Ballard Spahr, Lane Powell complete combination

Ballard Spahr and Lane Powell have completed their combination effective Jan. 1 — creating a firm of more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices, according to a news release Monday. The combination will expand the firms’ collective capabilities in litigation, corporate transactions, real estate, finance, and intellectual property.

Ballard Spahr has nearly 60 attorneys in its Minneapolis office, according to the firm’s website.

The combined firm will operate under the Ballard Spahr name and will be led by its chair, Peter Michaud. Barbara J. Duffy, who served as Lane Powell’s president, will serve on Ballard Spahr’s executive committee. Patrick J. Franke will serve as board observer and co-leader of the firm’s corporate practice, alongside Ballard Spahr’s Barbara Lano Rummel. To help introduce the market and Lane Powell clients to Ballard Spahr, the firm may be referred to as Ballard Spahr Lane Powell in the Pacific Northwest during a transition period.

“We are combining after a year when both firms had record-breaking performance,” Michaud said in the news release. “Lane Powell is a widely respected powerhouse firm in the Pacific Northwest, known for the quality of its attorneys and the trusted relationships they have built with clients. Together, we will build a destination firm for top talent that draws from each firm’s storied history, client-centered approach, and reputation for excellence.”

According to the release, the combination will significantly increase across-the-board service offerings in a number of key industries, including banking and finance, health care and senior living, transportation, and life sciences. It expands Ballard Spahr’s geographic footprint into the Pacific Northwest, giving the firm new offices in Anchorage, Portland, and Seattle. Seattle will be Ballard Spahr’s largest office outside of Philadelphia.

“Combining with Ballard enables us to bring a far greater range of services—and a national platform—to our clients,” Duffy said in the release. “Ballard Spahr shares our values and our focus on holistic strategy, a team approach, and shared accountability. That has been a hallmark of Lane Powell for 150 years, and our clients can rest assured that it will continue after this combination.”