SmithAmundsen Announces Merger with Madsen, Farkas, & Powen

CHICAGO, Dec. 27, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SmithAmundsen LLC and Madsen, Farkas, & Powen LLC are pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2011, they will merge their practices. The attorneys and staff of Madsen, Farkas, & Powen concentrate on serving clients in the aerospace and aviation industries, with significant trial and commercial litigation experience as well. They are joining forces with SmithAmundsen, a firm of more than 140 lawyers headquartered in Chicago and operating throughout the Midwest.

"The addition of MFP's aviation practice is a great strategic addition to the firm that enables us to serve a new segment of the transportation industry," said Glen Amundsen, SmithAmundsen's Chairman and CEO. "These lawyers have a well-deserved reputation as one of the most highly regarded aviation practices in the country.  They will enhance the services we offer clients in a number of sectors, especially those with any exposure to airports, airlines or general aviation operations or equipment related legal problems."

The group, which will be led by partners Alan L. Farkas and Brandt R. Madsen, also includes partners Suzanne Massel and Michael McGrory and associates Anna Panchenko and Michael Shapiro. Ken Cunniff will be joining the firm in an of counsel capacity.

"We are excited at the opportunity to join a firm with the breadth of experience SmithAmundsen offers," said Alan L. Farkas and Brandt R. Madsen. "The scope and diversity of their practice areas will help us augment the trusted advisor relationships we have with our existing clients while also giving us access to prospective new markets for the special services our aerospace lawyers offer. Our existing clients will see no change in the quality of service we provide, except that we will improve our efficiency and be able to offer services in the many areas on which SmithAmundsen focuses."

The aerospace group will continue to advise clients on legislative affairs affecting the aerospace industry, administrative rulemaking, regulatory compliance/enforcement concerns, business deals and aircraft transactions, and aerospace litigation matters.  The group will offer a broad range of legal services to members of the aviation industry, including airplane and helicopter pilots, municipalities, airports, aircraft owners, fixed base operators (FBOs), insurers who underwrite aviation risks, aircraft maintenance and manufacturing companies, and aircraft lessees and lessors. Working with SmithAmundsen practice teams in other disciplines, the former MFP group will now be able to offer expanded services to their clientele including augmented assistance with equipment acquisition and financing, negotiating and documenting contracts, creditors' rights assistance, intellectual property, and labor and employment representation and counseling.

Attorneys on the aerospace team will be headquartered in SmithAmundsen's Chicago office and will offer their services to clients nationwide. They may be contacted at 312.894.3200 beginning January 3, 2011.

SmithAmundsen LLC has 140 attorneys with offices in Chicago, Rockford, St. Charles, and Woodstock, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Louis, Missouri. As one of the Midwest's premier firms, SmithAmundsen acts as counsel to business entities and individuals with litigation and/or transactional requirements in a wide area of commerce including banking and financial services, commercial transportation, health care, public sector organizations, construction, manufacturing and insurance, among others. For more information on the firm, please visit www.salawus.com. 

SOURCE SmithAmundsen, LLC