Effective Jan. 1, 2025, Taft completed its merger with Denver’s oldest and third-largest law firm, Sherman & Howard L.L.C. With this expansion, Taft now has more than 1,000 attorneys, spanning from the Mountain West region to Washington, D.C. All of Sherman & Howard’s offices with approximately 125 attorneys will join Taft’s nine primary markets.

Taft announced the Sherman & Howard combination in September 2024, noting both firms’ dedication to client service excellence, along with a shared vision for the future and a like-minded culture. This expansion into the Mountain West region brings new talent and resources to the firm, creating a super middle-market firm and strengthening Taft’s position as a leading modern law firm.

“We are excited to embark on this new chapter. We anticipate that the transition will be very smooth for attorneys and staff, and our clients are the ones who will ultimately benefit the most from the combined deeper and more comprehensive services. Legacy Taft attorneys have also expressed their enthusiasm for the expanded capabilities extending into the Mountain West,” said former Sherman & Howard CEO Stefan Stein who is now Taft Mountain West Chairman and Colorado Partner-In-Charge.

Since the merger announcement, 12 lawyers have accepted offers to join Taft’s Mountain West offices with additional lateral attorneys at various stages of the interview process in this region.

“We are honored to welcome the remarkably talented attorneys and staff from Sherman & Howard to our team. Together, we share a common mindset to deliver exceptional service to our clients. With our unified focus on client engagement, community support, and firmwide collaboration, we look forward to the tremendous opportunities this merger brings for our clients and the communities we serve,” said Taft’s Chairman and Managing Partner Robert J. Hicks.

Taft’s Growth Strategy Creates New, Super Middle-Market Firm

One of the fastest growing firms in the Am Law 100, Taft has now successfully completed seven mergers in 17 years across key expansion markets, including Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss (Detroit), Briggs & Morgan (Minneapolis), Shefsky & Froelich (Chicago), Chester Willcox & Saxbe (Columbus), Kahn Kleinman (Cleveland), and Sommer Barnard (Indianapolis).

The firm’s experience in combining teams, operations, and services has made each prior merger a success in terms of expanded client services, headcount, and revenue growth. Notably, following its most recent entrance into new markets, Taft has generated significant organic growth:

• Taft Detroit lawyer headcount has grown by more than 110%
• Taft Minneapolis lawyer headcount has grown nearly 120%

Today, this momentum has propelled Taft into position as a new, super middle-market firm. As the firm has expanded its presence nationwide, both revenues and lawyer headcount have grown exponentially since 2017:

• Revenues up by more than 400%
• Headcount up approximately 275%.

With the addition of Sherman & Howard, Taft expects these figures to continue climbing in 2025 with projected revenues of $875 million and a headcount surpassing 1,100 lawyers.

About Taft

As a modern law firm with a non-headquarter operating model, Taft is fully committed to delivering the highest level of service to today’s organizations and individuals. The legal performance of Taft attorneys is recognized nationally, with inclusion in the Am Law 100, Chambers USA, U.S. News Media Group Best Law Firms, Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, and more. Learn more at Taftlaw.com.