New Jersey-based Bressler, Amery & Ross has two-stepped into Texas with new offices in Houston and Dallas.
The 150-lawyer firm had been eyeing Texas for several years and made its move by acquiring litigation and arbitration firm Ballard & Littlefield, which had established offices in the state’s largest metros.
The Ballard & Littlefield team joining Bressler includes name partners Jack Ballard and Donald Littlefield – who will lead the Houston office and Dallas office, respectively – and Charles Hammaker III, Susan Logsdon, Michael Rodriguez and Mary Jo Cantu.
The group’s specialty in representing national and regional financial firms in securities, employment and regulatory matters aligns with Bressler’s primary client base of financial services and insurance firms. Littlefield has served as local counsel on a number of cases for Bressler in representing financial services clients.
“We have known this talented group of attorneys from Ballard & Littlefield for decades, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Bressler family.” Bressler managing principal Frank Cuccio said in a statement. “The group’s reputation and experience will add to our existing practices and better position us and our efforts in the South and the West. Expanding into Texas marks the beginning of a new chapter.”
Joelle Simms, a principal at Bressler in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is also relocating to her hometown of Dallas to assist in the firm’s expansion efforts in Texas. She focuses her practice on securities matters and helps manage the firm’s senior and vulnerable investor group.
Ballard said the decision to merge into Bressler will provide needed additional resources and a wider range of services for their clients.
Bressler, which now has nine offices in the U.S., has been in growth mode this summer. In June, the firm announced a new outpost in Charlotte, North Carolina.