Robinson & Cole, Hartford’s largest law firm, said it plans to add more than 30 attorneys, including nine partners, from Thelen LLP, a major San Francisco-based firm that has announced it will dissolve Dec. 1.
The move raises Robinson & Cole’s attorney count from 225 to roughly 260 and probably elevates it into the ranks of the nation’s largest 200 law firms.
Robinson & Cole’s Hartford office will add nine Thelen construction lawyers, including three partners, to complement its existing environmental, land use and real estate practices. The firm’s New York City office will double in size to 16 attorneys, significantly boosting its real estate finance and intellectual property practices there.
“It’s a tremendous move for Robinson & Cole,” said Gary Klein, founder of Klein Landau & Romm in Washington, D.C., one of the nation’s leading attorney search consultants. “Thelen has been populated for decades with excellent attorneys. The time to buy is when everyone is selling.”
Founded in 1924, Thelen grew into one of the top 100 firms in the United States with more than 400 attorneys. The firm worked with the builders of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hoover Dam and later developed a strong reputation in technology and intellectual property. Thelen management said the departure of several high-profile partners and the credit crunch contributed to its collapse.
Thelen had nearly 40 attorneys based in Hartford, where it has had the city’s 11th largest law practice. Norman H. Roos, Thelen’s Hartford managing partner, said he was delighted that many on that team are joining Robinson & Cole, “a dynamic and successful platform, well-poised for continued growth, particularly in challenging times.”
Eric Daniels, Robinson & Cole’s managing partner, said the move squarely addresses several of the firm’s top long-term goals, including expanding its New York City office and growing its construction and intellectual property practices. The firm also has satellite offices in Boston, Stamford and Sarasota, Fla., among other cities.
Enhancing The Brand
“We’re diversified in practice and geography, and we’ve been able to weather the economic storm just fine,” Daniels said. “We’re very well-positioned.”
Robinson & Cole’s expansion is excellent news for Hartford, said R. Nelson “Oz” Griebel, president and CEO of the MetroHartford Alliance.
“This enhances the brand of Robinson & Cole and of Hartford,” Griebel said. “The fact that you’re keeping bright, capable attorneys here, maintaining that intellectual horsepower in Hartford is a good thing.”
Eight of the roughly 35 Thelen attorneys joining Robinson & Cole are based in Manhattan and will move to R&C’s office there, including partner Andrew Kramer. “Andy Kramer, who heads the real estate finance practice, was seen as particularly strategic to the firm,” Daniels said.
The Hartford office will pick up an intellectual property star, Thelen partner Richard L. Green. The intellectual property team will also gain two associates each in Hartford and New York City.
Daniels said the Thelen construction law team includes attorneys admitted to the bar in New York and Massachusetts. The group has a strong background in school construction and is now positioned to go after business in the Boston area, where Thelen did not have an office, but Robinson & Cole does.
‘Unprecedented Turmoil’
Several dozen Thelen attorneys will be joining the Boston firm Nixon Peabody, which was rumored to be in talks to merge with Thelen. But it wasn’t clear how many of them will be moving to Boston.
Klein said current economic conditions are creating “unprecedented turmoil” in the legal field, as many top 100 firms are laying off associates to trim costs. He predicted that more law firm consolidations and dissolutions would be coming soon.
Klein also cautioned that Robinson & Cole would find it challenging to add so many lawyers at one time. “That’s a lot to integrate,” he said. “Integration is key, and it’s a delicate process. Lawyers are sensitive.”
Earlier this year, Dewey LeBoeuf announced the closing of its Hartford office, while another firm, Tyler Cooper, said it would dissolve. A number of their lawyers joined other local firms. Tyler Cooper had ranked No. 18 in the Hartford market, while Dewey & LeBoeuf had been No. 21.
