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Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh merges historic Memphis law firms

Hanover Walsh Jalenak & Blair and Harris, Shelton, Dunlap, Cobb & Ryder -- two of Memphis's oldest law firms with more than 130 years of experience between them -- are merging Jan. 1.

While both firms have resisted mergers throughout their histories, partners said this combination made sense.

Both companies have similar cultures and values and emphasize individual relationships between lawyer and client over a corporate culture, partner James Jalenak said.

"These are two firms that saw a way of continuing their practice without compromising their level of service or their values."

The new entity, Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC, will have 44 lawyers and will continue the two firms' varied areas of practice, which include a general civil and criminal practice in all courts, general corporate and business practice, hospital and health care, bankruptcy, municipal, labor and environmental law.

Hanover Walsh, the older and smaller of the two, was founded in 1914 by Joe Hanover, a member of the state House of Representatives who was pivotal in the woman's suffrage movement.

Now at 14 lawyers, the group has specialized in areas that range from labor unions to pension plans, while still retaining some of its general services' beginning.

Harris, Shelton was formed in 1956 by Walter Chandler, the former mayor and U.S. congressman. Now with 30 lawyers, the firm has a variety of specialties including health care and bankruptcy.

With such rich histories, lawyers on both sides were apprehensive at first, said John Harris Jr., the managing partner of the combined firm.
"But we realized it made sense," he said. "In fact, we thought it was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Longtime clients of both firms said they plan to continue their business relationships with the new Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh and did not expect much to change other than the business cards.
"As far as I am concerned, it won't make any difference," said Thomas Farnsworth III of Farnsworth Investment Co., which has used Hanover Walsh since the mid-1980s for its industrial real estate business.

"The phone number may change, but I imagine I'll be using the exact same people I always have, supplemented with team members and people from the new firm."

Gregory Duckett, senior vice president and corporate counsel of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp., said he sees the merger as serving only to enhance the group's overall abilities.

Baptist has used Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, PLLC for more than 30 years for work ranging from bonding to corporate health care development.

"Specifically I think it's following the trends you see in other law firms where they are consolidating to be able to offer a full spectrum of services to their clients and not just being a niche, boutique law firm," Duckett said.

These type mergers do remain common in the industry, although they certainly are not at the dizzying levels of the 1980s and 1990s, said Joel Rose, a New Jersey-based law firm consultant.

Mostly what goes on now are hires to fill areas of coverage, Rose said.

But often two well-established firms will merge to remain competitive with others trying to encroach on local business or because senior members are looking to cut back on their case load.
 
With Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, the reason is the most common: The combined firm will be able to provide clients a wider base of coverage than either was providing on its own.


-- Maria Burnham: 529-2320

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