LOS ANGELES, August 16, 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Former Los Angeles Mayor and California Secretary of Education Richard J. Riordan has joined the Los Angeles office of Bingham McCutchen LLP, a national law firm, as Of Counsel.
Riordan will focus on providing strategic business and legal advice for current
and future clients for the 850-attorney Bingham McCutchen, which in 2003 merged with
Riordan’s former law firm, Riordan & McKinzie, which was co-founded by Riordan in
1975.
“Since the merger, several good things have happened that make it exciting for
me to return to the practice of law and join Bingham,” said Riordan, noting the 2004
arrival of former California Governor Pete Wilson as Of Counsel to Bingham McCutchen
and as a Principal of Bingham Consulting Group, a subsidiary business of the law firm.
“Bingham McCutchen has a great deal of momentum and is the right place for me to
use my experience to help clients with big-picture strategies. My association with the
firm will also provide me with a good base of operations for other activities, including
educational reform in Los Angeles and California, and my work with current L.A. Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa.”
Bingham McCutchen Chairman Jay S. Zimmerman said that Riordan’s
commitment and service to Los Angeles and beyond will help Bingham expand its reach
nationally. “Dick has an outstanding reputation in the business and legal communities
not only in Los Angeles, but nationally,” said Zimmerman. “His business, political and
legal acumen is a perfect complement to our business model and our national platform.”
Rick Welch, Managing Partner of Bingham’s Los Angeles office, said that
“everyone in the Los Angeles Office is delighted to be working” with Riordan again.
“Nobody makes things happen like Dick Riordan or is better at solving problems for
clients. His creativity, energy and network are a unique resource for the firm. It is great
to have him back,” Welch said.
A well-established and highly respected attorney, private investor, civic leader,
and philanthropist before entering public service, Riordan was elected Mayor of Los
Angeles in 1993 and was reelected by an overwhelming margin four years later, with
more than 60 percent of the voters supporting his efforts to improve public safety, create quality jobs, and reform Los Angeles’ public schools.
Riordan was appointed Secretary for Education on November 3, 2003 −
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first cabinet appointment − in which he advised the
governor on education policy before resigning in June 2005.Riordan’s arrival to the Los Angeles office comes on the heels of corporate partner David Robbins and litigation partner Stephen Alexander joining the office from
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson.
In 2004, former California Governor Pete Wilson joined Bingham McCutchen’s Los Angeles office as Of Counsel and as a Principal of Bingham Consulting Group, a subsidiary business of the law firm.
With more than 850 attorneys in 11 offices worldwide, Bingham McCutchen
serves clients involved in complex financial transactions, a full range of corporate and
technology matters and high-stakes litigation.
