204:, but after four months, merger talks broke off on January 29, 2003. Overwhelmed by partner defections, bank debt, and loads of empty office space, Brobeck announced that it was disbanding two days later. The firm became subject to Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings through a petition filed by some of its creditors in September 2003.
152:. In 1980, the firm established an office in Palo Alto to serve expanding technology companies in Santa Clara County. By the mid-1990s, Brobeck had become one of the two largest firms representing technology startups in Silicon Valley, with marquee clients such as Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Nokia and Nike.
174:
Brobeck's revenue jumped from $ 214 million in 1998 to $ 314 million in 2000. By the summer of 2000, the firm counted eight offices nationwide and 754 attorneys, up 40 percent from the year before. Brobeck's profits-per-partner soared to more than $ 1 million a year. Just three years later, it had
187:
burst in 2001 onward, the firm's strategy of betting on technology clients to compensate the firm's lawyers imploded as the lawyers' equity shares became worthless, work dried up and partners with traditional clients or
192:
darted to other firms. Chairman Tower Snow was ousted in 2002, and decamped with some 50 Brobeck attorneys to begin the West Coast offices of London-based giant
Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells, now called
474:
417: (US Bankruptcy Court N.D. Cal. San Francisco Division July 18, 2006) ("DECLARATION OF RONALD F. GREENSPAN IN SUPPORT OF MOTION REGARDING ABANDONMENT OF DIGITAL RECORDS"), archived from
853:
547:
858:
467:
24:
767:
299:"Top S.F. dot-com law firm to close: Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison grew with tech boom, Todd Wallack and Harriet Chiang, San Francisco Chronicle, January 31, 2003"
833:
460:
848:
868:
863:
792:
843:
838:
377:
602:
414:
144:(then called Morrison, Dunne & Brobeck). Between the two World Wars, the firm cultivated an A-list of bluechip San Francisco clients, including
828:
807:
802:
737:
117:
752:
542:
349:
662:
80:
757:
747:
787:
175:
reached 1,100 lawyers and support staff in 14 cities, and offered a starting first-year associate salary of $ 135,000 per year.
797:
632:
323:
298:
159:
from emerging companies in lieu of traditional law firm compensation. The firm re-oriented itself to service many emerging
667:
637:
552:
85:
642:
431:
129:
23:
208:
201:
168:
109:
34:
712:
164:
125:
762:
577:
260:
497:
672:
582:
384:
189:
141:
418:
148:, and managing partner Herman Phleger served as an advisor to Bernard Baruch during the creation of the
587:
777:
742:
627:
612:
522:
502:
727:
697:
592:
532:
782:
772:
732:
702:
652:
607:
537:
507:
717:
657:
527:
567:
562:
215:
194:
160:
707:
622:
452:
218:
firms for undisclosed reasons, and reached sizable settlements from both firms in 2004.
597:
184:
149:
121:
155:
In the 1990s, as the technology boom began to roar, Brobeck attorneys began accepting
822:
617:
557:
517:
140:
Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison was formed in 1926 when three lawyers split from
214:
Brobeck's bankruptcy trustee later filed suit against both the Morgan Lewis and
145:
113:
722:
647:
677:
105:
235:
200:
Brobeck engaged in talks to merge with the
Philadelphia-based law firm
167:(IPOs) and then engaging in extensive merger and market consolidation (
572:
372:
370:
283:
156:
211:
inducted nearly 60 of
Brobeck's attorneys into its partnership.
456:
548:
Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey
279:
277:
120:, after it had lost a substantial amount of money in the
854:
Companies that filed for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2003
350:"West Coast Law Firm Closing After Dot-Com Collapse"
686:
488:
91:
79:
71:
63:
52:
41:
30:
859:Companies that have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
410:In re BROBECK, PHLEGER & HARRISON, LLP, Debtor
768:Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman
468:
8:
293:
291:
16:
793:Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Sheinfeld
317:
315:
475:
461:
453:
22:
15:
603:Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon
808:Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts
227:
112:, United States. In 2003, the firm was
834:Defunct law firms of the United States
803:Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green
738:Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood
483:Defunct law firms of the United States
849:Defunct companies based in California
753:Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps
543:Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine
348:Glater, Jonathan (January 31, 2003).
118:Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
7:
869:2003 disestablishments in California
415: Chapter 7 Case No. 03-32715-DM7
378:"Morgan Lewis newsletter, Feb. 2003"
261:"Top S.F. dot-com law firm to close"
102:Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP
758:Parker Chapin Flattau & Klimpl
748:LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae
322:Gross, Daniel (January 31, 2003).
14:
864:1926 establishments in California
788:Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
633:Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
844:Law firms disestablished in 2003
839:Law firms based in San Francisco
663:Waesche, Sheinbaum & O'Regan
798:Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman
513:Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison
17:Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison
668:Washington, Perito & Dubuc
638:Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault
553:Halleck, Peachy & Billings
53:
42:
1:
829:Law firms established in 1926
86:Limited liability partnership
643:Thacher Proffitt & Wood
130:Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
885:
209:Morgan Lewis & Bockius
202:Morgan Lewis & Bockius
169:mergers & acquisitions
163:who were going public via
763:Preston Gates & Ellis
578:Isham Lincoln & Beale
324:"The Dot-Firm's Dot-Bomb"
110:San Francisco, California
35:San Francisco, California
21:
713:Community Rights Council
498:Alexander & Catalano
363:– via NYTimes.com.
