McGuireWoods

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
McGuireWoods LLP
MWlogo.jpg
HeadquartersRichmond, Virginia
No. of offices21[1]
No. of attorneys1000+
Major practice areasGeneral practice
Date founded1834; 187 years ago (1834)
FounderEgbert R. Watson
Company typeLimited liability partnership
Websitewww.mcguirewoods.com

McGuireWoods LLP is a law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 21 offices worldwide. The firm's largest offices are in Richmond, VA, Charlotte, NC, and Chicago, IL.

History[]

1800s-1960s[]

McGuireWoods traces its origins to two lawyers, Egbert R. Watson[2] and Murray Mason McGuire.[3] In 1834, Watson opened a law office in Charlottesville, VA.[2][3] In 1870, he formed a partnership with his son-in-law, George Perkins[2] in what would become Perkins, Battle & Minor.

In 1897, McGuire started practicing law in Richmond, VA.[3] He was joined by John Stewart Bryan in 1898 and the two formed McGuire & Bryan.[3] In the 1960s, the firm became McGuire, Woods, King, Davis & Patterson.[3]

1966-2000[]

In 1966, Charlottesville’s Battle, Neal, Harris, Minor & Williams merged with Richmond’s McGuire, Woods, King, Davis & Patterson to create McGuire, Woods & Battle.[3][2] In 1987, the firm merged with Boothe, Prichard & Dudley to create McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe.[2]

In 1991, McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe took over Cable, McDaniel, Bowie & Bond, a Baltimore law firm.[4] After additional mergers, the firm changed its name to McGuireWoods in 2000.[2][5]

In 1998, the firm established its affiliate McGuireWoods Consulting to provide consulting services in government and public relations.[3][2]

2000-Present[]

In 2003, McGuireWoods merged with Chicago firm Ross and Hardies.[6] In 2006, McGuireWoods merged with Chicago-based Gordon & Glickson.[7]

In 2008, the firm merged with Helms Mulliss & Wicker in North Carolina.[8] In 2009, McGuireWoods opened a London office after a merger.[9]

In 2014, McGuireWoods opened its Dallas office.[10] In 2015, the firm entered into an alliance with FuJae Partners, a Shanghai-based law firm[11] and opened a second office in Los Angeles.[12] In 2016, the firm opened an office in San Francisco.[3][13] As of 2019, the firm has 21 offices worldwide.[1]

In December 2017, Richard Cullen stepped down as chairman of McGuireWoods and partner Jonathan Harmon became the firm’s new chairman.[14] In 2019, Richard Davis was hired as the new chief operating officer.[15]

McGuireWoods was named one of the most innovative law firms in North America by Financial Times in 2018 and 2019.[16][17]

In June 2020, the Open Technology Fund (OTF) asked McGuireWoods, which had been advising it pro bono, for help in a conflict with the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and its then-director Michael Pack. McGuireWoods advised it could not help in the case. OTF learned in December 2020 that the reason for the refusal was that McGuireWoods had decided to investigate OTF on behalf of USAGM and Pack instead.[18] The Government Accountability Project, citing records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, claimed McGuireWoods had billed USAGM $1.625 million at an average rate of $320 an hour after receiving a no-bid contract to investigate OTF as well as Voice of America employees.[19]

Notable Cases, Investigations and Transactions[]

  • McGuireWoods represented RMS Titanic, the Atlanta-based company that was granted rights to salvage from the British ocean liner Titanic.[20]
  • In 2015, FIFA president Sepp Blatter hired McGuireWoods attorney Richard Cullen. At the time, several FIFA members had been indicted on corruption charges.[21]
  • In June 2017, Vice President Mike Pence retained Richard Cullen, then-chairman of McGuireWoods, as outside legal counsel[22] related to the special counsel investigation into Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election.[23]
  • In May 2018, Elizabeth Hutson led the McGuireWoods team that represented human trafficking survivor Kendra Ross. Ross was awarded an almost $8 million judgment, the largest civil single-plaintiff human trafficking award in U.S. history, in the suit she brought against the nationwide regimented cult The Value Creators Inc. (formerly known as The United Nation of Islam).[24]
  • McGuireWoods attorneys including Richard Cullen represented Cynthia and Frederick Warmbier when they sued North Korea for having “brutally tortured and murdered” their son, Otto Warmbier.[25][26] In December 2018, a federal court ordered North Korea to pay the Warmbiers over $500 million.[26]
  • In 2018, McGuireWoods attorney Matthew Fitzgerald represented Ryan Collins in the U.S. Supreme Court case Collins v. Virginia.[27][28] The Court voted in favor of Collins, ruling that the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment does not permit a police officer to enter the curtilage of a home without a warrant.[27]
  • The firm advised Dominion Energy in a $13.4 billion transaction, closing its acquisition of U.S. energy and gas utility Scana in January 2019.[29][30]
  • In 2019, McGuireWoods represented West Virginia Governor Jim Justice in litigation and related matters challenging constitutional residency requirements. The case against Gov. Justice alleged he did not physically live in Charleston, the capital of West Virginia.[31]
  • A McGuireWoods team led by George Terwilliger represented former U.S. Representative Aaron Schock.[31]

