Karen Elliott (left) and Brendan Horgan. Courtesy FordHarrison.
An Atlanta-based law firm has planted its flag in the competitive Richmond legal market for the first time – and it has poached two local attorneys from a rival firm to help it get started.
FordHarrison, a law firm with around 150 attorneys across 30 offices nationally, launched its Richmond operations on June 1.
Manning the office out of the gate are partner Karen Elliott and counsel Brendan Horgan, both of whom came over from Eckert Seamans.
The two have worked as a team together at Eckert Seamans for four years representing employers in labor and employment law, a practice area that is FordHarrison’s singular focus.
Elliott said they were approached by a recruiter as FordHarrison was looking to expand more into Virginia to follow its client base.
“They have a lot of clients in Virginia and collectively as a firm said it would be nice to have an office in central Virginia,” Elliott said.
“We were both open to a unique opportunity and this was a unique opportunity. We jumped at it,” she added. “To be invited to be the lawyers to open the state office for a national law firm… we were honored.”
Horgan said the move allows the duo to tap into FordHarrison’s broader reach. While Eckert Seamans has around 300 attorneys, only about two dozen are focused on labor and employment in seven or eight states. FordHarrison has 150 labor and employment attorneys and are barred to practice law in most of the country. Its largest offices are in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Tampa.
“A lot of our current clients are getting bigger and doing more complex things and have facilities in numerous states,” Horgan said. “Going to FordHarrison we’re able to do what we do a lot better and more efficiently.”
The firm is operating in temporary space at 6802 Paragon Place and searching for permanent digs downtown.
Elliott added that they left Eckert Seamans on good terms and expect the firms to refer business to one another going forward. Eckert Seamans now lists 12 attorneys in its Richmond office at the Truist Center downtown, according to its website.
In addition to their law practices, Elliott and Horgan have also been charged with building out FordHarrison’s Richmond office.
They’re currently based in temporary office space in Paragon Place in the West End. They’re in search of a more permanent downtown home as they aim to have an attorney headcount of five to eight in the not-too-distant future.
“We have been charged with building the office and we will be looking for partners with books of business and we will be looking for associates,” Elliott said. “The door is open.”
Karen Elliott (left) and Brendan Horgan. Courtesy FordHarrison.
An Atlanta-based law firm has planted its flag in the competitive Richmond legal market for the first time – and it has poached two local attorneys from a rival firm to help it get started.
FordHarrison, a law firm with around 150 attorneys across 30 offices nationally, launched its Richmond operations on June 1.
Manning the office out of the gate are partner Karen Elliott and counsel Brendan Horgan, both of whom came over from Eckert Seamans.
The two have worked as a team together at Eckert Seamans for four years representing employers in labor and employment law, a practice area that is FordHarrison’s singular focus.
Elliott said they were approached by a recruiter as FordHarrison was looking to expand more into Virginia to follow its client base.
“They have a lot of clients in Virginia and collectively as a firm said it would be nice to have an office in central Virginia,” Elliott said.
“We were both open to a unique opportunity and this was a unique opportunity. We jumped at it,” she added. “To be invited to be the lawyers to open the state office for a national law firm… we were honored.”
Horgan said the move allows the duo to tap into FordHarrison’s broader reach. While Eckert Seamans has around 300 attorneys, only about two dozen are focused on labor and employment in seven or eight states. FordHarrison has 150 labor and employment attorneys and are barred to practice law in most of the country. Its largest offices are in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Tampa.
“A lot of our current clients are getting bigger and doing more complex things and have facilities in numerous states,” Horgan said. “Going to FordHarrison we’re able to do what we do a lot better and more efficiently.”
The firm is operating in temporary space at 6802 Paragon Place and searching for permanent digs downtown.
Elliott added that they left Eckert Seamans on good terms and expect the firms to refer business to one another going forward. Eckert Seamans now lists 12 attorneys in its Richmond office at the Truist Center downtown, according to its website.
In addition to their law practices, Elliott and Horgan have also been charged with building out FordHarrison’s Richmond office.
They’re currently based in temporary office space in Paragon Place in the West End. They’re in search of a more permanent downtown home as they aim to have an attorney headcount of five to eight in the not-too-distant future.
“We have been charged with building the office and we will be looking for partners with books of business and we will be looking for associates,” Elliott said. “The door is open.”
I wonder what GA based company is coming to VA? Why would a Georgia firm want to lobby in Virginia?