By JODI SOKOLOWSKI
Buffalo Law Journal

What do the numbers tell us? That several area law firms are growing modestly, and that the rosters at even those firms that are downsizing have not changed much.

Several law firms jumped up in the rankings on Business First's Law Firms List this year. The annual survey ranks firms based on the number of attorneys they employ in Western New York.

Those firms say they have been growing because of a demand in some key practice areas, but also because of their ability to diversify and add practice areas. They say it's important to be adaptable and change, especially with the downturn in the economy.

"If you want to grow, you have to expand in other areas than our bread and butter," said Robert Doren, managing partner for Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC's Buffalo office. The firm, which has a well-established labor/employment practice, is expanding into corporate work and civil litigation.

"When people see the economy slowing down, some freeze while others proceed forward. Problems for some create opportunities for others," said Harter Secrest & Emery's managing partner Craig Slater.

Practice makes perfect

Harter Secrest, aided by the addition of John Elmore as a partner two years ago, has been taking on brownfield and new-development projects such as the potential BassPro deal, as well as biotech and ethanol work.

"We're looking at those areas in an opportunistic way," Slater said. "You want to be poised to pick up that work for the future."

Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP is looking northward to increase its cross-border work, especially in life sciences. "We'd like to try and use that to our advantage," managing partner William Mathias II said of the firm's proximity to Canada.

Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham & Coppola LLC, which originally focused on defense litigation, began diversifying its practice areas in 2003, adding more corporate work and first-party insurance investigation. The firm's commercial real estate practice is one of its fastest-growing areas, said Chief Operating Officer Joe Distasio.

Connors & Vilardo, which handles corporate litigation, defense and personal-injury plaintiffs' work, is doing so well that it's turning down work.

"It's really a privilege to be able to work on the cases we want (to work on). They're interesting and rewarding," said partner Vincent Doyle.

Who they're hiring

While some firms prefer hiring experienced attorneys, the managing partners at Lippes Mathias and Connors & Vilardo said they prefer grooming new lawyers right out of law school.

Connors & Vilardo will recruit at the University at Buffalo Law School as well as Ivy League law schools like Harvard and Yale, but focuses on luring "superstars" when they're available.

"We don't consciously decide we're hiring at one time or another. We wait for the right candidates to come to us," Doyle said.

Lippes Mathias has hired seven new attorneys, including two summer associates, in the last year.

"We think it's a great move to ensure the long-term future of the firm," said Mathias, adding that the firm would like to hire a lawyer each for its immigration and health-law practices.

The firm also added two experienced attorneys, Blaine Schwartz and Paul Wells, who didn't want to move to Florida when Benderson Development Co. Inc. relocated its headquarters there, as well as another real estate lawyer, Brad Randaccio.

"They came over and hit the ground running," Mathias said. "I think some of the major developers in town have given us a shot in helping them with work."

Doren said Bond Schoeneck's long-range strategy is to grow through lateral moves. The firm's Buffalo office added Mark Popiel in immigration and Steve Sharkey and Scott Pilbin in commercial litigation.

"They have a book of work themselves, and we can provide a platform for them to expand," Doren explained.

HoganWillig is among those firms that see growth as a constant mission. The firm recently added Chris Doyle when acquiring the practice of the late Donald Lischer and also hired experienced matrimonial lawyer Nelson Zakia. Those hires followed the addition of John LaFalce as special counsel about a year ago.

"We've always grown; I don't think we've ever intentionally contracted," said managing attorney Diane Tiveron.

Wilder and Linneball LLP is growing "smart" by adding two lawyers and a soon-to-be-lawyer over the last year. Managing Partner Laura Linneball said the litigation boutique firm is continuing to grow as it expands its corporate offerings.

"The clients are asking if we're doing (corporate law) work, so we've expanded to meet those needs," she said.

Room to grow

Most of these firms say they're happy in their current locations, but they may be forced to move soon due to their growth.

Lippes Mathias has filled seven once-vacant offices in its headquarters at 665 Main Street, which is getting "crunched," Mathias said, noting that the firm may be able to take space now occupied by another tenant who is considering a move itself.

"For the moment we'll tough it out, because we really love our current location and we made an investment," he said.

Bond Schoeneck, too, hopes to take over space on the same floor at 40 Fountain Plaza if the Federal Reserve Bank closes its Buffalo office, as planned.

"We like the building, so if we can arrange it, we'd like to have the other half of the floor," Doren said.

Harter Secrest plans to add five to 10 lawyers in the next few years to help fill its offices, which take up an entire floor at 12 Fountain Plaza.

"Our investment in that other half (of the floor) represents our efforts to grow," Slater said.

HoganWillig isn't necessarily in need of more space, since it currently has 16,000 square feet, but will be moving across John James Audubon Parkway into a 26,000-square-foot space in a green building being built by Paul Iskalo.

"We're not cramped, but the decision to move entails more than just space," said Tiveron. "It's a beautiful, state-of-the-art, ergonomic, comfortable, environmental-friendly building."