Local law firms merge skills, specialties to better serve clients
Two boutique Sacramento labor and employment firms have merged to form a new player that expects to go head-to-head with larger firms in the area.
Two lawyers at Wohl Sammis & Perkins LLP joined four full-time lawyers at Palmer Kazanjian LLP effective Aug. 1 to form Palmer Kazanjian Wohl Perkins. Three more lawyers -- including veteran Sacramento trial lawyer Alvin Wohl -- serve "of counsel."
Together, the Palmer Kazanjian lawyers get added expertise in litigation, and the trial lawyers at Wohl Perkins will have partners to handle labor relations and business counseling.
The lawyers and seven staff work from the former Palmer Kazanjian offices at 520 Capitol Mall. Wohl Sammis & Perkins was located at the Fruit Exchange Building at 4th and J streets in downtown Sacramento until late last week.
The merger represents "a blend of powerful reputations," said partner Christopher Wohl, referring to Larry Kazanjian, and his father, Alvin, who has more than 40 years of experience in insurance bad faith and other legal issues. Kazanjian has practiced employment law for more than 18 years, representing employers in litigation related to wrongful termination, discrimination and other matters.
"The merger certainly makes a lot of sense to me," said Julia Jenness, an employment attorney with the Sacramento firm of Boutin Dentino Gibson DiGiusto & Hodell Inc. "They have complementary skills and this will give them more critical mass, which is always a good thing. They are all well-regarded attorneys."
Floyd Palmer was one of the region's most prominent experts in employment law when he died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 53. His name fronts the new firm's letterhead in memoriam.
Four former partners in the Sacramento office of national employment law firm Littler Mendelson formed Palmer Disario Kazanjian & Holden in 2000. They talked at the time about practicing law instead of running a practice -- and focusing on clients rather than billable hours.
Now, Kazanjian, who will be 57 in September, is looking ahead. "I've practiced law for 30 years and see the need to let younger major-leaguers get involved," he said. "I've known Chris for five, six, seven years. Over the last two, we've talked about doing a merger that would be good for my business and his business."
Christopher Wohl, 41, has been a business and employment litigator since 1994. He represents plaintiffs and defense clients.
"My old firm was entirely litigation, and we kept having to refer other matters out," Wohl said. "Now we can keep them in-house."