165:initial public offerings
673:Webster & Sheffield
583:Jenkens & Gilchrist
284:Brobeck article archive
207:After its dissolution,
142:Morrison & Foerster
56: of employees
45: of attorneys
588:Keck, Mahin & Cate
337:– via slate.com.
179:Demise and dissolution
421: on Aug 20, 2008.
778:Rosenman & Colin
743:Hopkins & Sutter
613:Pennie & Edmonds
523:Cellino & Barnes
503:Altheimer & Gray
390:on February 26, 2007
132:had fallen through.
64:Major practice areas
728:Faegre & Benson
698:Baker & Daniels
628:Steven J. Baum P.C.
593:Lord Day & Lord
533:Dewey & LeBoeuf
18:
783:Shea & Gardner
773:Rogers & Wells
733:Graham & James
608:Myerson & Kuhn
508:Arter & Hadden
354:The New York Times
816:
815:
703:Bingham McCutchen
653:Tillinghast Licht
538:Dickstein Shapiro
190:portable business
99:
98:
95:2003 (bankruptcy)
81:Company type
72:Date founded
876:
718:Dewey Ballantine
708:Brown & Wood
658:Trevor Law Group
623:Shea & Gould
528:Coudert Brothers
477:
470:
463:
454:
447:
446:
444:
442:
428:
422:
412:
406:
400:
399:
397:
395:
389:
383:. Archived from
382:
374:
365:
364:
362:
360:
345:
339:
338:
336:
334:
319:
310:
309:
307:
305:
295:
286:
281:
272:
271:
269:
267:
257:
251:
250:
248:
246:
232:
67:General practice
55:
44:
26:
19:
884:
883:
879:
878:
877:
875:
874:
873:
819:
818:
817:
812:
690:
688:
682:
598:Lyon & Lyon
568:Howe and Hummel
563:Hill and Barlow
490:
484:
481:
451:
450:
440:
438:
430:
429:
425:
408:
407:
403:
393:
391:
387:
380:
376:
375:
368:
358:
356:
347:
346:
342:
332:
330:
321:
320:
313:
303:
301:
297:
296:
289:
282:
275:
265:
263:
259:
258:
254:
244:
242:
234:
233:
229:
224:
216:Clifford Chance
195:Clifford Chance
181:
138:
48:520 (Jan. 2003)
12:
11:
5:
882:
880:
872:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
821:
820:
814:
813:
811:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
694:
692:
691:to other firms
684:
683:
681:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
494:
492:
486:
485:
482:
480:
479:
472:
465:
457:
449:
448:
423:
401:
366:
340:
311:
287:
273:
252:
226:
225:
223:
220:
185:dot-com bubble
180:
177:
161:tech companies
150:United Nations
137:
134:
122:dot-com bubble
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
83:
77:
76:
73:
69:
68:
65:
61:
60:
57:
50:
49:
46:
39:
38:
32:
28:
27:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
881:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
826:
824:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
695:
693:
685:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
618:Rider Bennett
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
558:Heller Ehrman
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
495:
493:
489:Dissolved or
487:
478:
473:
471:
466:
464:
459:
458:
455:
437:
433:
427:
424:
420:
416:
411:
405:
402:
386:
379:
373:
371:
367:
355:
351:
344:
341:
329:
325:
318:
316:
312:
300:
294:
292:
288:
285:
280:
278:
274:
262:
256:
253:
241:
237:
231:
228:
221:
219:
217:
212:
210:
205:
203:
198:
196:
191:
186:
178:
176:
172:
170:
166:
162:
158:
153:
151:
147:
143:
135:
133:
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
94:
90:
87:
84:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
51:
47:
40:
36:
33:
29:
25:
20:
518:Burleson LLP
512:
439:. Retrieved
435:
426:
419:the original
409:
404:
392:. Retrieved
385:the original
357:. Retrieved
353:
343:
331:. Retrieved
327:
302:. Retrieved
264:. Retrieved
255:
243:. Retrieved
239:
230:
213:
206:
199:
182:
173:
154:
139:
104:was a large
101:
100:
59:1,100 (2003)
31:Headquarters
689:or absorbed
687:Merged with
146:Wells Fargo
128:talks with
823:Categories
723:Dow Lohnes
648:Thelen LLP
222:References
114:liquidated
678:WolfBlock
432:"Law.com"
236:"Law.com"
183:When the
108:based in
92:Dissolved
491:wound-up
441:July 29,
394:July 29,
359:July 29,
333:July 29,
304:July 29,
266:July 29,
245:July 29,
106:law firm
436:Law.com
240:Law.com
136:History
573:Howrey
413:,
157:equity
126:merger
116:under
388:(PDF)
381:(PDF)
328:Slate
443:2024
396:2024
361:2024
335:2024
306:2024
268:2024
247:2024
124:and
75:1926
37:, US
171:).
54:No.
43:No.
825::
434:.
369:^
352:.
326:.
314:^
290:^
276:^
238:.
197:.
476:e
469:t
462:v
445:.
398:.
308:.
270:.
249:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
