Rapid western expansion continues with addition of corporate powerhouse McConnell & former Fennemore Craig Chairman Savage
PHILADELPHIA/PHOENIX, 2006 – LAWFUEL – Press Release Service – Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP has announced the opening of its Phoenix office with two former Fennemore Craig partners, Karen McConnell, regarded as one of Phoenix’s leading corporate lawyers, and Stephen Savage, the long-standing former Chair of Fennemore Craig. Steve will serve as the managing partner of Ballard’s Phoenix office. The opening of the firm’s Phoenix office follows the announcement only two weeks ago of the addition of its new office in Las Vegas.
Ballard’s new presence in Phoenix is timely: Arizona ranks first among U.S. states in terms of economic momentum. This year, the U.S. Bureau of the Census reported that Phoenix experienced the largest population increase of any U.S. city between 2004 and 2005. This growth should help Ballard in its plan to rapidly expand its new office.
Ballard Chair Arthur Makadon commented, “Entering the Phoenix market, particularly with lawyers of the highest caliber like Karen and Steve, underscores our objective to grow strategically and smartly in the western states, and to continue to build a presence in the West that matches our presence in the Mid-Atlantic states. Karen and Steve are great lawyers and great people and will be a tremendous nucleus for our Phoenix office. We intend to build our office in Phoenix quickly and will begin speaking with additional lawyers immediately. We have every reason to be excited about our prospects in Phoenix and look forward to a long and very successful future there.”
“I have learned a lot about Ballard and am impressed with the professionalism and values of its lawyers and the culture of the firm,” noted Steve Savage. “Ballard has significant professional resources that will be welcomed by clients. I look forward to helping build a major presence for the firm in the West.”
Karen McConnell agreed, saying, “I am so happy to be associated with a law firm as dynamic and sophisticated as Ballard Spahr. The firm is composed of first-rate lawyers who are also first-rate people, with a culture that I support and respect. I look forward, as part of Ballard Spahr, to offering my clients a significant new breadth and depth of services to meet their legal needs.”
Karen is widely recognized as one of the leading corporate and securities lawyers in the Phoenix market. She has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and over the last decade has represented buyers and sellers in more than 300 asset and stock-based transactions. She also represents issuers in public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities, including venture capital and private equity financing, and provides a variety of corporate and securities services for several Arizona-based public companies. A former member of Fennemore’s management committee, Karen received her B.B.A. summa cum laude from Ohio University (1981) and J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame (1984). Steve Savage’s practice focuses on business planning and corporate, commercial and real estate transactions. He has significant experience in advising business clients on acquisitions and divestitures. His real estate experience includes providing counsel to business clients on real estate acquisition, development, leasing and sale. Steve holds a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania (1968) and J.D. from Harvard Law School (1973).
With its move into Arizona, Ballard now has nine U.S. offices, including four offices in the western United States ¯ Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Ballard’s national Business & Finance Department Chairman Brian Doerner notes that expansion into the Phoenix market bodes well for Ballard and its Business & Finance practice. “Ballard’s concerted efforts to expand into the Phoenix market have paid off immeasurably,” Doerner said. “Karen and Steve are two of the leading corporate lawyers in Phoenix and we are delighted to have them join us. They will add more depth to our growing Business & Finance practice in the West. They bring a wealth of experience and terrific clients to us, which will help enhance and create opportunities for continued growth for the firm.”
Strategic Planning Partner Mark Stewart, who oversaw the Phoenix transaction, underscored the importance of the firm-wide support for this transaction, saying, “Phoenix has been a critical target for us for years and, thanks to the commitment of numerous Ballard lawyers and staff, and broad support from many others, we were able to enter the market in the right way with the right people. Steve and Karen are respected by their peers, trusted by excellent clients, and unequaled in character and reputation. To be able to say this about them, as we did just a short while ago about our new partners in Las Vegas, is both exciting and gratifying.”
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP is a national law firm with over 480 lawyers in nine offices in the mid-Atlantic corridor and the western United States. Our clients include Fortune 500 corporations, public entities, financial institutions, managed care organizations, defense contractors, utilities, and numerous other businesses. We also represent corporate directors, officers, and management, as well as individuals including doctors, lawyers, public officials, accountants and other professionals. Ballard Spahr combines a broad scope of practice with strong local market knowledge to represent companies, individuals, and other entities. For more information on the firm, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.
