Milwaukee-based law firm Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. on Friday completed its previously announced combination with Missouri-based law firm Husch Blackwell.
No money changed hands in the combination. Rather, WHD’s 63 shareholders exchanged their ownership in WHD for ownership in Husch Blackwell, said Paul Eberle, deputy CEO, who previously served as chief executive of WHD.
The new business law firm will be known as Husch Blackwell, and will continue operating from the firms’ existing offices. Husch Blackwell had 16 offices in seven states. WHD had four offices, in Milwaukee, the Town of Brookfield, Madison and Chicago. The firms will combine their Chicago operations.
WHD had more than 300 employees and Husch Blackwell had 1,200 employees, all of whom remained with the company, Eberle said. The combined firm contains more than 700 attorneys operating out of offices in 19 U.S. cities and in London.
Three members of the WHD board of directors will join Husch Blackwell’s executive committee, and seven of WHD’s partners will join Husch Blackwell’s partner board, he said.
“In some ways, I think in the Wisconsin markets, the only change is really going to be more depth and more things to bring to our clients,” Eberle said. “The management of the offices in Milwaukee and Waukesha County and Madison are going to continue to be led by the same people that were leading them before.”
The signage on the WHD offices is expected to change over to Husch Blackwell today, he said.
“We are pleased at how quickly our two firms have come together, and we are excited by the additional talent and experience that we have already gained,” said Greg Smith, chief executive officer and managing partner at Husch Blackwell. “This combination will undoubtedly help us better serve clients across all industries and in all of our markets.”
