Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell

Type:	Partnership
Industry:	Legal
Founded:	1891
Founder(s):	Maurice Locke
Headquarters:	11 South Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 UNITED STATES
Country:	USA
Employees:	650 lawyers
Website:	www.lockelord.com
LinkedIn:	LLB&L
Key People
Jerry K. Clements, Chair of Firm

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP is a full-service, international law firm with about 650 lawyers with expertise in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Timeline

The firm's history can be traced back to 1891 when Maurice Locke, a former mathematics professor at Valparaiso University began practicing law and founded the law firm.

• 1914- Donald R. Richberg, Harold Locke and John Lord formed one of the first groups of lawyers that would become the basis of the firm's Chicago office.
• 1916- William Huggins and Paul Kayser partnered to form Huggins and Kayser, which became the Houston Office. The firm's first client was Jesse Jones, owner of the Houston Chronicle.
• 1920- Frank Liddell became partner of the Houston firm and became known as an outstanding lawyer.
• 1924- John Lord drafted an organizational chart and envisioned five areas of concentration: corporations and estates, public utilities, insurance, trial and tax. He opened another predecessor firm in Chicago, the Lord Wire & Cobb.
• 1929- The firm files Lloyds first financial statement in Illinois. The Lloyd's underwriting market subsequently increases exponentially in the United States.
• 1931- Cushman Bissel, Sr. rejoins the firm in Chicago as a named partner. He left the firm the as an associate in 1931 because of a low salary of $65 a month.
• 1938- David J. Kadyk joined the Chicago partnership in 1936 and became partner in 1938.
• 1945- The Chicago office, composed of 9 partners and 15 associates, focused on the substantial real estate development brought on by the end of World War II.
• 1946- Charles Sapp joined the firm in Houston and helped create one of the first national law school recruiting programs.
• 1951- Janice M. Richardson became the first female lawyer in the firm in Chicago. The same year, Cushman Bisselll takes became president of the Chicago Bar Association.
• 1954- Herbert Brook becomes a name partner on July 1 and changed the name of the Lord Lloyd and Bissell predecessor to Lord Bissell & Brook.
• 1958- John Lord,now 77, noted the firm has shown "amazing growth, not surpassed by any other law firm in Chicago".
• 1965- Six young attorneys opened the Dallas office forming the Rain Harrel Emery Ypung & Doke.
• 1974- The firm opened the Austin office to lobby and represent Austin's growing business sector.
• 1978- The firm opens its Los Angeles Office in October 16.
• 1979- The John S. Lord Scholarship was established at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.
• 1981- Lord Bissel & Brooks executive committee is restructured and Roger R. Fross becomes the first Managing Partner.
• 1983- The Atlanta and Rockford office was established
• 1987- Merger between Locke Purnell Rain and Harrel in Dallas marks the creation of one of the largest law firms in the southwest. The London office was opened to expand the firm's insurance and re-insurances practice internationally.
• 1988- The John S. Lord Scholarship became John S. Lord and Cushman B. Bissell Scholarships after the death of Cushman Bissel Sr. A similar scholarship was created at Harvard Law School.
• 1990- Several high profile lawyers joined the firmed and opened the New Orleans Office.
• 1991- Partner Kirk Dillard left to become chief of staff for the Illinois governor and returned in 1994.
• 1996- The New York office was opened.
• 1999- Locke Purnell Harrell merged with Liddell Sapp Zivley Hill and LeBoon to form Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP, and became largest American law firm merger to date.
• 2005- The firm opened the Washington office to assist clients on the federal level.
• 2006- The Sacramento office was opened to expand services to health care clients.
• 2007- Jerry Clements was named Managing Partner for Locke Liddell & Sapp. On October 2, Lord Bissel and Brooke and Locke Liddell & Sapp merged to form Locke Lord Bissel & Liddell LLP. Jerry Clements became Chairman of the combined firm.
• 2009- The San Francisco Office was opened and the size of the New York office was increased as part of the firms strategic growth plan to increase the depth of its IP practice.
• 2011- The firm's Hong Kong office was opened to achieve its goals to expand business opportunities in Asia and raise Locke Lord's global presence.

Practice Areas

The law firm specializes in a wide range of areas which include administrative & regulatory, antitrust, bank regulatory & transactions, class action, corporate, franchise, global investment, mergers and acquisitions, media & telecommunications, corporate insurance, energy litigation, finance, health care, international arbitration, IP International, IP litigation, real estate & finance, tax, trademark, copyright, advertising, internet, social media, cybersquatting, etc.