A look into the legal field of Portland, Oregon
Known for its eclectic arts scene, sustainability initiatives, and stunning scenic views, Portland, Oregon is a unique market for legal services in the United States. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Mount Hood, Portland is a city that embraces both innovation and tradition, making it an ideal setting for a variety of industries to thrive. One such industry that has not only survived but thrived in recent years has been the legal sector. With its diverse population and strong economy, Portland has become a hub for some of the largest law firms in the Pacific Northwest.
The city’s legal landscape is as diverse as its residents, with law firms ranging from small boutique practices to the large, full-service firms that dominate the industry. Long-standing firms such as Stoel Rives Jones (an amalgamation of Stoel Rives and Bausher Thomas, both founded in the late 19th century), and Schwabe will be joined by mergers with Seattle-based firms, such as Ater Wynne, which just announced their merger with Schwabe. This active and competitive market is fueled by a number of factors, including the strong demand for legal services in the region.
Portland is home to a number of major corporate and manufacturing firms , as well as a growing technology sector. This business-friendly environment provides a steady stream of work for law firms in the area. Additionally, the city has a well-established real estate market, with many firms specializing in land use and environmental law. This is due in part to the state’s unique system of land use planning and preservation, which has created a high demand for attorneys with expertise in the area.
Portland’s legal community is characterized by a spirit of collaboration and innovation. Many firms collaborate with local universities, providing internships and externships for students seeking to gain practical experience in the field. Others participate in pro bono work, helping to provide legal services to those in need throughout the city. The result is a legal market that is constantly adapting to the needs of its clients while maintaining a commitment to community service and ethical practice.
As the city continues to grow and evolve, so too does its legal landscape. This ongoing transformation will undoubtedly lead to new opportunities and challenges for law firms in Portland, as they strive to meet the needs of their clients and the community.
Law Firms in Portland, Oregon
The largest law firms in Portland, Oregon
Here we look deeper into the biggest firms in Portland, Oregon.
K&L Gates
K&L Gates is the largest law firm in Portland and ranks 17th in the country. The firm has 14 offices nationally, with 1,900 attorneys practicing nationwide. The firm ranks 71st in the world, and operates a 200-person office in Shanghai. The firm was formed by the merger of Pittsburgh’s K&L Gates and the Portland-based Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, which had originally been founded in 1883 by Salmon P. Chase and John Charles Sloan, who had managed the law practice of Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase.
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt ranks 182nd in the country by size, with over 200 attorneys in six offices in Oregon, Washington and California. The firm was founded in 1892 in Portland by Jacob Kanzler. It merged with William’s, Williamson Powell & Lovelace in 1929, and in 1989 changed its name to Schoneman, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. In 1996 the firm again changed its name to Schwabe, Williams & Wyatt, and formally admitted a majority of its lawyers as equity partners. The firm has completed 20 merger and acquisition deals worth over $1.25 billion in recent years.
Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf P.C.
Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf P.C. was formed in the late 1980s after two partners from Davis Wright Tremaine left. It grew quickly, merging with local litigation boutique MacTaz Brian Todd & Markowitz in 1997. The firm has completed 49 merger and acquisition deals worth over $3.37 billion and was the 28th largest law firm in the Pacific Northwest in 2014.
Miller Nash Graham & Dunn
Miller Nash Graham & Dunn is the 90th largest law firm in the United States, with a total of 175 attorneys. It was the 43rd largest law firm by size in the Pacific Northwest. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of two of the largest law firms in Portland at the time, Miller Nash and Graham & Dunn. At that time the firm had 157 lawyers and revenues of more than $54 million. The firm has completed 13 merger and acquisition deals worth over $597 million.
Practice Areas of Large Law Firms
Major law firms in Portland generally specialize in a few predominant practice areas. These are typically the most significant across the local economy and provide a steady stream of work for law firms. Top among these areas is corporate law, where large firms will have robust, dedicated groups focused on M&A, corporate finance, and other, more specific transactional matters.
Litigation is another major area of focus as firms employ large, full-fledged commercial litigation departments, which cover a wide range of industries, from consumer products to telecoms. Indeed, areas like government contracts, employment law, and so on are often under the umbrella of Portland’s commercial litigation divisions.
