Orange County’s biggest law firms grew their attorney count by 3% while promoting partners at a slower pace and keeping employment flat, based on the Business Journal’s annual list of legal firms operating here. Last year, the attorney count was flat.
About 2,734 attorneys are represented on this year’s list of 91 firms with headquarters or significant operations in OC. The list ranks them by the number of local attorneys as of the year ended Feb. 28, with a minimum of 10.
It includes other data, such as partners, 1,218, up 1.8%, and employees, 5,215, down less than a percent, a number that includes paralegals and administrative staff, though those figures don’t affect the rankings. Thirty-eight firms increased their employee counts, 31 cut jobs, and the remainder reported no change.
• Among the most notable increases was a 21% jump in attorneys to 47 at the Irvine office of Los Angeles-based No. 13, Buchalter.
“In the last few years, we’ve hit our stride in terms of becoming a premier full-service business office in Orange County,” said Adam Bass, chief executive of the 241-attorney firm.
“Folks are attracted to the firm, our culture, and our approach to things makes us a welcoming place.”
He said the firm’s OC practice is growing in products liability, corporate mergers, defense and intellectual property.
Buchalter should crack the top 10 next year because it’s on the verge of hiring more attorneys, he said.
• The biggest growth percentage-wise was the 77% bump, or 10 attorneys, to 23 at No. 46, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Cerritos.
Partner Anthony de Marco said much of the increase was due to an association with unranked Newport Beach firm Bowie Arneson Wiles & Giannone, “which is paring back significantly.”
De Marco said he anticipates it will grow even further and will soon announce prominent attorneys. The firm, which represents school and water districts, has added an office in Irvine with a new conference center that can be used for needs such as sexual harassment training and documentation processing.
“It’s going to be great to bring clients into the office,” de Marco said.
• No. 6, Irvine-based Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, cut the biggest number of overall employees of any ranked firm—50, or 31%, leaving it with 112 for the period. It cut two attorneys, leaving it with 66, and dropped two OC partners to 15.
Jeff Reeves, a former managing partner, left in January and is now with No. 46 Theodora Oringher PC.
The largest five firms kept their positions on the list:
• Irvine-based Knobbe Martens, which tops the list, had 163 locally based lawyers, down one from a year earlier. It cut its overall employee count 2.8% to 457.
• No. 2, Costa Mesa-based Rutan & Tucker LLP, had 136 lawyers here, up by three. The firm added three partners to 76 and two employees for a total of 259.
• Newport Beach-based Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth PC, No. 3, was down by three attorneys to 83. It added one partner and cut three employees.
• The Costa Mesa office of No. 4, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, added eight attorneys to 80 and one partner for 33.
• The top-10 firm with the biggest attorney growth was the Costa Mesa office of No. 9, Snell & Wilmer, which added eight attorneys, or 16%. It also added one partner for a total of 27, and five employees to 105.
Other notable changes:
• San Francisco-based Sedgwick LLP closed its doors in December, including closing its Irvine office, which had 10 lawyers and was ranked No. 83 a year ago. London-based Clyde & Co. US LLP hired 80 lawyers and staff from Sedgwick and now has a dozen OC attorneys; it had none a year ago.
