Eight attorneys join Chicago office since merger announced

Taft Stettinius & Hollister announced today that its merger with Shefsky & Froelich has been completed, effective Jan. 2, 2014.  Eight attorneys have joined the Chicago office between the merger announcement date on Nov. 19, 2013, and the effective date.   

“As we anticipated, Shefsky & Froelich’s merger with Taft has resulted in robust interest from a significant number of attorneys seeking to join the merged firm.  The level of inquiries and activity has exceeded my expectations.  Taft’s strength and Shefsky’s reputation in the Chicago marketplace make us a very attractive choice,” said Cezar “Cid” Froelich, chairman of Taft/Chicago.

The Chicago office will significantly expand its intellectual property (IP) capacity.  All of the intellectual property attorneys from Chapman and Cutler LLP made the lateral move, along with their supporting IP staff.  Robert J. Schneider will head Taft/Chicago’s IP practice.  Two additional IP attorneys have joined the firm at the partner level, and one attorney from the Taft/Indianapolis office is relocating to Taft/Chicago.  The firm is launching a new IP practice area, pharmaceutical and life sciences litigation, led by Stephen R. Auten.  The litigation and real estate practice groups have also expanded.

Attorneys and staff joining Taft/Chicago since the merger announcement include:

• Stephen R. Auten, Intellectual Property Partner
  • Chair, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Litigation
• Phil Y. Kouyoumdjian, Intellectual Property Partner
• Robert J. Schneider, Intellectual Property Partner
  • Chair, Taft/Chicago Intellectual Property
• Anthony E. Dowell, Intellectual Property Of Counsel
  • Relocating from Taft/Indianapolis
• Elizabeth E. Babbitt, Litigation Associate
• Jane S. Berman, Intellectual Property Associate
• Jeffrey M. Schieber, Litigation Associate
• Jinyoung “Jenny” Shin, Real Estate Associate
• Richard Kalwa, Intellectual Property Paralegal
• Brenda Walton, Intellectual Property Legal Assistant

The combined firm has more than 400 lawyers and seven Midwestern offices in Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Covington, Ky.; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio.  The firm also has an office located in Phoenix, Ariz. 

“Today, we welcome the lawyers, paralegals and staff of Shefsky & Froelich to Taft.  They are an exceptional group of individuals, and our integration efforts are off to a remarkable start as evidenced by the caliber and number of attorneys who have joined Taft/Chicago since the announcement.  Having a strong presence in Chicago is essential to fulfilling our strategic goal of providing best-in-class client service and building the Taft brand,” said Thomas Terp, Taft’s chairman and managing partner. 

Shefsky & Froelich was founded in 1970 by a small group of highly motivated attorneys with extensive experience in complex commercial transactions. Through the years, Shefsky was frequently contacted with merger opportunities due to the quality of its attorneys and its impressive client base, including state and local public bodies, highly specialized entrepreneurial firms and Fortune 500 companies.  Taft’s decentralized operating model and its strong regional platform helped make the merger possible.  The combined firm will continue to provide clients with experienced, cost-effective legal representation in a wide range of practice areas.

Taft is ranked as one of the “Best Law Firms” of 2014 by U.S. News Media Group and is recognized in 21 practice areas nationally. In addition, 131 Taft attorneys, about two-thirds of the firm’s partners, are ranked in the 2014 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Taft is also listed in Corporate Counsel magazine as a 2014 Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies in the U.S.

Taft practices across a wide range of industries, including virtually every area of law:

• Business & Finance
• Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights
• Environmental
• Health & Life Sciences
• Intellectual Property
• Labor & Employment
• Litigation
• Private Client
• Real Estate
• Tax