Lewis_Brisbois_Bisgaard_&_Smith

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith

American law firm based in Los Angeles

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP (commonly referred to as Lewis Brisbois) is a U.S. law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1979, the firm is a national, general practice law firm with 1,552 attorneys. The firm operates offices in 55 offices in 32 states and Washington, DC.[3]

Quick Facts Headquarters, No. of offices ...

The firm was ranked 71st in the United States (83rd in the world) in 2023, based on revenue, and 15th in the US based on number of attorneys.[4][5] For 2024 the firm reported $720 million in revenues.[5][6] While the firm's roots are in the area of insurance defense litigation, it has increasingly expanded into corporate and transactional areas and now represents clients in a wide range of legal services.[7]

History

1979-2019

Founded in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, originally as Lewis D’Amato Brisbois & Bisgaard, and having opened its second office in 1982, in San Francisco, the firm more than doubled in size from 2000 to 2007.[8][9] In 2002, the firm had 640 lawyers in seven offices.[10] In 2007, the firm had 442 lawyers in 31 offices.[9] In 2009, The American Lawyer reported that 46% of the lawyers and 27% of the partners, at the firm were women.[11]

In 2013, Lewis Brisbois had the most lawyers in Los Angeles County of any law firm, at 270.[12] In 2014, 30% of the firm's partners were women (the industry average was 21%).[13] In 2017, 26% of the firm's lawyers were minorities (the industry average was 14%), and 21% of its partners were minorities (the industry average was 9%).[14]

2020-present

In 2022, its New York City office—which had opened in 2002—had 160 lawyers.[15] In May 2023, Robert Lewis, a founding partner of the firm, stepped down as chairman of the firm, and became chairman emeritus.[16][17] The firm's management committee elected former vice chairman Gregory Katz to succeed Lewis as managing partner.[18]

As of May 2023, 140 lawyers had left the firm to join Barber Ranen, a boutique employment firm that had been recently opened by John Barber and Jeff Ranen, who had left Lewis Brisbois after leading its employment practices group and serving as members of the firm's management committee; both had worked over two decades at the firm.[19][20][21][22] Ranen explained their departure from Lewis Brisbois saying: "We wanted to lead with empathy, collaboration and compassion," and Barber said "excellence and culture" were their driving forces.[19] In June 2023, Lewis Brisbois released dozens of emails that John Barber and Jeff Ranen had written while employed there, which included racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and violently misogynistic slurs aimed at colleagues, clients, attorneys from other firms, and judges, referred to a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge as "sugar tits," and when Ranen reported to Barber that a firm employee had requested overtime, Barber replied: “Kill her by anal penetration.”[20][23][21] Barber and Ranen resigned from the firm named after them at the firm's request, and the firm was renamed Daugherty Lordan LLP.[21] Lewis Brisbois received requests from between 10 and 20 lawyers who asked to return, and took some of them back.[21]

Notable attorneys

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Practice Areas - Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP". Lewis Brisbois.
  2. [2]
    https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/am-law-100/
  3. [3]
    "Locations - Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP". Lewis Brisbois.
  4. [4]
    "Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard". Law.com International.
  5. [5]
    Zaretsky, Staci (May 2, 2023). "Partners Lead Mass Defection From Biglaw Firm, With Up To 140 Lawyers Set To Join New Boutique". Above the Law.
  6. [6]
    "Law360 Reveals 400 Largest US Firms". Law360. May 12, 2019.
  7. [7]
    "Complex Business & Commercial Litigation". Lewis Brisbois. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  8. [8]
    "History of Lewis Brisbois". Lewis Brisbois.
  9. [9]
    Brian Dalton, Vera Djordjevich (2007). Vault Guide to the Top Northern California Law Firms, 2007 Edition
  10. [10]
    Renee Deger (July 3, 2002). "Lewis, D’Amato Has New Name, Office, Partners," The Recorder.
  11. [11]
    Emily Barker (June 2009). "Women now make up a healthy proportion of lawyers at large firms; Stuck in The Middle", The American Lawyer.
  12. [12]
    Debra Cassens Weiss (March 14, 2013). "Which law firm has the biggest presence in Los Angeles County? It's not O'Melveny". ABA Journal.
  13. [13]
    Suzanne L. Jones (April 22, 2014). "Law360 Names Top 25 Ceiling Smashers," The American Bar Association.
  14. [14]
    Erin Coe (August 20, 2017). "How 5 Firms Are Building More Diverse Ranks," Law360.
  15. [15]
    "Lewis Brisbois' New York Office Celebrates 20th Anniversary". Lewis Brisbois.
  16. [16]
    Merken, Sara (May 4, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois chair, executive committee are out after lawyer exodus". Reuters.
  17. [17]
    "Lewis Brisbois Chairman Bob Lewis Steps Down". The Recorder. May 4, 2023.
  18. [18]
    Victoria Basham (May 17, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois names new managing partner in wake of mass employment team exodus". Global Legal Post.
  19. [19]
    Brock, James (May 8, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois Partners Break Away". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  20. [20]
    "'Woke' LA firm partners routinely used vile language to refer to women, POC, emails show". MSN.
  21. [21]
    Thomas, David; Merken, Sara; Thomas, David; Merken, Sara (June 7, 2023). "Barber Ranen law firm changes name after racist, sexist emails prompt leaders' exit". Reuters.
  22. [22]
    "Partners Lead Mass Defection From Biglaw Firm, With Up To 140 Lawyers Set To Join New Boutique' That's more than 8% of the firm's lawyers," Law360, May 2, 2023.
  23. [23]
    Debra Cassens Weiss (June 5, 2023). "Leaders of Lewis Brisbois rebellion sent emails with 'unacceptable, prejudiced language,' law firm says". ABA Journal.
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