Law firm with LI office plans merger with northeast firm

Harris Beach a law firm with offices across New York State, including on Long Island has signed an agreement to combine with Murtha Cullina, a law firm with offices in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The new firm would be known as Harris Beach Murtha. The agreement is designed to offer more capabilities to “exceed clients’ needs” at a time of increased “legal and regulatory environments” as well as grow the combined firm’s presence throughout the northeast, according to a news release about the merger.

The new firm would have more than 250 attorneys across 15 offices. In addition to its Uniondale office, Harris Beach, which was founded in 1856, already has offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Saratoga Springs, Albany, White Plains and New York City, as well as New Haven, CT, Washington D.C. and Newark, NJ. Murtha Cullina, which was founded in 1936, has offices in Boston, MA, Stamford, New Haven and Hartford, CT, and White Plains.

While the two firms are operating as two separate entities until the merger is complete, Chris Jagel, CEO of Harris Beach, and Andy Corea, managing partner of Murtha Cullina, are to co-lead an interim advisory committee.

“This Harris Beach Murtha combination is an exciting, transformational move and proof of our investment in our clients,” Jagel said in the news release.

“Both firms have a long history of excellence and client-driven growth in our respective markets and are well-aligned culturally and with many of the same practice areas,” Jagel added. “The combination will enable us to extend our reach to provide even more diverse and innovative services and capabilities over a larger geographic footprint.”

Currently, both firms have existing clients with needs in neighboring states that the combined firm would serve more effectively, according to the news release. The partners say that the combined strength of the firms would appeal to new clients.

“We are excited by this strategic opportunity to combine the strengths of our two firms, expanding our geographic reach, broadening the scope of our services, and deepening our bench of experienced attorneys to offer a more comprehensive suite of legal services to our clients,” Corea said in the news release.

Before the new firm is formed, certain steps are required. It includes a vote of the partners from each firm to approve the operating agreement for the combined entity. This vote is expected to take place in the next several months, with the operating agreement effective Jan. 1, 2025, pending completion of all necessary reviews and conditions.

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