Tuesday, March 21, 2006

The Name Game

There have been oodles of articles in the past few years on the lengths that large defense firms have gone to shorten their firm names as part of a "branding effort."

Plaintiffs' firms seem to be taking the opposite approach, and keeping the typesetters quite busy.

The law firm of Abbey Gardy, LLP sent out a press release last week, announcing a name change to Abbey Spanier Rodd Abrams & Paradis, LLP. But this was not the first name change for the firm, or even the second.

The firm started life in 1983 as Abbey & Ellis, and continued under that name until 1993, with the death of name partner Ralph Ellis. Next on the letterhead - Abbey, Gardy & Squitieri, LLP. In 2001, the printers again got a call, as Abbey Gardy & Squitieri split into two firms, with partners Lee Squitieri and Steve Fearon leaving to form their own firm, Squitieri & Fearon, LLP. The remaining partners reconstituted the firm as Abbey Gardy, which had a nice run for the past five years.

No word on where former name partner Mark Gardy has disappeared to, but I'd ask the typesetters.

UPDATE - Mark Gardy is safe and sound, and practicing at his new firm, Gardy & Notis, LLP, with another former Abbey Gardy partner, James Notis. Thanks to an anonymous and intrepid reader for the tip.

No comments: