Powell Goldstein experienced group. The firm's existing practice includes legislative affairs work for healthcare entities as Marcus Institute, AmeriGroup, Sepracor, etc. It also practices healthcare litigation and transactional work. The PoGo group is a multispecialty group within the healthcare ambit.

Meanwhile, in another move, Simon H. Bloom, partner at PoGo, moved out of the firm to launch his own firm, the Bloom Law Firm, in Atlanta. Stephanie E. Dyer, an associate at the firm, will also join him and the new firm will concentrate on real estate disputes.

03-16-2007

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Grow e-rich, legal marketing guru tells LA lawyers

Nationally recognized legal marketing guru, Stephen Fairley imparted some knowledge on advantages of going `e' to small firm attorneys. These included tips on how to stay ahead in the race among peers and also to emerge as viable rainmakers. Currently the country has more than a million lawyers and its rising population is making the competition among attorneys real steep.

Fairley lamented that not too many attorneys have till date technologically upgraded themselves, says lawfuel.com. Most law firms, despite owning websites, rarely apply it to their marketing advantage. He was presenting his views at the seminar "Becoming a Virtual Rainmaker - Advanced Internet Marketing for Attorneys" at the Los Angeles County Bar Association. A best-selling author, Fairley's seminars are quite popular and are mostly sponsored by state and local bar associations.

While teaching the attorneys on using the Internet and technology, Fairley offered three recommendations to small law firms and solo practitioners on how to increase clientele. The recommendations include automation of marketing system, incorporation of prospects to attract website visitors' attention long enough to develop relationship, and finally, building up online database.

Supporting his recommendations, Fairley stated that business accrued from law can be better managed by "using online technologies rather than relying on Excel or business-by-sticky note." He also recommended using an opt-in form to linger the website's visitors' attention through some special report or offering free mini-courses. Firmly voicing his opinion that the firm can expect its bank vault and data vault to grow simultaneously, Fairley taught attorneys how to build a top qualified's database through the Internet.

03-16-2007

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Foley Legal Counsel for 2007 Special Olympics

International law firm Foley & Lardner LLP will handle entertainment law for the opening ceremony of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. Full corporate legal counsel Foley has been retained by the Games Executive Committee (GEC) of the Special Summer Olympics, to serve as international legal counsel for the Games' opening ceremony. The China government-sponsored GEC manages marketing and large events for the Games. People with intellectual disabilities from all over the world will participate in the Summer Olympics to be held at Shanghai from October 2-11.

China is the first Asian country to host the Summer Games. It is also the second country to host the games outside the U.S. Describing it as a rare honor, Catherine Sun, chair of the firm's Asia Practice said it is committed to assisting GEC while serving for the important games. Sun will work with attorneys on the firm's Entertainment & Media Industry Team, who will provide entertainment law and intellectual property counseling, and transaction services.

Under Sun, the Foley team will draft and help negotiate all agreements for international talent who will perform or appear at the Opening Ceremony. These will include the creative and production team for the Opening Ceremony, and international vendors and suppliers. They will also advise on international broadcast and new media deals for the opening ceremony which will be telecast worldwide. More than 7,000 athletes, 40,000 volunteers, 3,500 event officials and thousands of families, volunteers, spectators, and journalists from every continent are expected to participate in the games.

03-15-2007

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Sheppard Mullin opens shop in Shanghai

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP opened shop in Shanghai, the Asian mainland of China. This move records the firm's eastward expansion as well as the first step in an international location. After the opening of its offices in Washington, DC, four years back, and New York in 2005, the decision to open in Shanghai marks the firm's systematic growth plan. The move was also spurred by the firm's corporate clients who are expanding in the east.

According to Guy Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin, the need to keep clients happy on both sides of the Pacific, was the main need of the firm. Sheppard Mullin's established China and Korea teams already handle outbound as well as inbound investment matters in a variety of industry sectors, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, infrastructure, entertainment and media, and hospitality.

The Shanghai office will handle a full range of investment, intellectual property, real estate, trade, financial restructuring, and international disputes matters. The firm's Partner David Huebner relocated to Shanghai from Los Angeles to head the new office. Huebner is an expert in intellectual property and international dispute resolution. Along with him, Special Counsel Xudong Ni from the firm's Washington, DC, office, William Zheng, and Senior Legal Consultant Michael Zhang have joined Sheppard Mullin from China's AllBright Law Firm. Edward Tillinghast and Jerry Gumpel, partners in the firm, will remain as members of the Shanghai team. They will support the U.S.-side of the firm's greater China practice from New York and Del Mar, CA, respectively.

Full service law firm Sheppard Mullin has 490 attorneys in 10 offices located throughout the country and in Shanghai. It offers full range of corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.

03-15-2007

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Jackson Walker muscles up practice teams

Texas' oldest and largest law firms Jackson Walker LLP, is on a hiring spree. The move is part of the firm's strategic plans to expand its practice areas in its offices with experienced veterans.

The move began with the raiding of 10 attorneys from the rival firm Jenkens & Gilchrist to its San Antonio office. The attorneys from different practice areas include J. Scott Rose who joined Jackson's as Managing Partner at the San Antonio office. The others are Robert L. Soza, Seagal V. Wheatley, and Julia Mann who joined as partners. Charles L. Smith joined as Of Counsel and Margaret Hopson, Mark Fassold, Steve Ramon, Marc Rietvelt, and Toni Price are the new associates in the firm.

Scott Rose has more than two decades of experience in bankruptcy proceedings and financial transactions; while Soza's practices in environmental and administrative advocacy and international trade matters. Wheatley has wide experience in corporate litigation, and Mann concentrates on environmental and commercial litigation. Smith brings over 50 years of litigation experience to Jackson Walker and focuses on state and federal litigation.

Two more attorneys were added to the firm's Dallas-based Business Transactions team. The two attorneys, Terry Freeman and Paul Wendland, are experts in financial transactions and development planning. Freeman, who joins the firm as a partner was a shareholder at Jenkens & Gilchrist. Wendland joins the firm as Senior Counsel and has experience in representing clients in corporate, real estate, and land owners involved in leasing, acquisition, and disposition of office space and land.

Jackson Walker's San Antonio office has 39 attorneys and is the fifth largest law firm in the area. Besides this it also has a strong regional base with more than 300 attorneys spread across its offices all over the region. The firm has more than a century's experience in providing legal counsel to clients internationally.

03-14-2007

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