Real estate has long been a staple for law firms in Portland, dating back a century or more. Given its considerable resources, the Portland office of Holland & Knight maintains one of the largest real estate practices in the Pacific Northwest. This is partly due to the many investment properties and management companies centered in the city.
Healthcare is another area of practice to receive attention by law firms in Portland. The Oregon Health and Science University is a top-notch academic research hospital that drives demand for healthcare-focused lawyers. Similarly, law firms assisting healthcare providers in various capacities are a growing component of Portland’s legal market.
How They Affect the Local Community and Economy
Law firms have become a central part of the city’s economy. The largest law firms in Portland, Oregon employ large quantities of people in their offices and provide significant financial resources to the local economy. These businesses have been around for many years and have a significant impact on both the city and surrounding communities.
The largest law firms in Portland employ thousands of lawyers, paralegals, office assistants, and other professionals within their Portland based offices. For example, the AFMLS top 10 law firms in Portland, Oregon employ nearly 1,500 attorneys between them . Additionally, those law firms employ a combined staff of over 2,500 office support, paralegals, cashiers, managers, and IT specialists, resulting in an expansive workforce that does not include administrative and support staff.
These firms also provide financial contributions to the local economy. The typical large Portland law firm offices pay out several million dollars in salaries and benefits, and as we discussed in a previous article, many of the largest law firms are some of the most generous when it comes to donating to the local community.
Choosing a Large Law Firm: What to Look For
For prospective clients considering one of Portland’s largest law firms, choosing the right match can make an enormous difference in the outcome of an individual case. The sheer size and number of locations is often a consideration for clients who are seeking experienced help in multiple aspects of a legal issue. In Portland, this is particularly true for statewide work, as the bulk of the state’s population resides in the people count in and around Portland. For others, it may be the specific expertise of the attorney, their style, or the firm’s hook into a segment of the law. One of the pitfalls of first selecting a larger law firm is to focus on the size of the firm only to discover that you may not be paying for the cost of maintaining that weight. Much of the cost of a large firm lies in meeting overhead, percussion, and marketing costs spread across a much larger base of clients. For the client with a much smaller need, in some instances the cost-to-value of working with a large firm becomes harder to justify when the immediate need becomes known. Driving the cost at every level, however, is the level of expertise and experience that the firm represents. Overhead and costs are incurred regardless of the level of competence of the attorneys it turns out; and for every success, there are a number of failures out there that failed due to a lack of expertise. When choosing among large law firms in Portland, Oregon, clients should consider the following factors: In the end, like so many other decisions in life, finding the right law firm for a client in Portland comes down to a combination of all of these factors working together in a unique mix suited to a client’s or the firm’s particular set of needs.
The Future of Portland Law Firms
The future of large law firms in Portland, Oregon is an intriguing topic. As we know, large firms are seeing declines in revenue per lawyer now for three straight years, and this decline is hampering their growth from merging with other firms. It is predicted that we will continue to see more large and midsize law firm mergers in 2014.
We are already seeing advancements in technology. We are going to see even more use of technology going forward. The introduction of electronic discovery (ediscovery) has changed everything. Since 2007 there has been around a 6,000 increase in lawyers and firms who specialize in ediscovery. Firms and lawyers are going to need to be on board with being open to new technologies to have a competitive advantage.
Legal process outsourcing (LPO) is also going to play a role going forward. LPO is a non-law firm company that provides legal services. LPOs typically work on document review, due diligence, and contract management. This may take away some billable hours from in-house lawyers and from what they might turn over to a law firm . This will lower the in-house legal salaries and may be one of the reasons why we are seeing a trend toward companies having more in-house lawyers.
Predictions in the legal market are always difficult. For one, no one knows how the current economy is going to act. If you live in the United States you know how erratic it has been. We only know about the past and using that for predictions is also difficult. For example, partnering with a corporation or an LPO did not go over well a few years ago but some large firms are doing so now because they think it will increase their bottom line. Not sure if time will yet tell if that was a wise move.
Portland has been seeing fewer mergers among small and medium-sized law firms. We have also been seeing firms open satellite offices, two of which have been to London and Seoul, Korea; two places that many Portland firms have had growing international practices.
Portland does see some very good regional law firms, however they have not merged with other firms as frequently as firms in other cities. The economics of size and scope may change that fact. Could we one day see larger Portland firms in our near future? Like all the above, time will tell.
