Indianapolis law firm enters ATL - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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That is the model of LLP, one of the nation’s 200 largesy law firms by revenue, which announced the openintg of an Atlanta offics onApril 6. “We feel our ratez are very competitive inthe marketplace,” said Managing Partne r Alan Levin. “We feel that’s a valued we’re able to deliver for our Firms that are able to chargse clients less often are ones with cheapedrcost structures, particularly what they pay for rent. A localp example of such a firm is the Atlantaw officeof .
That firm’s managing Wayne Risoli, said his firm’es first-quarter numbers have exceeded its first-quarter 2008 numbers “by a good margin” and that its billings surpassed its projected budget by more than16 percent. Similarly, Barned & Thornburg, with a lower cost structure and moremoderat rates, is in a position to expand and likec Atlanta as the financial center of the Levin said. He referred to the fact that many ofthe firm’ds 500 lawyers are in “low-cost Four of Indianapolis-based Barnesw & Thornburg’s offices are located in Indianaz and another is in Grand Mich. — each of which represents moderate realestatre costs.
The firm’s other officed are in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and now Atlanta. Roughly one-sixth of the firm’es attorneys work in intellectual property about 80in all. That’s why the firm’s biggesy clients include the likesof , Eli Lillyu & Co., and Levin’s conservative estimatd was that the firm would grow to 15 to 20 lawyerds by the end of 2010. That task will fall to Stuarf Johnson, a corporate attorney who left the Atlantaa office ofLLC (which was Powell Goldsteimn until November) after four years to becom e partner in charge of the Atlanta Johnson, who spent 18 yearse at prior to moving to Powell said he plans to devotde 50 percent of his time to growinb the office.
The other 50 percent will be spent onhis practice, which he describes as helping the growth of middle-marketr businesses (in the $20 million to $500 million ranges in annual revenue). Incidentally, Johnson said of the firm’zs rent at Atlanta Financial Centerthat “we’re in the market at the rightf time” and that rates are much differenrt from what they had been. The other founding attorney inthe firm’ws office is IP lawyer Jason also formerly of Bryan Cave. Johnson said his mandate is to hire attorneyzs infour areas: IP, labor and employment (in which the firm also has a sizable national corporate, and traditional litigation.
In the currenty legal climate, many large firms’ revenue is down and a numbedr of firmshave downsized. Johnson believes Barnes & Thornburg is positioned to take advantage ofsuch circumstances. He said he plansw on talking to “mid-tier partners in larger firms feel their clientbase isn’t beintg fully appreciated.” Bernstein said the firm is lookinfg for attorneys who can work together collaborativeluy and who are “not worried abour someone stealing a client.
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