ATLANTA (December 16, 2021) – Smith Gambrell Russell (SGR) is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2022, the firm will combine with Rogers & Hardin LLP (R&H), one of Atlanta’s premier law firms. The combination brings together two long-standing Atlanta-based law firms that share a similar reputation for professional excellence and commitment to client service.
As a result of the combination, Rogers & Hardin’s attorneys, with their significant litigation, corporate and securities expertise, along with legal and administrative professionals, will join SGR’s existing office in the firm’s new Atlanta headquarters on West Peachtree in Midtown. The combination will bring SGR’s head count in Atlanta to more than 150 attorneys and other professionals.
“SGR is excited to announce our combination with one of Atlanta’s most highly respected law firms,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s chairman and managing partner. “R&H attorneys, many of whom are recognized leaders in their areas of practice, will add significant talent and bench strength to SGR’s existing practice groups.”
David Thunhorst, a partner with Rogers & Hardin and a member of its executive committee, added, “We are looking forward to working with our new colleagues at SGR who share our approach to the practice of law and our dedication to serving our clients. This combination will give our lawyers enhanced capabilities to serve our clients with the additional resources and broad substantive expertise offered by the combined firm.”
Jack Hardin, a founding partner of R&H said, “We set out in 1976 to create a law firm characterized by its uniform professional excellence with a collegial collaborative culture. We think we have succeeded at this. When it became clear to us that the evolving legal environment and demands of our clients required additional breadth, we looked for a partner that shared our values. We have admired SGR’s strategic growth that it has accomplished without abandoning the collegial collaborative culture so hard to preserve while growing. I am looking forward to being a part of the combined firm.”
SGR has continued its strategic growth within the U.S. and internationally with expansions through firm mergers, lateral hires, and the opening of new offices over the last several years. Most recently in Atlanta, SGR added well-known white collar defense attorneys, Tony Cochran and Tom Bever, and expanded its employee benefits capabilities through the combination with Mazursky Constantine. In the last few years, the firm opened four new offices within the U.S. and Europe with plans to further expand and open additional offices in key markets in the coming year.
As a part of the firm’s Atlanta headquarters relocation in September 2021, SGR announced a modern logo and brand identity, which reflects its legacy as a leading global business services firm.
About Smith Gambrell Russell
SGR is a full service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The firm’s 270 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 45 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, construction, employment law, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, SGR has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, New York, Southampton, and Washington, D.C.