Am Law 200 firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney is merging with intellectual property boutique RatnerPrestia. This decision seems to be a strategic move for Buchanan, which intends to aggressively expand in the coming years. The merger deal will be effective from January 1, 2024, as we cross over into the new year.(Above the Law)
This notable collaboration started as mere discussions in March, however, it quickly evolved with 22 attorneys and two patent agents from RatnerPrestia slated to join Buchanan’s IP department post-merger according to reports(Legal Intelligencer). Moreover, RatnerPrestia’s CEO and President, Jonathan Spadt, will serve as a co-chair of Buchanan’s IP group.
The merger will result in geographic spread for RatnerPrestia’s lawyers across Buchanan’s offices in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. A sizable portion of Ratner’s attorneys will be positioned in King of Prussia as part of Buchanan’s Philadelphia area presence, with potential plans to relocate them to Buchanan’s Philadelphia office in the future. Additionally, four of the remaining Ratner attorneys will work out of Buchanan’s Wilmington office, and the rest at the firm’s Washington location.
Buchanan’s chairman Joseph Dougherty shared the firm’s enthusiastic outlook on the merger. He revealed the firm’s growth vision, highlighting their efficient performance in the recent years and their optimism about future development.
Positive speculation surrounds this impending merger, with anticipation of fruitful integration between Buchanan Ingersoll and RatnerPrestia that would significantly contribute to once’s growth model and the other’s heightened reach.