21 lawyers leave US firm Connolly Bove to launch new law firm
The entire team of 21 corporate litigation lawyers has left US law firm Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz to launch a new law firm, leaving Connolly Bove with only an intellectual property practice. The new firm is called Connolly & Gallagher, according to Delaware Online, with former Connerlly Bove managing partner Arthur “Chip” Connolly III becoming a name partner.
The split follows a stream of departures, which Delaware Law Weekly has attributed to the departures of key partners, underperforming satellite offices; a reduction in patent litigation from one of the firm's biggest clients, Pfizer Inc., after the drug maker's Lipitor patent expired; debt incurred during a 2003 move to the Nemours Building; and a possible reduced workload for renowned IP partner Rudolf Hutz, who turned 74 in February.
Connolly Bove’s new managing partner Jeff Bove says the split is amicable. “Our internationally renowned [intellectual property] practice simply requires a different platform than these Delaware-based practices. It just made sense to separate these business units so each could flourish and pursue the strategies that work best for the different client bases,” he said in a statement issued to Delaware Online.