Alston & Bird

Alston & Bird LLP is an international global law firm with over 800 lawyers in 12 offices throughout the United States, Europe, U.K.,[1] and Asia. The firm provides a full range of legal services to domestic and international clients who conduct business worldwide[2]. Alston & Bird has advised companies including Amazon.com, The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Bank of America, Starbucks, Toyota, Dell, UPS, and Nokia. For the past 19 years, Fortune has ranked the firm in the 100 Best Companies to Work For list.[3] Core practices include intellectual property, complex litigation, corporate and tax, with national industry focuses in energy and sustainability, health care, financial services and public policy.[4] In March 2017, the firm boosted its West Coast presence with the opening of its San Francisco office.[5] In September 2019, the firm's European footprint expanded with the opening of their London office.[1]

Alston & Bird LLP
HeadquartersOne Atlantic Center
Atlanta, Georgia
United States
No. of offices11
No. of attorneysApprox. 800
No. of employees1627
Major practice areascorporate law, litigation, intellectual property, tax law
Key peopleRichard R. Hays (Chairman and Managing Partner)
Revenue$780 million (2017)
Date founded1893 (1893)
Company typeLLP
Websitealston.com

History

Through the roots of the Alston, Miller & Gaines’ predecessor firms, the merger with Jones, Bird and Howell formed Alston & Bird on December 1, 1982.[6] A founding partner of Jones, Bird, and Howell was Bobby Jones, the celebrated amateur golfer and Atlanta icon.[7] Expansion beyond Georgia began with the establishment of an office in Washington, D.C., followed by the 1997 merger with intellectual property–focused Bell Seltzer Park & Gibson (Charlotte and Raleigh), Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green in 2001 (New York), and Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP in 2007 (Dallas).[6]

In August 2008, the firm opened a Silicon Valley office with attorneys from the national firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.[8] The next month, Alston & Bird acquired the 100-lawyer strong Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava and MacCuish LLP, launching in Los Angeles and Ventura County to reach nine offices nationwide.[9] Legal publications report that the Atlanta-based firm is seeking to launch additional overseas offices in London and Germany.[10] Legacy firm Walter Conston operated a Munich liaison office before it was acquired by Alston & Bird.[11]

Today, the firm is headquartered in Midtown Atlanta in One Atlantic Center.[12]

Notable partners

Legendary golfer Bobby Jones, winner of the Grand Slam in 1930 and founder of the Augusta National Golf Club, is a former Alston & Bird partner. The firm continues to represent the Bobby Jones brand and monitors trademark issues for the family.[13] Former managing partner Benjamin F. Johnson III was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle's list of the 100 Most Influential People in Atlanta.[14] Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, has been a Special Counsel at the firm's Washington, D.C., office since 2003.[15] Former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle is a former partner of the firm.[16]

In February 2020, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Deputy Director Brian Johnson left the agency to become a partner at Alston & Bird LLP.[17]

Offices

The firm has offices in Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C., Brussels, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, Beijing, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.[18]

Compensation

In June 2016, Alston & Bird announced that it would raise attorney salaries to match market rates set earlier that month by the New York–based law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.[19] Firm bonuses range from $15,000 to $100,000, depending on year and merit-based reviews.[20] In July 2018, the firm announced that it would again raise attorney salaries as follows:

Year Salary
1st year associate $190,000
2nd year associate $200,000
3rd year associate $220,000
4th year associate $255,000
5th year associate $280,000
6th year associate $305,000
7th year associate $325,000
8th year associate $340,000

Political contributions

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Alston & Bird was one of the top law firms contributing to federal candidates during the 2012 election cycle, donating $1.26 million, 53% to Democrats.[21] By comparison, during that same period Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld donated $2.56 million, 66% to Democrats,[21] while oil conglomerate ExxonMobil donated $2.66 million, 88% to Republicans.[22] Since 1990, Alston & Bird contributed $5.1 million to federal campaigns.[23]

The New York Times reported that a $1 million contribution was made through Alston & Bird to Project Veritas in 2019.[24]

