Two years after its merger with Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton, Quarles & Brady’s bottom line has grown significantly since it expanded into the state of California.

Milwaukee-based Quarles didn’t have an outpost in California prior to merging with San Diego headquartered Paul Plevin, but it did have a Southwestern presence in Arizona. The firm is now operating with about 550 attorneys across 13 offices and 11 practice areas, managing partner and executive committee chair Michael Aldana told The Recorder.

The merger executed in December 2022 nearly doubled the size of Quarles’ labor and employment group, which swelled from about 40 lawyers to over 80, Aldana said. Labor and employment is one of several practice areas that continue to be busy for the firm in California, he noted.