Two health-care focused Syracuse law firms to merge

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse–based law firms Cohen Compagni Beckman Appler & Knoll, PLLC and Wood & Smith P.C., which both focus on health-care law, plan to merge, effective Jan. 1.

The new combined firm will use the Cohen Compagni Beckman Appler & Knoll, PLLC (CCBLaw) name, CCBLaw said in a news release.

CCBLaw operates at 507 Plum St. in Syracuse. It currently has 11 attorneys, eight of whom are partners in the firm, according to its website. The firm also currently has seven support-staff members for a total employee count of 18, Anastasia Semel, an attorney with CCBLaw, said in an email response to a BJNN inquiry.

Wood & Smith currently operates an office on One Lincoln Center at 110 W. Fayette St. in Syracuse, according to its website.

The firm has three employees, including attorneys Bruce Wood and Bruce Smith and one support staff member, Semel said. Wood and Smith formed their law firm in 1998, according to their firm’s website.

When the merger takes effect, CCBLaw’s employee count will increase to 21 employees, with the addition of two attorneys and one support-staff member.

Both Smith and Wood will join CCBLaw as partners, Michael Compagni, an attorney and partner in the firm, told BJNN in a Monday phone interview.

Health-care focus

Both law firms have physician-centered practices, providing business, transactional and regulatory counsel to physician groups, provider networks, ambulatory surgery centers, health care joint ventures, and ancillary service providers.

The merger will also “further strengthen” CCBLaw’s existing business, finance, and commercial real-estate practices.

The firms’ integration will provide Wood & Smith P.C.’s clients with access to CCBLaw’s existing areas of practice in commercial litigation, labor and employment, ERISA, employee benefits, and professional license defense. ERISA is short for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

The integration will “further CCBLaw’s goal of continuing to be a preeminent boutique health law firm in New York State,” the firm contends in its news release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com