SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A law firm based in Washington, D.C. is now part of Syracuse–based Barclay Damon LLP.
Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram (SLS) combined with Barclay Damon, effective Jan. 1, per the Wednesday announcement. The deal allows both law firms to expand their footprints and client-service offerings, Barclay Damon noted.
The leadership of both firms in December unanimously voted to approve the deal, citing a “strong belief in the benefits of the combination, which brings the best in legal service together to accelerate growth in each firm’s respective practice areas.”
The 10 lawyers, three paralegals, and four administrative staff of SLS will join Barclay Damon while maintaining operations in their current 11,500-square-foot office space located in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s central business district, a few blocks from Dupont Circle and the White House.
“Our firm has been serving clients in the DC Metro Region for many years, while our long-term strategy has been to develop a fully staffed, established presence in that market. After evaluating many opportunities, SLS was the right fit in terms of top attorneys, complementary practices, and energy industry experience that overlaps with Barclay Damon’s leading practices,” Connie Cahill, Barclay Damon’s managing partner, said in the news release. “We hope to continue growing in the DC Metro Region and are always interested in meeting with talented attorneys looking to expand their breadth of services in a shared culture of collaboration, innovation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
SLS will serve as Barclay Damon’s Washington, D.C. office, which will initially have 10 lawyers.
“This is a beneficial move for SLS, as this combination meets the long-term strategic goals of the firm and allows our people and clients to immediately have access to a multidisciplinary approach to legal services as well as a full-service law firm,” Judah Lifschitz, principal and co-president of SLS, said in the Barclay Damon release.
Together, the combined firm will have nearly 300 lawyers in nine offices. They include New York offices in Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and New York City, as well as offices in Boston, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; and Toronto, Ontario.