Baltimore-based Miles & Stockbridge is opening an office in New York with the addition of transactional finance lawyer William Wagner from Venable, as the firm looks to expand its transactional and litigation practices while offering competitive midmarket billing rates in the Big Apple.

The office opening was largely motivated by “growing work with existing clients,” particularly in the transactional space, including private equity, bankruptcy, banking clients in the region, according to CEO and chair Nancy Greene.