Louisiana-based McGlinchey Stafford rang in the new year by announcing it would shut down, leaving many lawyers “scrambling for jobs” in the wake of the midsize firm’s unexpected decision to wind down. Some, however, were lucky enough to be part of a recently announced group lateral move to a transatlantic Biglaw firm — one that’s been in the works since early December.
Womble Bond Dickinson — a firm that brought in $612,200,000 gross revenue in 2024, putting it at No. 92 on the Am Law 100 — is bringing on a 36-member team from the soon-to-shutter McGlinchey, including 19 lawyers (11 partners, three counsels, and five associates) and 17 licensing professionals from the firm’s consumer financial services group. The American Lawyer has additional details on what this means for Womble:
[T]he team’s move allows Womble to open new offices in Albany, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio—where it already employed some lawyers—and brings Womble’s total to 31 offices in the U.S. and 39 globally. It also expands existing offices in Houston, Washington, D.C. and Irvine, California, firm officials said.
While multiple other attorneys had already planned their exits, was this group departure the straw that broke the camel’s back when it came to McGlinchey’s decision to close up shop? Although the firm acknowledged that “a number” of attorneys had recently announced plans to leave, managing member Michael Ferachi said that its decision wasn’t due to “any specific attorney’s departure.” Merrick Benn, Womble’s U.S. chair, told Am Law that his firm’s talks with the incoming McGlinchey team started on December 8 and the deal was finalized by December 26. A little more than one week later, McGlinchey’s equity members voted to wind down. As noted by Reuters, Mark Edelman, leader of the group that decamped for Womble, “declined to comment” on the timing of the move, as did a spokesperson for McGlinchey.
McGlinchey’s collapse closed one chapter, while Womble Bond Dickinson opened several new ones — an increasingly common dynamic in a legal market that rewards scale, and a difficult one for the lawyers and staff left navigating an abrupt ending.
Law firm Womble adds 19 lawyers from shuttering firm [Reuters]
Womble Bond Dickinson Adds 19 Lawyers from McGlinchey, Expands into Midwest and Upstate NY [American Lawyer]
Earlier: Midsize Firm Kicks Off The New Year By Announcing Plans To Close Its Doors
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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