Graham & James
Encyclopedia
Graham & James LLP was founded as a maritime law firm
in 1934, but in the succeeding decades the San Francisco firm expanded beyond its nautical heritage to specialize in more than 30 practice areas. It grew to become a leading full-service international law firm offering all principal corporate
, financial, litigation and intellectual property
practice capabilities. With European operations in Milan
, London
, Brussels
, Bucharest
and Düsseldorf
, and major U.S. offices in New York City
, Los Angeles
, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
At its height, Graham & James and its affiliates comprised over 1,200 attorney
s in 30 offices worldwide.
With the bulk of its practice focused on the Pacific Rim
, Graham & James was severely affected by the Asian economic crisis of the 1990s. It ultimately merged out of existence when, in July 2000, it effected two strategic transactions to save itself from collapse. Reflecting internal divisions among its partners and affiliates, one half of the firm merged with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
while the other half merged with Greenberg Traurig
.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
in 1934, but in the succeeding decades the San Francisco firm expanded beyond its nautical heritage to specialize in more than 30 practice areas. It grew to become a leading full-service international law firm offering all principal corporate
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
, financial, litigation and intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
practice capabilities. With European operations in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, and major U.S. offices in New York City
New 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...
, 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...
, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
At its height, Graham & James and its affiliates comprised over 1,200 attorney
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
s in 30 offices worldwide.
With the bulk of its practice focused on the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
, Graham & James was severely affected by the Asian economic crisis of the 1990s. It ultimately merged out of existence when, in July 2000, it effected two strategic transactions to save itself from collapse. Reflecting internal divisions among its partners and affiliates, one half of the firm merged with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey is an international legal practice with 36 offices in 17 countries. Squire, Sanders & Dempsey International Association does not itself provide, directly or indirectly, any legal or other client services...
while the other half merged with Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig LLP and Greenberg Traurig PA is an international law firm based in Miami, Florida.The firm has approximately 1,800 attorneys and governmental professionals in 32 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Its founding office is in Miami, Florida with its largest office in...
.