Boies Schiller Flexner is snapping up downtown’s Caldwell Leslie & Proctor effective April 17, according to the firms, giving the New York-based outfit a robust addition to its West Coast practice.
The deal nets Boies Schiller Flexner several high-profile partners at Caldwell Leslie, a 27-attorney litigation boutique that has a broad-based practice encompassing media and entertainment, white collar crime, environmental, and employment law.
Caldwell Leslie clients include Warner Bros. Entertainment, Gap Inc., TMZ, and a number of corporate executives including former Countrywide Financial Chief Executive and current PennyMac Executive Chairman Stanford Kurland.
Partner Christopher Caldwell said in a statement that the firm felt comfortable merging with Boies Schiller because both had a litigation focus and similar cultures.
“We were particularly excited to join (Boies Schiller) because of the firm’s unique strength in the litigation realm and our shared understanding of the role litigation has in helping clients solve problems,” Caldwell said. “The move will strengthen our ability to serve our clients, while providing us an opportunity to bring our expertise to serve (Boies Schiller’s) existing clients.”
The move almost doubles Boies Schiller’s West Coast operation, which includes smaller offices in Santa Monica, Palo Alto, and Oakland. Firm founder and chairman David Boies, who represents clients such as Apple Inc., Oracle Corp., and DuPont, said in a statement that the Caldwell Leslie get was a coup.
“The attorneys at Caldwell Leslie are highly respected trial lawyers, and they share our values as litigators and our dedication to excellence,” Boies said. “Any major law firm would be proud to have them as members, and we are fortunate that they have chosen to join us.”
Both firms have been outspoken advocates for LGBTQ rights over the years, with Caldwell Leslie representing clients pro bono in several cases that helped establish foothold position for gay rights advancement in the courts. Boies litigated the seminal case that overturned California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage, Hollingsworth v. Perry, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Deals & Dealmakers reporter Henry Meier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @henry_meier.
