Home / Business and Economy / Perkins Coie Partners Bolster Rival Law Firms
Perkins Coie Partners Bolster Rival Law Firms
6 Feb
Summary
- Dozens of partners have departed Perkins Coie to establish new offices.
- McGuireWoods and Morrison Foerster gain talent from Perkins Coie in Seattle.
- Perkins Coie is set to merge with London-based Ashurst later this year.
In a significant legal industry shift, around two dozen partners have departed from Perkins Coie to help establish new Seattle offices for rival firms.
McGuireWoods announced the arrival of nine partners, including practice leaders, to bolster its presence. Simultaneously, Morrison Foerster welcomed fifteen partners, emphasizing Seattle's importance as a global technology hub and its strategic value for the firm's expansion.
These moves occur as Perkins Coie itself is preparing for a substantial merger with the London-headquartered firm Ashurst. This union, pending a partnership vote, is projected to create a global entity with approximately 3,000 lawyers and substantial revenue.
The departing lawyers indicated that neither Perkins Coie's impending merger nor its past legal battles influenced their decision. Instead, they cited existing relationships and an opportunity to build a new practice group focused on commercial and product liability disputes within McGuireWoods.
Seattle's legal market has seen recent expansion, with other firms like Clyde & Co also opening offices. The city's status as a base for major corporations like Starbucks and Amazon makes it a prime location for law firm growth.
