Fox Rothschild issued the following announcement on Sept. 20.
Fox expands footprint into the Southeast with addition of 130 attorneys and six locations
In what will be its largest combination, Fox Rothschild LLP will merge with Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, effective November 1.
This move, which adds 130 attorneys to the firm, signals Fox’s first foray into the Southeast. The addition of six offices in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina propels the firm to 27 locations nationwide and boosts its overall headcount to more than 900 attorneys.
“Expanding our footprint in the Southeast through this merger is an important milestone for the firm,” said Mark L. Silow, Chair of Fox Rothschild. “We have explored opportunities in this region for many years and are delighted to have found in Smith Moore Leatherwood a firm with a superb roster of talented attorneys who share our values, our approach to client service and our entrepreneurial focus.” Silow said that the six added office locations “provide a base in some of the most rapidly developing markets in the country.”
Julie Theall Earp, Managing Partner of Smith Moore Leatherwood, said, “We are thrilled to join Fox Rothschild. This merger enables us to provide our clients with the benefits of a strong nationwide network of resources and a deep bench of talented attorneys in more than 60 practice areas. For nearly a century, we have built relationships with our clients and our communities based on trust, good communication and efficiency. Now, as part of a prominent Am Law 100 firm, we can offer a broader range of services while continuing to deliver the personal touch and dedication that are the hallmarks of our firm.”
Smith Moore Leatherwood, founded in 1919, is known for its ability to deliver high quality, industry-specific solutions to the challenges and issues facing clients. The merger significantly deepens Smith Moore Leatherwood’s bench in several core practice areas: litigation, labor and employment, trusts and estates, health law and intellectual property. For Fox, in addition to the expanded geographic reach, the merger also adds stronger resources in the practice areas of manufacturing, clean energy, transportation and logistics. Smith Moore Leatherwood also has a significant sports law practice that will supplement Fox’s existing entertainment practice.
Mark L. Morris, Fox’s Firmwide Managing Partner, said, “We are pleased to join with a firm that seamlessly aligns with our entrepreneurial philosophy and enables us to create a significant presence in the Southeast. We are excited to embark upon this next chapter in Fox Rothschild’s story.”
Through the merger, Fox gains offices in: Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina.
Fox has grown its national presence considerably over the past several years, including the addition of offices in Chicago in 2015, Minneapolis in 2016 and Seattle in 2017. This year, 23 attorneys from Shaw Fishman Glantz & Towbin LLC joined the firm’s Chicago and Wilmington (Delaware) offices, and Fox merged with the six-attorney, Denver-based firm of Rollin Braswell Fisher LLC.
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