Two upstate NY firms tie the knot; 275-attorney shop is largest in Northeast outside of big cities
Only a few months ago, two major regional firms in upstate New York said they were dating but nowhere near ready to get engaged, let alone tie the knot.
On Monday, Hiscock & Barclay and Damen Morey announced their merger. Effective immediately, the 275-attorney melded firm will be known as Barclay Damon, the combined firm said in a press release. The roots of each firm go back at least 100 years; Hiscock was based in Syracuse while Damon Morey was based in Buffalo.
Hiscock’s managing partner, John Langan, will remain at the helm of the merged firm. Former Damon Morey managing partner Peter Marlette will share leadership of the Buffalo office of Barclay Damon with James Domagalski, a former managing director of the Hiscock firm, the Auburn Citizen reports.
Marlette described the new Barclay Damon as “a new super-regional law firm” that will extend the combined firm’s geographic reach and provide a broader and deeper array of services to clients.
With a swath of offices extending from Toronto to Washington, D.C., the melded firm is billing itself as the biggest in the Northeast that is not based in a major city.
Barclay Damon’s biggest office is in Buffalo, with 105 attorneys, the Buffalo News reports.
The merger resulted from a January lunch between three friends: Marlette, another Damon partner, and Domagalski.
“It developed from there, in the four months, from an idea, to a concept, to a plan,” Marlette told the News. “Ultimately, it resulted in both sides being convinced that this was a great thing for both firms.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “New York firms mull possible 300-attorney merger; they’re ‘dating’ but ‘not engaged,’ leader says”