McGuireWoods Alums[]

Current McGuireWoods Lawyers and/or Consultants with McGuireWoods Consulting (MWC)[]

See also[]

  • List of 100 largest law firms globally

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "McGuireWoods law firm hires new chief operating officer". Richmond Times Dispatch. 2019-10-01.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "McGuireWoods (1834)". The Daily Progress. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "McGuireWoods". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  4. ^ "Major Va. law firm coming to Baltimore McGuire, Woods to merge with Cable, McDaniel as of Nov. 1". Baltimore Sun. October 3, 1991.
  5. ^ "Former U.S. Ambassador to Australia William C. Battle dies". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  6. ^ "McGuireWoods merger part of 'ongoing strategy'". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  7. ^ "Gordon & Glickson Merges With McGuireWoods". 2006-01-19. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  8. ^ "McGuireWoods LLP Gains Dominant Position in N.C. Market As Merger With Helms Mulliss & Wicker Is Completed". 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  9. ^ "McGuireWoods to Wed London-Based Law Firm With 36 Attorneys". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  10. ^ "Why National Law Firms Are Flocking to Texas". D Magazine. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  11. ^ "Seeking China Beachhead, McGuireWoods Inks Shanghai Deal". Law.com. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  12. ^ "McGuireWoods expands in LA with Integer Law deal". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  13. ^ "McGuireWoods opening office in San Francisco". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  14. ^ "Jon Harmon to lead troops as chairman at McGuireWoods as Cullen steps down from role". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  15. ^ "McGuireWoods names new COO". Virginia Business. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  16. ^ "FT North American Innovative Lawyers Awards 2019". Financial Times. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  17. ^ "FT North America Innovative Lawyer Awards 2018". Financial Times. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  18. ^ Folkenflik, David (10 March 2021). "'I Was Speechless': Law Firm Investigated Its Own Ex-Client For Trump VOA Chief". National Public Radio. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Press Release: Whistleblowers Reveal More Alarming Details About Law Firm Contracts Awarded by Voice of America Overseer to Investigate Federal Employees". whistleblower.org. Government Accountability Project. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  20. ^ "RMS Titanic Lawyers: No Basis for Suit". Daily Press. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  21. ^ "FIFA president Sepp Blatter lawyers up, hires high-powered attorney Richard Cullen". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  22. ^ "VP Mike Pence retains Richard Cullen of McGuireWoods in Russia probe". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  23. ^ "Vice President Pence hires outside counsel to deal with Russia inquiries". CNBC. 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  24. ^ "The cult next door: Debunking five misconceptions about human trafficking". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  25. ^ "Parents of Otto Warmbier sue North Korean government over his imprisonment, death". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. judge orders North Korea to pay more than $500 million in death of student Otto Warmbier". ChicagoTribune. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b "Collins v. Virginia" (PDF). Supreme Court. 2018-05-29.
  28. ^ "Warrant required: Supreme Court ruling in Albemarle case bolsters Fourth Amendment". C-VILLE Weekly. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  29. ^ "Dominion, SCANA close merger". S&P Global. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  30. ^ "Partner Profits Spike at McGuireWoods as Equity Partnership Grows". Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b "WV gov. hires former US acting AG for residency lawsuit". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  32. ^ "Ex-Gov. Allen now `rainmaker' for Va. law firm". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  33. ^ "Lawyer Who Made Case for Clinton Indictment Confirmed as Judge". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  34. ^ "Carlos Muniz Confirmed as Education Department General Counsel". Executive Gov. 2018-04-19. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  35. ^ "Commending the Honorable Lewis F. Payne". Richmond Sunlight. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  36. ^ Bryan, Scott J. (June 5, 2019). "Jack Is Back - Former Quincy manager, attorney is back in charge". The Gadsden County Times.
  37. ^ "Richard L. Williams, veteran federal judge, dies at age 87". Times Dispatch. 2013-02-04. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  38. ^ "New leadership coming to McGuireWoods Consulting". TheHill. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  39. ^ "Former U.S. Ambassador to Australia William C. Battle dies". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  40. ^ Bernstein, Adam (2011-02-09). "Leroy R. Hassell Sr., Virginia's first black chief justice, dies at 55". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
  41. ^ "Richard Cullen to step down as McGuireWoods chairman but continue law practice". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  42. ^ "John Adams, the political opposite of Attorney General Mark Herring, wants his job". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  43. ^ "WV gov. hires former US acting AG for residency lawsuit". Charleston Gazette. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  44. ^ Russell-Kraft, Stephanie. "McGuireWoods Nabs White Collar Litigator From Perkins Coie". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  45. ^ "The 50 Most Influential People In Columbia". Columbia Business Monthly. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  46. ^ "Handshake's latest update lets James Madison University students search for jobs and internships".
  47. ^ "McGuireWoods".
  48. ^ "VAS Selects McGuire Woods Consulting for Lobbying Representation". VAS. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  49. ^ "Former House speaker joins McGuireWoods Consulting". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-06-16.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""