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is a law firm specializing in a niche area of law practice. While a general practice law firm includes a variety of unrelated practice areas within a single firm, a boutique firm specializes in one or a select few practice areas. There may be some confusion as legal publications may refer to any
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The pendulum began to swing back away from consolidation toward the formation of smaller boutique firms with the downturn of the economy in late 2008 and early 2009 as recession-proof niche practices began to separate themselves from the struggling behemoths. For example,
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In the 1980s, American mid-size law firms began losing ground due to consolidation in the legal market. They have been the primary means by which larger law firms from regional centers expanded in key new markets such as
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should apply to those firms that focus on particular areas, regardless of size, though they are typically smaller, with exception to a few firms such as
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small- or mid-sized firm as a boutique, though generally firms with fewer than 100 attorneys would count.
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dissolved in 2002, and
Silicon Valley boutique Skjerven Morrill & MacPherson LLP dissolved in 2003.
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Boutique law firms have maintained their competitive edge in a number of fields. Firms like
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137:) merged with boutique litigation shop Richards & O'Neill and Dallas-based
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Jones Day – News/Press – Pennie & Edmonds
Lawyers to Join Jones Day
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Litigation and corporate boutique law firms based in Europe include
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in 2005, Cushman, Darby & Cushman was absorbed by national firm
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as "somewhat recession-proof" boutiques. Other boutiques, such as
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deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
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Gunderson
Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian
190:-based Harris & Moure remain a competitive force in the
133:-based legacy firm Bingham Dana & Gould (now known as
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688:"Morgan & Finnegan to Fold into Locke Lord - Law360"
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acquired 50-lawyer German-focused corporate boutique
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453:"Business and the Law: Smaller Firms are Vanishing"
288:Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
212:Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
93:Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
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16:Firm specializing in a niche area of law practice
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555:"Large Firm Layoffs Lead to Small Firm Startups"
472:"Oldest Law Firm is Courtly, Loyal and Defunct"
254:-based Arnold, White & Durkee merged with
32:The examples and perspective in this article
709:International Network of Boutique Law Firms
601:Taylor, Steven T. (January–February 2009).
609:. American Bar Association. Archived from
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70:Learn how and when to remove this message
704:International Club of Boutique Law Firms
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561:. Law.com. The Recorder. Archived from
512:Vinson & Elkins LLP – Announcements
350:Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman
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250:(then Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro),
206:boutiques still competitive, including
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672:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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553:Pasternak, Petra (February 11, 2009).
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127:Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green
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356:Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
387:Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
149:acquired Cronin & Vris, a small
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525:"Former Wachtell team joins Vinson"
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523:Edmond, Charlotte (Aug 13, 2007).
143:Parker Chapin Flattau & Klimpl
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576:Sloan, Karen (February 9, 2009).
535:from the original on Mar 31, 2023
277:Major boutique firms by specialty
244:Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney
236:Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell
181:Waesche, Sheinbaum & O'Regan
161:–based Hausfeld LLP spun out of
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399:Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt
248:Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
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369:Technology and venture capital
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258:(then Howrey & Simon),
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435:Fish & Richardson P.C
99:with over 400 attorneys.
412:Boutique Investment Bank
315:(White Plains, New York)
176:The National Law Journal
362:Williams & Connolly
271:Oppenhoff & Partner
139:Jenkens & Gilchrist
302:(Alexandria, Virginia)
145:. In 2007, Texas firm
607:Law Practice Magazine
529:Law.com International
294:Fish & Richardson
282:Intellectual property
208:Fish & Richardson
196:intellectual property
97:Fish & Richardson
583:National Law Journal
307:Labor and employment
220:Pennie & Edmonds
52:create a new article
44:improve this article
559:Small Firm Business
344:Irell & Manella
167:Birmingham, Alabama
147:Vinson & Elkins
480:, October 2, 1994.
477:The New York Times
458:The New York Times
381:Fenwick & West
364:(Washington, D.C.)
290:(Washington, D.C.)
183:, have dissolved.
495:Alston + Bird LLP
319:Littler Mendelson
192:international law
135:Bingham McCutchen
123:Alston & Bird
84:boutique law firm
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222:largely joined
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389:(Palo Alto)
377:(Palo Alto)
260:Los Angeles
659:2008-04-19
617:2009-12-07
539:2023-03-31
431:"About Us"
418:References
375:Cooley LLP
332:Litigation
240:Pittsburgh
200:patent law
153:boutique.
151:bankruptcy
724:Law firms
491:"History"
327:(Chicago)
224:Jones Day
141:absorbed
48:talk page
718:Category
668:cite web
533:Archived
406:See also
296:(Boston)
89:Boutique
60:May 2024
42:You may
262:–based
252:Houston
242:-based
230:-based
188:Seattle
121:-based
119:Atlanta
103:History
256:Howrey
228:Boston
131:Boston
653:(PDF)
646:(PDF)
300:Oblon
50:, or
674:link
165:and
95:or
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666:{{
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204:IP
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