- Managing Partner: Robert W Trafford
- Number of partners: 142
- Number of other lawyers: 90
FIRM OVERVIEW: Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP traces its origins to 1846 in Ohio. Lawyers in six offices located in Ohio, Florida and Washington, DC, combine their knowledge, skills and experience to represent the firm’s worldwide base of clients effectively and efficiently in complex legal issues and business opportunities.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Antitrust & Trade Regulation: Provides analysis, counseling, litigation, and ADR support on complex antitrust issues.
Banking & Finance: Representation for bank formation and regulation, lease/loan financing, project financing, public finance, asset securitization, commercial law, and the Uniform Commercial Code. Represents financial institutions and financial institution regulators. Clients include large regional banks and affiliates, thrift institutions, trust companies, community banks, and credit unions.
Bankruptcy, Workout & Creditors’ Rights: Representation in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings including creditor rights, business workouts, claims, loan restructuring, and adequate protection.
Bioscience: Represents biotech and medical device clients in business formation, contract negotiation and preparation, protection of intellectual property, licensing, and strategic alliance agreements.
Business Growth & Operation: Counsels in business formation, corporate governance and securities, succession planning, and transactions. Counsels entrepreneurial businesses and fast-growing companies; managing all legal issues presented by rapid growth.
Construction: Representation of owners, contractors, architects, engineers, lenders and insurers in a wide range of construction-related issues.
Employee Benefits: Provides counsel in all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation including qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation, and health and welfare benefits.
Environmental Law: Provides counsel on environmental matters involving the Clean Air Act, water pollution and wetlands requirements, EPCRA, Superfund, and environmental assessment and remediation.
Government & Regulatory Affairs: Assists clients with economic development initiatives; election, PAC, and ethics laws; government contracting; and legislative and regulatory advocacy. Representation in contract negotiations, DCAA audits, debarment/ suspension proceedings, and protests/claims.
Green Practice: Representation on various sustainability initiatives, including alternative energy, development, and waste recovery and reuse.
Health Law: Serves physician practice groups, hospitals, long-term care facilities, managed care facilities, and ambulatory surgery center joint ventures in all legal issues presented, including formation, financing, fraud/abuse, Stark, HIPAA, antikickback, and false claims regulations.
Immigration: Manages business immigration concerns including visas, work authorizations, naturalization, and compliance with employment eligibility verification rules.
Information Privacy & Data Security: Advises clients handling sensitive data and information on a broad range of privacy and data security issues, including data breach situations.
Insurance: Provides corporate, regulatory, transactional and litigation services to insurance companies,mutual holding companies, insurance agencies, investment advisers, investment companies, regulators and others.
Intellectual Property & Technology: Obtains trademark, copyright, and patent protection and representation in technology acquisition, licensing,web-based business issues, and e-commerce transactions, including aggressive enforcement and defense.
International Business & Trade: Represents companies engaged in international business including venture formation, agency and distribution relationships, licensing and franchise, customs, import/export controls, trade agreements and disputes, international taxation, cross-border litigation and international arbitration.
Labor & Employment: Represents management clients in employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation, including class actions and ERISA litigation, and with compliance with employment laws and regulations. Also works with union and nonunion clients to plan the labor and employment aspects of business changes and manage labor relations issues.
Litigation: Represents clients in federal and state courts, before regulatory agencies and arbitration panels, and in alternative dispute resolution settings in complex commercial, tort, and regulatory matters.
Mergers & Acquisitions: Represents clients in M&A activities including transaction structuring, tax planning, due diligence, mergers, stock and asset transactions, proxy statements, securities registration, and Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance.
Product Liability: Defends clients in lawsuits involving allegations of personal injuries arising from the use of or exposure to industrial, motor vehicle, medical and consumer products.
Real Estate: Represents clients in commercial real estate matters including acquisition/ development, financing, leasing, title insurance, mortgages, like-kind exchanges, fair housing, architect/contractor agreements, zoning, and land use.
Securities: Advises on private placements, public offerings, venture capital, private equity, joint ventures, licensing, and franchising.Represents clients in SEC investigations, civil enforcement actions, and criminal securities cases.
Tax & Personal Wealth: Offers services ranging from business/entity planning and tax disputes to tax credits with experience in federal, state, local, and international taxation. Assists in estate planning, wealth transfer and charitable giving, adoptions and guardianships, antenuptial agreements, and probate litigation.
Transportation & Logistics: Counsels all major modes of transportation and logistics companies on litigation, and environmental, regulatory, corporate, and employment law.
Energy & Telecommunications: Represents electric, gas, and telecommunications utilities before regulator commissions and courts at both the trial and appellate level.
White-Collar Defense & Corporate Investigations: Represents businesses and individuals whose operations and activities are placed under government scrutiny or are the subject to governmental enforcement actions.