The law firm of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC has reached an agreement to merge with the top-ranked Memphis firm of Hale Headrick Dewey Wolf Golwen Thornton & Chance, PLLC. The merger took effect Jan. 1.
The merger combines the 26 attorneys of Hale Headrick with Husch’s 285 attorneys, establishing Husch & Eppenberger as the largest law firm with offices in Memphis, and creates one of the biggest firms in Tennessee.
The merger expands Husch’s Tennessee operations from its existing office in Chattanooga, which opened in May 2001, to Hale Headrick’s offices in Memphis and Nashville. Husch has additional offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City, St. Louis, and Springfield, Missouri; Peoria, Illinois; and Wichita, Kansas.
“As part of our long range plans for growth of the firm, we have been looking to expand our presence in Tennessee, and we have recently focused on Memphis and Nashville,” said Joseph P. Conran, the Chairman of Husch’s Management Committee.
“Upon a client’s recommendation, we found exactly what we were looking for in the outstanding group of lawyers at Hale Headrick, a firm that has a dedication to excellence, a compatible practice and a similar client base.”
“In our discussions with Husch, we realized they shared our philosophy and vision of providing first-rate legal services to local, regional and national clients in innovative ways,” said Hale Headrick Managing Member, Russell Headrick. “With over 300 lawyers on staff,” Headrick added, “we will have the resources to provide a new dimension to legal representation in Tennessee and across the Central United States.”
“From inception,” said Stephen Hale, Chief Member of Hale Headrick, “the members of Hale Headrick have remained dedicated to our associates, employees and clients. In Husch, we found a national law firm with the same ‘people first’ priority. Together, we will grow exponentially in Memphis, Nashville and throughout the Mid-South, giving our clients a broader range of services and legal expertise.”
“We welcome our new colleagues in Memphis and Nashville,” said Greg Leitner, of Husch’s Chattanooga office and a Member of the firm’s Management Committee. “The expansion builds on our success and growth here in Chattanooga and allows us to further serve clients in Tennessee and throughout the Mid-South.”
Founded in 1997 by six attorneys with offices in Downtown Memphis, Hale Headrick has grown to 26 lawyers in its three offices. The firm recently was selected by corporations in Memphis as one of seven law firms on a “short list” of desirable law firms in the city. Its lawyers handle civil litigation, emphasizing commercial cases, construction litigation, defense of complex product liability and personal injury cases, and defense of life, health and disability employee benefit claims; provide extensive creditor representation nationally in Chapter 13, Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies; offer a full range of business and tax services, including health care; carry on an active commercial and residential real estate practice; and advise businesses on employee benefit issues. Hale Headrick also has extensive experience in cases involving the First Amendment and media representation.
Husch & Eppenberger, LLC, was established in 1922. It is a full-service law firm engaged in a broad-based business transactions and dispute resolution practice. Its primary practice areas are general business litigation, land use and development, tax and estate planning, and corporate and financial transactions. It also offers specialized expertise in construction, international law, e-business, environmental and regulatory, health law, insolvency, intellectual property and technology, including patents and trademarks, and labor and employment. The firm’s clients include individuals; local, regional and national businesses; financial institutions, and charitable and governmental organizations.
The downtown Memphis office of Husch & Eppenberger will be One Memphis Place, 200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 1450 (phone: 901.523.1123). The east Memphis office is located at 6060 Poplar Avenue, Suite 440 (phone: 901.523.1123). The Nashville office is located at SunTrust Bank Building, 201 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 1450, (phone: 615-843-5160).
Husch & Eppenberger’s Chattanooga office is located at 736 Cherry Street (phone: 423-266-5500).