For Pennsylvania’s small and midsize law firm market, 2016 was a year of geographic expansion.
Mostly through lateral hires, Pennsylvania firms expanded their reach in a variety of cities. In some cases they spread across borders, opening offices in nearby states and cities, while in others, firms opened new doors across the country. It started with Berger & Montague, which announced in January that it was opening an office in Minneapolis. Firm president H. Laddie Montague Jr. acknowledged that the hire and office opening was a “lawyer-oriented” decision for the firm, rather than a geographic one. The firm brought on consumer class action attorney E. Michelle Drake from Nichols Kaster in January, along with two of Drake’s associates.
