Calvo & Clark shouldn’t exist. If there were laws of physics that applied to law firms, the 20-lawyer firm would be violating several of them. It’s a mash-up of seemingly unrelated practices playing both offense and defense, housed in two far-flung offices, and growing with no apparent master plan. At its headquarters on the tiny Pacific island of Guam, 10 lawyers represent local and international businesses in regional transactions and litigation. It has 10 more lawyers, mostly Big Law expats, in San Francisco — 17 time zones away — where the practice mix now includes plaintiffs-side class actions. Firm founder Eduardo Calvo says the firm could double in size over the next few years as it’s poised to benefit from massive infrastructure investments being made in Guam. The firm talks of opening a New York office, in part to better position itself for opportunities it sees in Latin America.
Somehow, the firm has shown it can bridge vast distances. “We’re close professionally and personally,” Calvo said on a recent visit to his firm’s S.F. office. “The offices work very well together.”
