Thelen LLP
Vault's Scoop
ABOUT THIS COMPANY:
Ed. note: Thelen LLP filed for bankruptcy on September 17, 2009.
The Scoop
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner is the product of the 2006 merger of San Francisco's Thelen Reid & Priest and New York's Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner. For now, the firm is still without an official headquartersrather than picking a favorite, the newly merged firm appointed an office of the chair, which includes Stephen O'Neal of the San Francisco office and Julian Millstein of the New York office as co-chairs and Thomas Hill of the Los Angeles office as managing partner of operations. Such compromises notwithstanding, like many marriages, this one apparently got off to a rough start: As the merger approached, the firm lost 76 attorneysthe second-largest decline of any U.S. firm in 2006. In 2007, the firm began to refer to itself for branding purposes as simply "Thelen" (rhymes with "wheelin'").
It seems to have worked: Thelen reported that its firmwide corporate and asset finance practices had an "exceptionally strong year" of transactional work in 2007, advising on more than 150 deals valued at approximately $21 billion. Among these deals was Thelen client Patriot Media Holdings' sale of New Jersey cable television systems to Comcast Cable Communications Holdings, Inc. for $490 million. In 2007, the firm's litigators scored a victory for Celerity in its ongoing battle with its main rival in the semiconductor industry, Ultra Clean Holdings. At issue were the gas delivery systems used in fabrication equipment developed by Celerity and UCT. Celerity claimed that UCT's Ultra Clean ripped off the technology behind its patents, and in November 2007 a federal judge in Northern California agreed, granting Celerity's motion for a permanent injunction.
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Thelen LLP Perspective
Thelen LLP HIGHLIGHTS
History: 2 big firms = 1 bigger firm
In 1935 Reid & Priest was formed when in-house counsel from Electric Bond and Share Company (Ebasco) formed a firm in New York City to serve public utility clients. Early practice focused on restructurings, both domestic and international. Reid & Priest then grew into a firm well-regarded for its expertise in energy and utility law, finance and corporate transactions. Among the first ever to do so, the firm established a Washington, DC office in 1948.
YOUR CAREER AT Thelen LLP
Continued Growth and Success
In 2006, Thelen Reid & Priest merged with Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner in the largest law firm merger of the year. With more than 600 exceptionally talented lawyers and their depth of experience and industry expertise, we are a leader in building the world's physical and digital infrastructure. The merger continues a legacy of over 80 years of growth and of expansion domestically, while extending a global reach with new offices in London and Shanghai. Thelen is uniquely positioned to support corporations and to maximize client service from a worldwide perspective.
Q&A WITH Thelen LLP
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