Husch Blackwell pens merger deal with Wisconsin firm

Husch Blackwell LLP plans to combine with Milwaukee, Wis.-based Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC.

In the deal effective July 1, Husch Blackwell would emerge as the combined firm's name. The company, which operates its Springfield office in Hammons Tower, has headquarters in St. Louis and Kansas City.

The combined firm would have 700 attorneys and offices in 19 cities and revenue of roughly $346 million - based on 2015 levels. WHD operates offices in Milwaukee, Madison and Waukesha County, Wis., as well as in Chicago, according to a news release.

Combined, the firm would have 1,504 employees, comprising 717 attorneys and 787 staff members, including paralegals.

With 18 local attorneys, Husch Blackwell ranked No. 2 on Springfield Business Journal's list of the area's largest law firms. Led by Managing Partner Bryan Wade, the Springfield office has 34 total staff, including nine partners.

Wade said at least two local clients have assets in Wisconsin, and the merger would help Husch Blackwell better serve them.

“We hope that it will be helpful to them in terms of giving them another person to help with that work,” Wade said this morning, noting the local  office would reciprocate in situations where a Wisconsin company has Springfield-area needs.

The Springfield office would not undergo staffing changes with the merger, Wade said.

With the addition of WHE, Husch Blackwell would add increased experience in the technology, manufacturing, real estate and financial services sectors.

“It is essential that our growth is rooted in delivering greater value to our clients, which we firmly believe is achieved through an industry-focused approach, as well as strategic and innovative initiatives to deliver the most efficient, effective service to our clients," Husch Blackwell CEO Greg Smith said in the release. "This combination meets all of these objectives.”