Morgan Lewis & Bockius restructures partnership

Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe has expanded its New York office by taking 17 lawyers from defunct New York firm Gordon Altman Weitzen Shalov & Wein.

The group includes eight partners - corporate partners Theodore Altman, Barry Shalov, Bonnie Podolsky Marjorie Sybul Adams and Jonathan Klein; and tax partners Bruce Wein, Ellis Reemer and Jordan Bleznick.

New York managing partner Joseph Finnerty Jr says the office now has about 35 corporate and securities lawyers and nearly 80 in total.

Gordon Altman's closure followed the departure of key partner David Butowsky, who took his mutual funds practice, along with three partners and four associates, to Mayer Brown & Platt in July.

The firm cut its number of lawyers from 80 to about 40 and attempted to merge with other practices, but the M&A boutique finally dissolved on 29 February.

Finnerty says it has been a "long haul" to get the corporate and securities practice recognised in the tough New York market.