Alston & Bird
Encyclopedia
Alston & Bird LLP, commonly abbreviated (A&B), is the largest law firm in Atlanta and the forty-third largest in the United States
.
, Washington, DC, Brussels
, Charlotte
, Raleigh, Dallas, Los Angeles
, Silicon Valley
, and Ventura County. Through the roots of the Alston, Miller & Gaines’ predecessor firms, the merger with Jones, Bird and Howell formed Alston & Bird on December 1, 1982. Expansion beyond Georgia began with the establishment of an office in Washington, DC, followed by the 1997 merger with intellectual property-focus Bell Seltzer Park & Gibson (Charlotte and Raleigh, NC), Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green
in 2001 (New York, NY), and Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP in 2007 (Dallas, TX). In August 2008, the firm opened a Silicon Valley office with attorneys from the national firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
. The next month, Alston & Bird acquired the 100-lawyer strong Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava and MacCuish LLP, launching in Los Angeles and Ventura County to reach 9 offices nationwide. Legal publications report that the Atlanta-based firm is seeking to launch additional overseas offices in London and Germany. Legacy firm Walter Conston operated a Munich liaison office before it was acquired by Alston & Bird.
Today, the firm headquartered in midtown Atlanta on West Peachtree Street
, in One Atlantic Center
and Atlantic Center Plaza
, has more than 900 attorneys providing a full range of services to domestic and international clients conducting business all over the world. While the second largest Atlanta firm in overall size, it has the greatest number of local attorneys serving a global practice.
The former managing partner, Ben F. Johnson III, was named on Atlanta Business Chronicles list of the 100 Most Influential people in Atlanta. (published June 28, 2007). In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for several notable Atlanta institutions, including the Carter Center
and Emory University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Founded in 1893, the firm has local offices in Atlanta; New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Washington, DC, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, Raleigh, Dallas, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, and Ventura County. Through the roots of the Alston, Miller & Gaines’ predecessor firms, the merger with Jones, Bird and Howell formed Alston & Bird on December 1, 1982. Expansion beyond Georgia began with the establishment of an office in Washington, DC, followed by the 1997 merger with intellectual property-focus Bell Seltzer Park & Gibson (Charlotte and Raleigh, NC), Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green
Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green
Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green, P.C. was a mid-sized full service New York-based law firm that existed from 1843-2001 when it merged with Atlanta-based Alston & Bird to launch the New York office of that national firm...
in 2001 (New York, NY), and Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP in 2007 (Dallas, TX). In August 2008, the firm opened a Silicon Valley office with attorneys from the national firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a law firm founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump. The firm now numbers more than 800 attorneys and advisers in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia...
. The next month, Alston & Bird acquired the 100-lawyer strong Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava and MacCuish LLP, launching in Los Angeles and Ventura County to reach 9 offices nationwide. Legal publications report that the Atlanta-based firm is seeking to launch additional overseas offices in London and Germany. Legacy firm Walter Conston operated a Munich liaison office before it was acquired by Alston & Bird.
Today, the firm headquartered in midtown Atlanta on West Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
, in One Atlantic Center
One Atlantic Center
One Atlantic Center, also known as IBM Tower, is a skyscraper located in Midtown Atlanta. It is the third-tallest in Atlanta, reaching a height of with 50 stories of office space. It was completed in 1987 and remained the tallest building in Atlanta until 1992, when it was surpassed by the Bank...
and Atlantic Center Plaza
Atlantic Center Plaza
Atlantic Center Plaza is a 24-floor office highrise located at 1180 West Peachtree Street in Atlanta Georgia, across the street from the One Atlantic Center...
, has more than 900 attorneys providing a full range of services to domestic and international clients conducting business all over the world. While the second largest Atlanta firm in overall size, it has the greatest number of local attorneys serving a global practice.
The former managing partner, Ben F. Johnson III, was named on Atlanta Business Chronicles list of the 100 Most Influential people in Atlanta. (published June 28, 2007). In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for several notable Atlanta institutions, including the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
and Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
.
Ranks
- Alston & Bird consistently ranks on Fortune'sFortune (magazine)Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
list of the 100 best companies to work for, placing #19 in 2007. - A&B was ranked in the top 10 mentions for firms representing Fortune 250 companies in a Corporate Counsel survey published in 2006.
Facts
- Richard Hays, the firm's Managing Partner is the brother of the current Chairman of King & SpaldingKing & SpaldingKing & Spalding LLP is an American law firm with 125 years of service. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1885 by Alexander C. King and Jack Spalding. The firm has expanded nationally, with offices in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C...
(Robert Hays). - Alston & Bird was the first major law firm in Atlanta to promote an African-American female to Partner in 1990. (Karol Mason).
- Famed golfer Bobby JonesBobby Jones (golfer)Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
's father was a founding partner of Alston & Bird's predecessor firm, Jones, Bird and Howell. Bobby Jones himself also practiced law at Jones, Bird and Howell.
Notable Mandates
- Counsel to German media group Bertelsmann AG (a long-time client of legacy firm Walter, ConstonWalter, Conston, Alexander & GreenWalter, Conston, Alexander & Green, P.C. was a mid-sized full service New York-based law firm that existed from 1843-2001 when it merged with Atlanta-based Alston & Bird to launch the New York office of that national firm...
) with Clifford ChanceClifford ChanceClifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue...
and Slaughter & May as UK co-counsel in Bertelsmann's $2.74 billion acquisition of Zomba Music Group in 2002. - Represented Cingular WirelessCingular WirelessAT&T Mobility LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T that provides wireless services to 100.7 million subscribers in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands...
in its purchase of 34 wireless licenses from NextWave Media in 2003 - Advised Regions Financial Corporation alongside Sullivan & CromwellSullivan & CromwellSullivan & Cromwell LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York. The firm has approximately 800 lawyers in 12 offices, located in financial centers in the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe. Sullivan & Cromwell was founded by Algernon Sydney Sullivan and William Nelson...
in its purchase of Union Planters Corporation in 2004, a transaction valued at $5.8 billion. - Issuer's counsel with Simpson Thacher & BartlettSimpson Thacher & BartlettSimpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a law firm headquartered in New York City which employs over 800 attorneys in ten offices worldwide. The firm is highly regarded for its litigation and corporate practices, with special attention focused on its mergers and acquisitions specialty...
for AssuranceAssuranceAssurance may refer to:* Assurance services, offered by accountancy firms to improve the quality of information* Assurance , a Protestant Christian doctrine...
Insurance in its $2.024 billion IPO in 2004. - Represented Koch Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Koch Industries, alongside Latham & WatkinsLatham & WatkinsLatham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but its largest office is now...
in its $21 billion purchase of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation in 2005, a transaction valued at $21 billion. - Advised longstanding client IndyMac, its executives and directors the FBI investigation into the California bank's collapse in 2008. Alston also advised the bank on the transfer of its assets to government control under the auspices of the Federal Deposit Insurance CorporationFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at...
. - Representing Toyota in the economic loss class actionClass actionIn law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
s arising from the 2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recallsThree separate but related recalls of automobiles by Toyota Motor Corporation occurred at the end of 2009 and start of 2010. Toyota initiated the recalls, the first two with the assistance of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , after reports that several vehicles experienced...
.