King & Spalding draws three Akerman partners into new Miami office

(Reuters) - King & Spalding said Wednesday it has added three partners in Miami, a hot legal market where the large global law firm opened an office earlier this year.

The Atlanta-founded firm has hired business and securities litigation partners Brian Miller, Samantha Kavanaugh and Ross Linzer from Miami-founded Akerman.

The lawyers are the first new Miami hires since the firm opened its office there in February, a spokesperson said.

Miller was chair of Akerman's securities litigation practice and the firm's Miami litigation department, King & Spalding said.

Florida has drawn Wall Street executives and others in the finance industry from New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Warm weather, lower taxes and affordable space have been major incentives.

Law firms have followed finance and technology work. There were 43 law firm office openings in Florida in 2021, trailing only California and Texas, according to Leopard Solutions, which tracks hiring at law firms and large companies.

Several firms have opened new offices in Miami, including St. Louis-founded Armstrong Teasdale in January and Los Angeles-founded Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in May 2021.

King & Spalding opened its Miami outpost with 12 partners relocating from other offices. The 1,200-lawyer firm said at the time it has more than 50 lawyers who are barred in Florida and often work on matters there.

An Akerman spokesperson said the firm wishes the departing lawyers well.

Read more:

King & Spalding enters hot Florida legal market with Miami office

Pandemic prompts Wall Street to look south for Florida's life and work benefits

Law firms went West, headed South in 2021 to find new markets

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