Dinsmore has absorbed a 10-lawyer boutique in Tampa, Florida, as the Am Law 200 firm continues to expand rapidly in the Sunshine State. 

Effective 1 February, the tie-up with Shankman Leone will see partners David Shankman, Dennis Leone, Michael Willats and Christine Crispino join Dinsmore alongside a team of associates. 

The group, which also includes eight business professionals, practices across labour and employment, franchise and distribution, construction and commercial litigation. 

The tie-up follows Dinsmore opening in Tampa – its first office in Florida – in 2020 after hiring six lawyers from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, and takes its lawyer count in the city to 21, according to its website. 

The firm also expanded in the state through a merger in 2023, when it opened in Orlando after combining with local firm Mateer & Harbert, in a move that saw it add 19 lawyers. Later that year it hired a six-partner litigation team from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith to open its third Florida office, in Miami, citing the state’s strong and diversifying economy. 

The tie-up in Tampa had been fuelled by its success in Florida, where its growth efforts had “generated strong financial results while attracting first-class legal talent”, Dinsmore said in a statement.  

“Our expansion into Florida has been driven by client demand in one of the nation’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving markets,” said Joshua Lorentz, Dinsmore’s managing partner. “It has represented a real success story for our firm. By deepening our presence in the state, we’re positioned to respond to demand from businesses for practical counsel to navigate complex workplace issues and seize new opportunities in areas including franchising.”

The incoming team brings experience in management-side labour negotiations and collective bargaining, as well as employment matters like employment discrimination defence and wage and hour compliance, which Dinsmore said rounded out its national practice in those areas. 

Additionally, the team practices franchise law, including representing emerging and mature franchise systems in litigation, regulatory and transaction matters, and brings national litigation and arbitration experience, representing clients in federal and state courts across the US. 

“We are excited to add lawyers with the reputations and competencies of this team,” said Rob Sickles, Dinsmore’s office managing partner in Tampa. “With this merger, we are adding complementary practice groups and expanding our ability to serve firm clients across the state, while providing Shankman and Leone’s clients with a national presence.”

“Over the past six to seven years, we’ve had conversations with various firms, but Dinsmore stood out because of its entrepreneurial spirit and culture,” Leone said. “The opportunity to build our practice, provide additional resources to our clients and grow alongside a firm that shares our values and vision is incredibly exciting.”

Dinsmore’s Florida expansion comes against a background of law firms moving into the state in recent years as it undergoes a huge influx of business and wealth. Miami’s hot legal market has proven a particular draw, with the likes of Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, Cooley, Winston & Strawn and King & Spalding opening offices there in 2022 or 2023. 

Big Law’s migration to Florida slowed last year, though small and midsize firms were still steadily attempting to establish themselves in the market. At least six midsize firms – Jones Walker, Tyson & Mendes, McGlinchey Stafford, Brownstein Hyatt, Freeman Mathis & Gary and GrayRobinson – opened offices in Florida last year, with Freeman Mathis opening three.