by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Akerman Senterfitt’s shareholders this week are expected to approve the firm’s second merger this year, creating the second-largest law firm in Florida.
The joint announcement was made by J. Thomas Cardwell, chairman of Akerman Senterfitt, and Allan J. Katz, managing partner of Katz, Kutter, Alderman & Bryant P.A.
Muller Mintz, one of the leading labor and employment law firms in Florida, merged with Akerman Senterfitt in January.
“Katz, Kutter is real strong in government relations, which is a particularly good fit with regard to us,” said David Otero, a shareholder with Akerman Senterfitt’s Jacksonville office.
Katz, Kutter is principally located in Tallahassee with 28 lawyers in that office. There are also nine attorneys in Orlando, three in Miami and four in Washington, D.C.
The firm concentrates on governmental relations, real estate, lobbying, litigation, appellate, environment, corporate, and insurance law and regulation.
“This represents a big expansion of our Tallahassee office,” Otero said. “Twenty-eight lawyers is a lot. This will give us more than 40 lawyers in Tallahassee.”
Akerman Senterfitt’s board has already approved the merger. The shareholders are voting this week in what is customarily a “pro forma” process at this stage of the negotiations, said Otero.
“With this merger, we will significantly increase the size and depth of our presence in Tallahassee, and we will also acquire a presence in Washington, D.C.,” Cardwell said. “The merger will bolster our governmental relations practice as well as add talented lawyers in other areas, such as insurance law, ERISA litigation, mediation and appellate practice.”
Katz was equally enthusiastic about the mutual benefits of the expanded company.
“This merger gives Akerman Senterfitt greater depth, especially in the important practice areas of federal, state and local governmental relations and regulations,” he said. “The new firm that will emerge from this will have enhanced services to offer its clients and be among the top firms in the state.”
The government relations aspect of Katz, Kutter “is an area that will complement our practice well because we represent a lot of major companies, public and private,” Otero said. “The merger makes those two particular areas that much stronger.”
The acquisition of an office in Washington will be Akerman Senterfitt’s first venture outside the state. The firm has offices in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Tallahassee.
Katz Kutter does have experience in several subspecialties that would be new to Akerman Senterfitt, such as Indian affairs and federal aspects of airports and seaports.
Indian affairs relates to the sovereignty of those lands. It can involve the right to have casinos on those lands or to manufacture cigarettes.
Akerman Senterfitt already has 415 attorneys in the state. The headquarters is in Orlando; the largest office is in Miami.
Assuming the shareholders approve the merger, the “full-service business firm” will be Florida’s second largest, behind Holland & Knight, Otero said.
Akerman Senterfitt was founded in 1920. The firm represents many of the largest public companies in the state, as well as private companies, governmental entities, educational establishments and high net-worth individuals.
Muller Mintz had been one of the leading labor and employment law firms in Florida. With offices in Miami and Orlando, Muller Mintz has concentrated solely on serving public and private sector employers in labor and employment law since 1968.
The Florida Bar has certified 12 of the Muller Mintz attorneys in labor and employment. With the merger, Akerman Senterfitt has 50 labor and employment attorneys in the practice.
“The Muller Mintz firm is very strong in labor; we’re strong in labor,” Otero said. “We thought it was a natural union that would make us stronger statewide in labor.”
The merged labor and employment group will continue to represent management in a variety of matters, including contract negotiations, arbitration, union election campaigns, unfair labor practice proceedings, employment discrimination charges, employment litigation, and occupational safety and health charges.
The firm will also advise clients on employee compensation, benefits, and wage and hour concerns.
Akerman Senterfitt’s Jacksonville office has been in existence since November 1999. That’s when it merged with Otero’s former firm, Milam, Otero, Dawson, Larsen & Traylor, a full-service business law firm.
“We had the same clientele — litigation, corporate, real estate, tax, labor, bankruptcy,” Otero said. “We just didn’t have the depth.”
There were about 18 attorneys in the pre-merger firm; now they’re in the mid- to upper 30s.
The Jacksonville office has hired five more attorneys since the beginning of the year, “so we’re in an expansion mode,” Otero said. “We’re continually putting feelers out for potential expansion possibilities.”