In a stunning move, two longtime partners at Lewis, Brisbois, Bigaard & Smith last week split off into a brand-new law firm, which — with as many as 140 attorneys potentially on board, all from Lewis Brisbois — they’re calling the largest startup law firm in U.S. history.
Barber Ranen LLP was formed last week as the brainchild of John Barber and Jeff Ranen, who co-founded the downtown-based firm with six other former Lewis Brisbois partners. The widespread commitment to follow by other Lewis Brisbois attorneys has resulted in a blockbuster launch with four California offices as well as eight additional markets nationwide.
“Two weeks ago, I gave my ‘Jerry Maguire’ speech, and I didn’t know if a lot of people were going to follow me or if I’d just be with a secretary and a goldfish,” Ranen said. “If I do nothing else with the rest of my career, I will be satisfied with just the people who chose to follow us. I never thought I’d have my name on a firm and I’ve also never been more excited in my entire professional life.”
Lewis Brisbois leadership, in the wake of the mass exodus, also spent much of last week undergoing a significant reorganization, punctuated most prominently by the stepping down of longtime co-chair and co-founder Bob Lewis. Virtually all of the departures come from Lewis Brisbois’ employment law practice group, where all worked under Barber’s and Ranen’s leadership.
Although starting off as a labor and employment firm, the two aim to ultimately create a business partner law firm, a “one-stop shop to get everything taken care of,” Barber said.
Pulling the trigger
Barber, who spent 25-plus years at the downtown-based Lewis Brisbois, and Ranen, who spent 21 years there, had spent months discussing the idea, going back and forth on it until they decided in April it was time to pull the trigger.
“The origin is simple: Jeff Ranen and I have practiced for 20 years together. I hired him directly out of law school,”…
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