Law Firms
Nixon Hires 25 Lawyers from Taylor Wessing, Possibly 60 More from Thelen
Posted Oct 29, 2008, 04:54 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Nixon Peabody appears to be in an expansion mode after failed merger talks with two law firms.
Nixon Peabody is hiring 25 lawyers from the Paris office of Taylor Wessing, the American Lawyer reports, and may acquire another 60 lawyers from the crumbling law firm Thelen, according to a story in the Recorder.
Thelen’s leaders are recommending that the law firm dissolve by Dec. 1, ABAJournal.com reported yesterday. Partners will vote on the dissolution proposal in the next seven days.
The 60 Thelen lawyers include both partners and associates who practice in the areas of mass torts and employment, a source told the Recorder. Among them is Jennifer Kuenster, who co-chairs the commercial litigation practice and is a member of Thelen's partnership council.
The Taylor Wessing acquisitions come after a New York judge ruled Nixon Peabody was not violating a noncompete agreement between the two law firms that had been signed as they began merger discussions.
Nixon managing partner Richard Langan Jr. told the American Lawyer that the hiring of the French lawyers is part of the firm’s strategic plan, which calls for a quarter of the firm's lawyers to work abroad by 2013.