More than 100 lawyers to leave Lewis Brisbois in mass exit, ex-partner says
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May 2 - At least 110 lawyers are leaving U.S. law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith after signing agreements to join a newly-formed spinoff firm, one of the new firm's founders said on Tuesday.
John Barber, who was chair of 1,700-lawyer Lewis Brisbois' employment practice, said as many as 140 lawyers could eventually join the new firm, Barber Ranen. He said about 60 Lewis Brisbois lawyers are slated to join as partners.
Barber will lead the firm along with Jeffrey Ranen, who was a national vice chair of the labor and employment practice at Lewis Brisbois.
A 32-lawyer cybersecurity group also left Lewis Brisbois to join Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete in several cities in January.
Bob Smith, co-chairman of Los Angeles-founded Lewis Brisbois, said in an email Tuesday that the departing employment lawyers "represent a minority of our L&E lawyers and clients across the nation (and many clients will be using both firms.)"
He said the confidence of the firm's partership and the labor and employment practice "remains strong as evidenced by voting with their feet to stay and help rebuild."
Barber Ranen will have three physical offices in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and San Francisco, Barber said, with other lawyers working remotely in Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boston, Denver, Pittsburgh, Portland, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Asked what motivated the departures, Barber said the group wanted more flexibility than they had at Lewis Brisbois. "In a firm that large, there's an inescapable degree of compromise necessary for it to function, and Jeff and I just didn't want to compromise anymore," he said.
Barber said most of Barber Ranen's founding attorneys practice labor and employment law, though the firm aims to offer a "full menu" of commercial, transactional, intellectual property and employment advice.
He did not name specific clients that may be moving with the group but said clients were "effusive in their excitement and support."
(Update: This story has been updated with comments from Lewis Brisbois.)
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