Stinson Morrison Hecker and Leonard, Street and Deinard Announce Merger

KANSAS CITY, Mo. and MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Stinson Morrison Hecker and Leonard, Street and Deinard, two of the leading full-service law firms in the Midwest, today announced that they will merge to become one of the largest law firms in the U.S.

The combined firm will operate as Stinson Leonard Street LLP beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Mark Hinderks and Lowell Stortz will serve as co-managing partners and Allison Murdock will be the deputy managing partner. The new firm will have more than 525 attorneys in offices in 14 cities, with substantial coverage of the Midwest, a meaningful presence in the Mountain West and Southwest, and an office in Washington, D.C.

The combined firm will offer sophisticated regional and national practices in such key areas as corporate finance; banking and financial services; energy, environment, mining and natural resources; real estate and construction; and litigation. The new firm is expected to become one of the largest 75 law firms in the U.S., according to the National Law Journal's 2012-2013 rankings. Both firms enter the combination from positions of financial strength, coming off of their strongest-ever annual financial performances.

"This combination is driven by the needs of each firm's clients, and a natural culmination of a long-standing relationship between both firms," said Hinderks, managing partner of Stinson Morrison Hecker. "We have collaborated as part of a Midwest peer group for more than a decade. As a result, we knew we shared a common business culture and vision, and a strong commitment to our respective communities and clients."

"We believe the timing is right to combine into a law firm that's uniquely positioned to serve Fortune-ranked, midsize public and private and emerging companies in the Midwest and nationally," said Stortz, president of Leonard, Street and Deinard. "Both firms are known for delivering value and efficiency through matter and budget management techniques that provide clients with high quality matched by appropriate staffing, creative fee arrangements and cost predictability."

"Both firms have made significant investments in time and talent to deliver superior client service and value," said Murdock, deputy managing partner of Stinson Morrison Hecker. "And, at the same time, we're also very committed to our individual communities, as well as to promoting diversity and pro bono programs within our firms and in our communities."

The new firm will have offices in Minneapolis, Mankato and St. Cloud, Minn.; Kansas City, St. Louis and Jefferson City, Mo.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Denver, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; Decatur, Ill.; Wichita and Overland Park, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; and Bismarck, N.D.

To learn more about the combination visit www.stinsonleonardmerger.com and follow the firm on Twitter at @stinsonleonard.

About Stinson Morrison Hecker

Stinson Morrison Hecker is one of the country's largest law firms with 325 attorneys and 10 offices across the U.S. Stinson provides sophisticated corporate, transaction and litigation legal services to clients ranging from Fortune 500 corporations and privately held companies to emerging businesses. For more information, visit www.stinson.com.

About Leonard, Street and Deinard

Leonard, Street and Deinard's clients range from individuals and start-up businesses to Fortune 500 companies. The firm's more than 200 attorneys serve every sector of the economy -- construction, commercial, service, financial, health care, energy, real estate, manufacturing and industrial -- and a number of its long-time clients have grown from small, privately held enterprises to major national and international public companies. For more information, visit www.leonard.com.

SOURCE Stinson Morrison Hecker and Leonard, Street and Deinard