Firm Information - Mid-Atlantic

[Alex_de_Large]

For those with a subscription (or access to today's Legal) there is an interesting article about Philadelphia firms' expanion beyond the Philadelphia market. It's worth a read.

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[baltassoc]

Salary information has been made available by the Affiliates for salaries nationwide. www.affiliates.com. If you want your own report please visit their site. Otherwise, be sure to think about rewarding them for their hard work in producing such useful information.

I have included the information for all the Mid-Atlantic cities I could spot in the list, but if you think others should be added, let me know.

For Baltimore the salary information for 2003 is reported as follows:

Senior Associates (4-9+ years)
Large Firm ranges $115,150 - $168,805
Mid sized ranges $79,625-$132,545
Small-Mid ranges $64,680-$108,780
Small ranges $50,960 - $101,185

Mid-Level Associates (1-3 years)
Large $92,120 - $120,540
Mid sized $60,760 -$92,855
Small-Mid $48,265 -$73,745
Small $41,895-$62,720

First Year Associates
Large $82,075 -$108,045
Mid sized $56,105-$82,075
Small-Mid $44,590-$62,475
Small $39,445-$55,615


For Paramas, NJ (why Paramas? - why not Paramas?) the salary information for 2003 is reported as follows:

Senior Associates (4-9+ years)
Large Firm ranges $145,700-$213,590
Mid sized ranges $100,750-$167,710
Small-Mid ranges $81,840-$137,640
Small ranges $64,480-$128,030

Mid-Level Associates (1-3 years)
Large $116,560-$152,520
Mid sized $76,880-$117,490
Small-Mid $61,070-$93,310
Small $53,010-$79,360

First Year Associates
Large $103,850-$136,710
Mid sized $70,990-$103,850
Small-Mid $56,420-$79,050
Small $49,910-$70,370


For Philadelphia the salary information for 2003 is reported as follows:

Senior Associates (4-9+ years)
Large Firm ranges $117,500-$172,250
Mid sized ranges $81,250-$135,250
Small-Mid ranges $66,000-$111,000
Small ranges $52,000-$103,250

Mid-Level Associates (1-3 years)
Large $94,000-$123,000
Mid sized $62,000-$94,750
Small-Mid $49,250-$75,250
Small $42,750-$64,000

First Year Associates
Large $83,750-$110,250
Mid sized $57,250-$83,750
Small-Mid $45,500-$63,750
Small $40,250-$56,750


For Pittsburgh the salary information for 2003 is reported as follows:

Senior Associates (4-9+ years)
Large Firm ranges $111,390-$163,293
Mid sized ranges $77,025-$128,217
Small-Mid ranges $62,568-$105,228
Small ranges $49,296-$97,881

Mid-Level Associates (1-3 years)
Large $89,112-$116,604
Mid sized $58,776-$89,823
Small-Mid $46,689-$71,337
Small $40,527-$60,672

First Year Associates
Large $79,395-$104,517
Mid sized $54,273-$79,395
Small-Mid $43,134-$60,435
Small $38,157-$53,799



For Wilmington the salary information for 2003 is reported as follows:

Senior Associates (4-9+ years)
Large Firm ranges $116,325-$170,528
Mid sized ranges $80,438-$133,898
Small-Mid ranges $65,340-$109,890
Small ranges $51,480-$102,218

Mid-Level Associates (1-3 years)
Large $93,060-$121,770
Mid sized $61,380-$93,803
Small-Mid $48,758-$74,498
Small $42,323-$63,360

First Year Associates
Large $82,913-$109,148
Mid sized $56,678-$82,913
Small-Mid $45,045-$63,113
Small $39,848-$56,183

[baltassoc]

There is word that Miles & Stockbridge has raised starting salaries to $102k in Baltimore, which would be setting a new benchmark for Baltimore regional firms.

Can anyone confirm?

[baltassoc]

McGuireWoods (which is only one word, god forbid you ever have to do a search on Martindale and spell it as two words, 'cause you're never going to find it) just named a new managing partner for the Baltimore office.

http://www.bizjournals.com/industrie...re_story5.html

(spree: article. free registration may be required)

In other news, Ballard named some new partners:

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/...0/daily18.html

(spree: same deal)

[Milesattny]

According to a memo circulated a week ago, it's true that Miles is raising associates' salaries $7,000 (and in some cases more) effective September 1, 2003. The starting salaries for the incoming associates this Fall will be $102,000.

