Stinson Nabs California Litigation Firm for West Coast Push (2)

Stinson LLP is combining with California’s Severson & Werson to broaden the Kansas City-founded firm’s West Coast reach.

The move adds 30 lawyers to Stinson’s roster and offices in San Francisco and Irvine, the firm said Thursday. It comes about four months after Stinson launched its first California outpost, in Los Angeles.

“Adding two additional offices, coupled with Severson’s excellent reputation and expertise, will enhance the level of service we provide our clients coast-to-coast,” said Allison Murdock, Stinson’s managing partner.

Stinson brought in nearly $316 million in revenue last year, ranking as the 134th largest law firm in the US, according to The American Lawyer. The Severson additions will give it 485 total attorneys across 16 offices.

The firm announced last week that it is tripling the size of its New York office space, moving to a 13,400-square-foot location in Manhattan’s financial district.

“We don’t think of ourselves as having a single geographic identity—we’re a national firm with leaders and teams across all of our offices,” Murdock said. “Whether we’re adding one attorney or many, our goal is to expand our ability to meet our client’s evolving needs.”

Severson has been advising clients in San Francisco and Orange County for more than 70 years. The firm provides banking and financial services litigation, as well as bankruptcy and creditor’s rights, labor and employment, and complex litigation practices.

“The timing was right” for both firms to merge as their cultures, practices, and goals aligned, Murdock said.

Mark Wraight, the managing partner of Severson will serve as the San Francisco office’s managing partner. Stinson’s Adam Hutchinson will serve as the managing partner of the Irvine office.

“As a firm with only two offices, down to just over 30 lawyers, before this combination, there was kind of a ceiling as to how much work we could do for our clients,” Wraight said. “This opens up a world of possibilities.”