Nixon Peabody to Close 11-Partner Paris Office Created in 2008 By Taylor Wessing Defection
Less than five years after a dozen senior lawyers from the French branch of Taylor Wessing defected to Nixon Peabody and created its Paris office, that Paris office is closing.
Nixon Peabody plans to focus on its U.S. operations, and it’s not clear where the 11 partners, seven associates and a paralegal listed on the Paris office roster are headed next, reports Legal Week. Two of the 11 partners also work at other offices.
“Nixon Peabody is constantly focused on managing our business in the U.S. and internationally to best serve the needs of our clients,” the firm says in a written statement provided to Legal Week. “With that as our priority, we are closing our Paris office, and will continue to serve our clients in France and Europe through our association with our Paris colleagues, the Terralex network, and other referral relationships.”
The firm has been swamped with tax-related work in the U.S., as the potential fiscal cliff looms, as detailed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post.
“They’re helping clients create dynasty and generation trusts, they’re helping clients sell securities. … This year it’s just been unbelievably busy,” managing partner Andrew Glincher told the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.). He also serves as Nixon Peabody’s chief executive officer.
Nixon Peabody has remaining international offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The creation of the Paris office in 2008, after merger talks between the two law firms failed a year earlier, was unusually contentious, the Legal Week article notes. The French branch unsuccessfully sued Nixon Peabody over the claimed “raid” of its partners, which the firm contended violated an agreed two-year recruiting moratorium following the merger talks.
The former Paris managing partner of Taylor Wessing and Nixon Peabody is Arnaud de Senilhes. He left the Paris office in September to join Jeantet Associes.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Law Firm Learned of Planned ‘Raid’ After MP Left Docs on Printer, Filing Says”
ABAJournal.com: “Billable Hour Concerns Helped Kill Nixon Peabody Merger, Motion Says”
ABAJournal.com : “Nixon Hires 25 Lawyers from Taylor Wessing, Possibly 60 More from Thelen”
ABAJournal.com: “Nixon Peabody: Our 125 New Lawyers Are Just the Start of a Big Growth Plan”