[baltassoc]

According to an e-mail sent out today, Baltimore mid-sized firm Eastwick Rose Wright & Levine is breaking up as of the end of the month and is trying to sell their stuff. You can bid on the stuff here:

http://www.quicktopic.com/22/D/f2KHCiDBzYjm7.html

[Alex_de_Large]

Wow, sad. I was reading somewhere where the recently-dissolved Arter& Hadden was founded circa 1848. Wow. What happens to summers/new associates?

[learnedmano]

Rumor has it that Duane Morris is about to open an office in the 'Burgh -- and that partners from as many as three Pittsburgh law firms/offices will be leaving to start that office. Any scoop on what those firms might be? And any insight into why in the world DM thinks Pittsburgh, which has one decent size firm in Chapter 11 and another one that's just laid off a bunch of folks, needs another law firm in town?

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by learnedmano
Rumor has it that Duane Morris is about to open an office in the 'Burgh -- and that partners from as many as three Pittsburgh law firms/offices will be leaving to start that office. Any scoop on what those firms might be? And any insight into why in the world DM thinks Pittsburgh, which has one decent size firm in Chapter 11 and another one that's just laid off a bunch of folks, needs another law firm in town?

that's a firm that I don't quite understand. they have expanded quite a bit over the past few years, economy be damned, and their ppp has been pretty flat, if I am not mistaken. Not sure what to make of this news.

AdL

[learnedmano]

It looks like Jeff Blumenthal has been hearing the same rumors. Here's a headline from today's Legal Intelligencer:

Sources: Duane Morris Set
To Start Office In Pittsburgh
The Legal Intelligencer
Duane Morris is poised to open a Pittsburgh office by plucking two partners from Pepper Hamilton while aggressively pursuing partners from Steel City firms, according to several sources familiar with the situation.

Of course, I'm too cheap to have a subscription -- can someone who does post the entire article? Thanks in advance.

[learnedmano]

Never mind -- I got the article from another source. Here it is; discuss:

Sources: Duane Morris Set To Start Office in Pittsburgh

By Jeff Blumenthal
The Legal Intelligencer

Duane Morris is poised to open a Pittsburgh office by plucking two partners from Pepper Hamilton while aggressively pursuing partners from Steel City firms, according to several sources familiar with the situation.

Sheldon Bonovitz, Duane Morris' chairman, declined comment when asked about the story. But several sources, including Pepper Hamilton management, confirmed the departure from the Pittsburgh office of partners George Medved and James Hollihan, and of counsel David Scotti. Medved, one of the founding partners of Pepper's Pittsburgh office, is a commercial litigator. Hollihan is an employment litigator, and Scotti focuses on construction litigation. Several sources said another Pepper Hamilton partner might also make the move.

The names of any other possible defectors were not known, though several sources said Duane Morris has hired a legal recruiter and has focused on trying to lure attorneys from firms such as Buchanan Ingersoll, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart and Reed Smith. The Pittsburgh office could be opened as early as next month, sources said.

Reed Smith officials said that none of its lawyers would be leaving for Duane Morris while Buchanan Ingersoll management added that no one had resigned from its firm. Sources say the Duane Morris office will open some time next month in the U.S. Steel Tower, one of Pittsburgh's most prominent office buildings that houses law firms such as Eckert Seamans and DKW Law Group.
Medved confirmed that he is "transitioning out of Pepper Hamilton" but said that the situation is in a state of flux so he could not comment any further at this juncture.

The Pittsburgh addition, which would become Duane Morris' 21st office, follows the firm's growth pattern of the past five years: Opening offices in large cities by adding lateral groups and not through large mergers. The only difference here is that rather than using lawyers from one firm as the core and building out with more lateral additions, Duane Morris might start its Pittsburgh office with lawyers from more than one firm.
"I think people out here are wondering how you are going to get two or three sets of partners from different firms to co-exist under one roof," one Pittsburgh-based legal recruiter said. "The normal course is to start with one group and then find people that fit with that group."

