Ten former Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps attorneys based in Southern California who have been with McKenna Long & Aldrdge since those two firms merged roughly two years ago are moving en masse.
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton said Monday it has added two McKenna Long real estate attorneys—NANCY SCULL and DAVID HYMER—as partners in its San Diego office, while also bringing aboard an eight-partner team of McKenna Long insurance litigation partners. That group, which will bolster Sheppard Mullin’s insurance and business trial practices, includes PETER KLEE, RONALD GETCHEY, CHARLES DANAHER, JOHN BROOKS, NATHAN ARRINGTON, R. RANDAL CRISPEN, MARC FELDMAN and THEONA ZHORDANIA. (Seven of the eight are based in San Diego, while Zhordania will join Sheppard Mullin’s Los Angeles office.)
Scull and Hymer join a Sheppard Mullin real estate, land use and environmental practice that already includes partner Tony Toranto, a fellow McKenna Long and Luce Forward alum who moved over two years ago and splits his time between the Del Mar and San Francisco offices. Scull and Hymer handle a variety of real estate transactions and also advise clients on various stages of project development.
The insurance litigation group is led by Klee, who defends insurance companies in both individual and class actions concerning such issues as bad faith, fraud and unfair competition claims.
A McKenna Long spokeswoman acknowledged the departures in firm statement sent to The Am Law Daily: “These lawyers made important contributions to the growth of the legacy Luce Forward firm and we wish them well in this next phase of their practices. [McKenna Long] is a robust national firm. The departures reflect a small percent shift in the number of McKenna’s attorneys in our San Diego region. We continue to have strong marketplace history and diverse strengths in litigation, government contracts, government affairs, real estate, private client services and corporate law. We are highly committed to the San Diego market. We continue to grow our California presence and build our position in many client sectors.”
