ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601110083
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
The largest law firm in the Roanoke region is getting larger.
Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove said Wednesday it has opened two new offices, one through a merger with a six-lawyer firm in Charlottesville and the second with the affiliation of a patent lawyer in Washington, D.C.
With the expansion, Woods Rogers & Hazlegrove - now with 78 lawyers and a total staff of 211 - is the largest law firm in Southwest Virginia and the sixth largest in the state, according to a listing compiled by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. In addition to its main office in Roanoke, the firm also has a location in Danville.
As part of a merger, finalized last Saturday, the Charlottesville firm of Slaughter, Izakowitz, Clarke & Nunley began operating this week as Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove.
Also, C. Fred Rosenbaum, a former supervisor in the U.S.. Patent and Trademark Office, has joined the Roanoke firm in opening a Washington office that will specialize in intellectual property, an area of the law that deals with patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret issues.
"Opening offices in Charlottesville and Washington fits into Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove's long-range strategic plan for firm growth and expansion of expertise," said Heman Marshall III, the firm's president. "Not only will our existing and future clients benefit from additional locations, they will have direct access to additional expertise in the areas of international law and intellectual property law."
Marshall said the firm had targeted international law as an area for expansion, while also recognizing the need for additional expertise in intellectual law in light of the increasing amount of research taking place at Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, and other universities and businesses.
At the same time, the firm of Slaughter, Izakowitz, Clarke and Nunley had been considering a merger with a larger firm as a way of expanding its services in an increasingly complex legal market, said Edward Slaughter of the Charlottesville firm.
At a news conference Wednesday at Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove's offices in the First Union Tower, Slaughter said he was delighted to become part of what he called "the pre-eminent law firm in Western Virginia."
After being approached by Slaughter about a merger, the Roanoke firm "took a careful look and thought we had an excellent fit," Marshall said.
With expertise in civil litigation, international law and estate planning, the Charlottesville firm will bring several hundred clients with it to Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove, which in the past has declined to give specific figures on its client base and revenues. And from the Washington office, Rosenbaum will serve the firm's clients in the Roanoke, Danville and Charlottesville areas.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. Edward Slaughter (left) ofby CNBCharlottesville and Heman Marshall
III of Roanoke announce law firms' merger. color.