Choate, Hall & Stewart
Encyclopedia
Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP is a Boston-based law firm
founded in 1899. It is currently one of the largest law firms in the Greater Boston market, and one of the old-line Boston Brahmin firms which has previously been described by The New York Times as having a reputation for being "stuffy." Legal press reports suggest that the addition of 10 partners and their team of associates from the defunct Boston law firm Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault
in 2005 who specialized in technology, venture capital and private equity infused Choate with new blood and new sociability. Currently the firm employs 200 attorneys and 250 staff members all working out of a single Boston office at Two International Place
. Choate Hall & Stewart is well regarded in the Boston legal community and ranked in legal publications in a number of substantive areas such as mergers and acquisitions
, private equity
, antitrust
, intellectual property
prosecution and litigation, general commercial litigation, healthcare and bankruptcy law.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
founded in 1899. It is currently one of the largest law firms in the Greater Boston market, and one of the old-line Boston Brahmin firms which has previously been described by The New York Times as having a reputation for being "stuffy." Legal press reports suggest that the addition of 10 partners and their team of associates from the defunct Boston law firm Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault
Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault
Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP was a Boston law firm of approximately 400 attorneys at its peak in 2002 with revenues approaching $450 million. It dissolved in 2005 amid partner departures and the burst of the dot-com bubble. The firm was founded in 1973 and grew into a powerhouse representing...
in 2005 who specialized in technology, venture capital and private equity infused Choate with new blood and new sociability. Currently the firm employs 200 attorneys and 250 staff members all working out of a single Boston office at Two International Place
Two International Place
Two International Place is a modern skyscraper in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The site is located on a site formerly known as Fort Hill. It is located blocks from North End, the waterfront, South Station, Downtown Crossing, and the Federal Courthouse...
. Choate Hall & Stewart is well regarded in the Boston legal community and ranked in legal publications in a number of substantive areas such as mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
, private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
, antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
, intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
prosecution and litigation, general commercial litigation, healthcare and bankruptcy law.
Notable transactions
- Represented Unisphere NetworksUnisphere NetworksUnisphere Networks was a networking equipment manufacturer founded in 1998 and later acquired by Juniper Networks in June 2002 for $585 million, which includes $375 million in cash and 36.5 million shares. Unisphere was initially composed of three other key networking equipment manufacturers:*...
, a subsidiary of SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
in its 2002 sale to Juniper NetworksJuniper NetworksJuniper Networks is an information technology and computer networking products multinational company, founded in 1996. It is head quartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA. The company designs and sells high-performance Internet Protocol network products and services...
for total consideration of $740 million in combination of cash and Juniper stock.