Pepper Hamilton executive partner Robert Heideck confirmed the departures but said that the 33-attorney Pittsburgh office was just as strong as ever. The office still has 10 partners, including three in the corporate department, two each in real estate and tax, and one each in commercial litigation, labor and employment, and intellectual property. Among the partners is Chuck Greenberg, a corporate partner who also practices sports law. Greenberg represented Mario Lemieux in his purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and recently started a sports management ancillary business for Pepper Hamilton along with former executive partner Jim Murray.

Medved was one of the original partners to open the Pittsburgh office in June 1995, coming from DKW. He was the office's managing partner until recently. The new managing partner is labor and employment lawyer Richard Thomas.
"We have critical mass already, and we are seeking to grow that office," Heideck said. "We're committed to the Pittsburgh market, and there are a lot of good opportunities for expansion."
A 1978 graduate of University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Medved handles a wide range of commercial litigation, including antitrust, securities, intellectual property, derivative action, creditors' rights, construction, class action, product liability, employment and contract and Uniform Commercial Code cases.
Hollihan is a 1980 Duquesne University School of Law graduate. He advises and defends corporations in employment litigation claims on the grounds of sex, age, race, gender and disability discrimination as well as on sexual harassment, wrongful discharge and breach of express and implied employment contracts. He also counsels clients on traditional labor issues.

Duane Morris' Pittsburgh office comes on the heels of it opening a new office in San Diego last month by taking six lawyers from California-based Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps. The firm also added five Luce Forward lawyers to its already existing New York office. Last week, Duane Morris announced that it added three bankruptcy partners and two associates from Luce Forward to its San Diego office. Bonovitz said the firm will be looking to expand San Diego even further by adding lawyers in the areas of corporate, energy and intellectual property. He added that he believes the firm can service all of Southern California from San Diego.

Duane Morris becomes the latest in a long line of Philadelphia law firms to enter the Pittsburgh market. Pepper Hamilton and Morgan Lewis are among the 25 largest Pittsburgh law offices while Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis is close to that level, according to PaLaw 2002: Annual Report on the Legal Profession. Fox Rothschild opened a Pittsburgh office in the past year and several litigation boutiques now have satellites there.
Duane Morris also has 17 lawyers in its Harrisburg office and six in Allentown.

Date Received: July 22, 2003

[Alex_de_Large]

The Legal today had an article about Schnader reducing its San Francisco office to a "skelleton crew." I have 2 reactions: 1) who knew Schnader had a San Fran office? 2) this should surprise nobody, as that firm has been bleeding partners as wella s associates, at least in this market.

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[learnedmano]

"Skeleton crew"? Having just seen "Pirates of the Caribbean," that image conjures up a pretty amusing picture. My reaction was the same as yours -- who knew they were in SF? Schnader's office here in the 'Burgh seems to be holding up fairly well -- a few departures, but also a few recent arrivals -- but in light of the problems elsewhere, I keep wondering when Schnader is going to join some of other recently departed firms in the Great BigLaw Beyond (although once SF is closed, it'll be down to five East Coast offices -- four, really, if you count Cherry Hill as pasrt of the Philly office -- and maybe that'll be focused enough to let the firm recover).

P.S. What's the deal with the Philly firms going with one name? "Dechert", "Schnader" -- soon it'll be "Morgan," "Drinker", "Duane" (OK, that makes the firm sound like your cousin from West Virginia, so maybe not), etc. Once that happens, I predict that Dechert will jump ahead of the pack once again by changing its name to "D" -- or maybe an unpronounceable glyph.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by learnedmano I predict that Dechert will jump ahead of the pack once again by changing its name to "D" -- or maybe an unpronounceable glyph.

The law firm formerly known as Dechert, Price and Rhoades (sp)?

[learnedmano]

Or maybe just "The Firm." OK, maybe not, given the whole Grisham "Mafia-front" thing -- although there's actually an irony-challenged plaintiffs' firm here that runs local TV ads, with slick visuals and jazzy music, advertising themselves as "The Firm." And, apparently, they're not alone:

http://www.thefirm.com/
(Spree: Website for "The Firm," an NYC entertainment firm that represents, among others, former Howard Stern sidekick Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling.)