Foley & Lardner combines with Texas law firm

Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner LLP has combined with a smaller law firm in Texas, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, the firms announced Friday.

The merger, which a Foley spokeswoman said involved no exchange of cash, creates a firm with about 1,100 lawyers. Foley has nearly 900 lawyers, according to its website. Dallas-based Gardere says on its site that it has 250.

The combined firm’s headquarters will remain in Milwaukee, and Foley CEO Jay Rothman will continue in that position.

The firm will operate as Foley Gardere in Austin, Dallas, Denver and Houston, and as Foley Gardere Arena in Mexico City. The other 19 offices will operate as Foley & Lardner LLP.

The combined firm’s annual revenue of $830 million should place it among American Lawyer’s 50 largest U.S. law firms. Foley ranked 52nd on the 2017 list, with $671 million in 2016 revenue. Gardere was not among the top 100 firms ranked by the magazine.

With the combination, Foley will expand geographically in such areas as corporate, litigation, intellectual property, energy, government solutions, and financial restructuring and reorganization, the firms said.