Edwards Wildman and Locke Lord approve merger
Law firms Edwards Wildman Palmer and Locke Lord have approved a merger.
The merger was confirmed yesterday (December 1).
The rebranded firm will begin operations as Locke Lord Edwards on January 10, 2015.
In its combined form, the firm will employ approximately 1,000 lawyers across 23 offices in the US and internationally.
It will also have an estimated revenue of $675 million per year and will result in the firm being among the top 20 law firms in the US.
Jerry Clements, currently chair of Locke Lord, will serve as chair of the new firm, and Alan Levin, managing partner at Edwards Wildman, will serve as vice-chair alongside Dan Schlessinger and Bill Swanstrom.
Clements said: “This combination will enhance our position in the top tier of US law firms and significantly strengthen our position and product offerings in the market.”
Since the management of both firms signed a letter of intent to merge in September, some of those who were working at Edwards Wildman have left due to a conflict of interest.
According to The American Lawyer, David Conlin, co-chair of the Edwards Wildman Boston IP group, is set to leave due to a conflict of interest arising from the merger. Among his clients are Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which is currently engaged in a patent infringement battle with Roxane Laboratories, a client of Locke Lord.
In October, WIPR reported on the departure of IP partner James Behmke to the new Boston office of law firm Parker Ibrahim & Berg.
