Home



K&L Gates, Bell Boyd Partners Vote to Combine Firms
Merger of global and Chicago-based law firms to occur March 1, 2009
January 30, 2009


Pittsburgh and Chicago—Partners of the law firms K&L Gates LLP and Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP (Bell Boyd) today voted unanimously in favor of a combination of firms, effective March 1, 2009. The combined firm will comprise approximately 1,900 lawyers in 31 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and expands K&L Gates’ domestic offerings to include the strategically significant legal markets of Chicago and San Diego.

“We are delighted and enthused that our partners have seen and supported the strategic value of this combination,” said K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis and Bell Boyd Chairman John T. McCarthy. “We truly believe that the combined firm’s value proposition for clients will be unsurpassed in the profession.”

The combined firm will have offices in Anchorage, Austin, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Harrisburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Orange County, Palo Alto, Paris, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Spokane/Coeur d’Alene, Taipei, and Washington, D.C.

Strategic advantages resulting from the combination include:

Global Reach for Chicago and San Diego Businesses: The combined firm will provide businesses and enterprises in the economically vibrant markets of Chicago and San Diego access to one of the legal profession’s few credible three-continent platforms, including offices in global financial and commercial centers, world capitals, and other key markets.

Leading Practices: In addition to enhancing the existing strengths of both firms in such areas as investment management, intellectual property, corporate transactions, bankruptcy, and real estate, the combination also adds a K&L Gates presence in the key life sciences market of San Diego. At the same time, with two dozen Bell Boyd lawyers joining the already formidable Washington, D.C., office of K&L Gates, the combined firm’s presence in the U.S. capital will grow to approximately 250 lawyers and policy professionals.

Enhanced Domestic Coverage: K&L Gates’ entry to the Chicago and San Diego markets expands the firm’s domestic footprint to 23 U.S. offices - now including the world’s fourth-largest legal market in Chicago - and creates greater opportunities for current and prospective clients of both firms. With more than 200 lawyers in Chicago, K&L Gates’ Chicago office will be among the largest of any non-Chicago-based firm.

About Bell Boyd
Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP has helped emerging and established businesses of all sizes grow and prosper for 120 years. With approximately 250 attorneys located in offices in Chicago, San Diego, and Washington, D.C., the firm provides a full range of business related legal services, with nationally-recognized practices specializing in investment management, mergers and acquisitions, securities, finance, patent and trademark prosecution, intellectual property litigation, commercial and securities litigation, and real estate. For more information, visit www.bellboyd.com.

About K&L Gates
K&L Gates comprises approximately 1,700 lawyers in 29 offices located in North America, Europe and Asia, and represents capital markets participants, entrepreneurs, growth and middle market companies, leading FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations and public sector entities. For more information, visit www.klgates.com.

Contact:
Peter J. Kalis, K&L Gates LLP, +1.412.355.6562,
John T. McCarthy, Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP, +1.312.807.4319,


Newsletter Registration
Newsstand via RSS



Terms and Conditions of Use • Privacy Policy • Copyright and Trademark Notice • Use of Cookies • RSS 
©1996-2010 K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.

K&L Gates is comprised of multiple affiliated entities: a limited liability partnership with the full name K&L Gates LLP qualified in Delaware and maintaining offices throughout the United States, in Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany, in Beijing (K&L Gates LLP Beijing Representative Office), in Dubai, U.A.E., in Shanghai (K&L Gates LLP Shanghai Representative Office), in Tokyo, and in Singapore; a limited liability partnership (also named K&L Gates LLP) incorporated in England and maintaining offices in London and Paris; a Taiwan general partnership (K&L Gates) maintaining an office in Taipei; a Hong Kong general partnership (K&L Gates, Solicitors) maintaining an office in Hong Kong; a Polish limited partnership (K&L Gates Jamka sp. k.) maintaining an office in Warsaw; and a Delaware limited liability company (K&L Gates Holdings, LLC) maintaining an office in Moscow. K&L Gates maintains appropriate registrations in the jurisdictions in which its offices are located. A list of the partners or members in each entity is available for inspection at any K&L Gates office.

Portions of this Web site may contain Attorney Advertising under the rules of some states. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.