Kansas City business law firm Spencer Fane is combining with Tulsa, Okla.-based Conner & Winters, which has more than 75 attorneys practicing from offices in Northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, specializing in energy, construction, health care, litigation, finance, and other commercial matters.
Spencer Fane said the combination, which is effective July 1, continues its plan to form a national platform. Chairman Patrick J. Whalen said the combined firm will offer “increasingly sophisticated legal services with compelling economics and a client experience other law firms do not offer.”
Spencer Fane opened a Dallas office in 2016 and more recently merged with firms in New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Santa Fe, N.M., and Washington, D.C. The firm, which now has more than 700 attorneys in 33 offices nationwide, said it provides clients “direct access to firm leadership and a different approach to engaging outside counsel.”
Spencer Fane said it has shifted from “a traditional hierarchical structure in favor of a model emphasizing autonomy, accountability, and collaboration.” This has created a firm infrastructure that supports “rapid integration, efficient delivery of legal services and consistent value across markets.”
“When firms are aligned culturally and structurally, growth becomes a natural byproduct of a strategy that works – for clients, for lawyers, and for the firm’s long-term economics.” Whalen said.
Conner & Winters Managing Partner R. Kevin Redwine said the combination was driven by alignment and opportunity.
“Spencer Fane has built a platform that combines strong economics, operational efficiency, and a genuinely collaborative culture – all while keeping clients at the center of the model,” Redwine said. “That made this combination a compelling next step for our lawyers and our clients.”