Notable cases
  • Counsel to German media group Bertelsmann AG (a longtime client of legacy firm Walter, Conston) with Clifford Chance and Slaughter & May as UK co-counsel in Bertelsmann's $2.74 billion acquisition of Zomba Music Group in 2002.[25]
  • Represented Cingular Wireless in its purchase of 34 wireless licenses from NextWave Media in 2003.[26]
  • Advised Regions Financial Corporation alongside Sullivan & Cromwell in its purchase of Union Planters Corporation in 2004, a transaction valued at $5.8 billion.[27]
  • Advised longstanding client IndyMac, its executives and directors the FBI investigation into the California bank's collapse in 2008. Alston also advised the bank on the transfer of its assets to government control under the auspices of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.[28]
  • Represented Toyota in the economic loss class actions arising from the 2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls.[29]

Notable alumni
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gollark: But that would require me to find one.
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gollark: Very advanced.
gollark: Analog quantum computers simulating truth cuboid hardware, in real time.

See also
  • Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2019)
  • White shoe firms
  • The Magic Circle
  • List of law firms

References
  1. Hobbs, Meredith. "Alston Launches London Office, Boosting Payments, Finance Practices". Law.com. ALM Media Properties, LLC. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  2. "Alston & Bird LLP | Member firm for USA, Georgia". LexMundi. LexMundi. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. "100 Best Companies to Work For 2018". Fortune. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  4. "Alston & Bird LLP". Great Place to Work. Great Place to Work Institute. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. Wolfe, Eli. "Daily Journal Staff Writer". Esquire Legal Search. Esquire Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  6. "Alston & Bird LLP". U.S. News & World Report. Law Firms: U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  7. "Bobby Jones' Law Partner Reminisces About Golf Great | Law.com". Law.com. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  8. Slater, Dan (31 July 2008). "Akin to Shutter Offices in Taipei, Silicon Valley; Lawyers to Alston & Bird". The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  9. King, Jonatha (1 August 2008). "Weston Benshoof Law Firm Merges With Atlanta Law Firm". Noozhawk. Malamute Ventures LLC. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  10. Matt Byrne (July 17, 2006). "Alston raids Pillsbury for London, German growth". thelawyer.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  11. "Alston & Bird completes NY takeover". thelawyer.com. January 15, 2001. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  12. "Alston & Bird LLP". Chambers and Partners. Chambers & Partners. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  13. "HMX Group To Manufacture And Sell Bobby Jones Golf Equipment Designed By Jesse Ortiz - The Golf Wire". The Golf Wire. 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  14. Anderson, Richard A. (2007-06-25). "100 Most Influential Atlantans: A-J". Atlanta Business Chronicle. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  15. "Former Senator Bob Dole Joins Alston & Bird | News & Insights | Alston & Bird LLP". www.alston.com. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  16. Lee, Christopher (2005-03-14). "Daschle Moving to K Street". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  17. "CFPB's No. 2 to leave agency for law firm". American Banker. 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  18. "Offices | Alston & Bird LLP". www.alston.com. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  19. Castro-Pagan, Carmen (15 August 2016). "After the $180K Salary Bump, What About Benefits in Big Law?". Bloomberg Law. he Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  20. "Alston & Bird". glassdoor. Glassdoor, Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  21. "Lawyers & Lobbyists: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates, Parties, and Outside Groups". OpenSecrets.org. Center for Responsive Politics.
  22. "Energy/Natural Resources: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates, Parties, and Outside Groups". OpenSecrets.org. Center for Responsive Politics. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  23. "Organizations: Alston & Bird". OpenSecrets.org. Center for Responsive Politics.
  24. "Erik Prince Recruits Ex-Spies to Help Infiltrate Liberal Groups". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  25. "Executive Profile". Bloomberg. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  26. "PURCHASE AGREEMENT Between NEXTWAVE TELECOM INC., NEXTWAVE PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS INC., NEXTWAVE PARTNERS INC., NEXTWAVE POWER PARTNERS INC. and CINGULAR WIRELESS LLC". Federal Communications Commission. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  27. "Schedule 14A". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. g86948r4defm14a.txt: SEC. Retrieved 11 July 2018.CS1 maint: location (link)
  28. "IndyMac Bank Announces Agreement to Acquire Financial Freedom Holdings Inc.; The Recognized Industry Leader in the Reverse Mortgage Market". BusinessWire. Business Wire, Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  29. Amanda Bronstad, "Judge Agrees to Expand Plaintiffs Committees in Toyota MDL," The National Law Journal, 17 May 2010.
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