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Duane Morris Atlanta Gets New Local Leader Kirk Domescik

By Meredith Hobbs
June 26, 2013
Daily Report

Duane Morris Atlanta Gets New Local Leader Kirk Domescik

By Meredith Hobbs
June 26, 2013
Daily Report

Read below

Kirk DomescikDuane Morris has made Kirk Domescik its new managing partner in Atlanta. Domescik, who has been with the Philadelphia-based firm for a decade, is taking over from L. Norwood "Woody" Jameson, who'd headed the Atlanta office for five years.

Jameson became the leader of Duane Morris' national intellectual property practice at the beginning of 2012, which he said is taking a lot of his time. He's been making a lot of trips to Silicon Valley, he said, building an IP-focused office in Palo Alto that Duane Morris opened in January.

"I'm on the road constantly. I'm never here," Jameson said. "That's part of the reason for the transition."

Domescik, a corporate and health-care lawyer, joined Duane Morris in 2003 and made partner the following year.

An Atlanta native, he joined Vincent Berg Stalzer & Menendez soon after receiving his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1994. That firm was acquired by EpsteinBeckerGreen to gain an Atlanta foothold in 2000—the same year Duane Morris opened its Atlanta office.

A Vincent Berg partner with whom Domescik worked, Greg Youra, moved to Duane Morris after the Atlanta office opened and recruited him. "I've been here ever since," he said.

(Youra is now at Holt, Ney, Zatcoff & Wasserman. EpsteinBeckerGreen announced two weeks ago that it is closing its Atlanta branch.)

Domescik, who will maintain his practice, said that as local managing partner he will become more involved in the firm's finances and take a more active role in local recruiting.

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"The legal landscape has changed dramatically. To be a large national firm, there are some challenges associated with that," Domescik said. An Am Law 100 firm, Duane Morris reported 2012 revenue of $420.5 million and profit per equity partner of $875,000.

The Atlanta office's practice is concentrated in litigation and IP. The latter, Domescik said, is the firm's third-largest practice. Labor and employment, real estate and banking law are also part of the mix. Domescik said.

Domescik handles M&A and corporate law work, with a focus on hospital systems and healthcare providers. For instance, he said, he has represented hospitals acquiring physician practices or adding a diagnostic imaging facility, and also handles day-to-day corporate work for health-care clients.

Domescik also does corporate work for Randstad US, which is headquartered in Atlanta.

He said other clients represented by Duane Morris in Atlanta are Cisco, EarthLink, CenturyLink, Cox Communications, CORT, BB&T and Flagstar Bank.Locally, the firm has recruited some notable partners, such as litigator William Barwick, a former State Bar of Georgia president. Barwick joined in 2010 after more than two decades at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan.

But recruiting corporate partners has proven more challenging in the wake of the recession. Several lateral recruits joined from Schiff Hardin but then left to start their own firms.

"With the difficult times in the industry in 2008 and 2009, there was some attrition in the corporate ranks. Some corporate lawyers thought they would be better served on a smaller platform," Jameson told the Daily Report a year and a half ago.

Domescik said the Atlanta office's corporate practice is focused on the middle-market. "We're not New York. We recognize and understand that."

Nationally, he said, Duane Morris positions its corporate practice as "a go-to, middle-market, M&A, private equity firm."

He said the Atlanta office is interested in adding corporate lawyers who can benefit from that orientation, but acknowledged the challenges of the current market.

"It's tough. There are good corporate lawyers in town," Domescik said. "We know them, they are very good—and they are well-taken care of where they are. Look at myself. If you are doing a good job and viewed as valuable, you're not going to leave."

Domescik said his firm, like others, is being careful about adding laterals in the post-recessionary environment. "We want to identify those up and comers who can benefit from our platform," he said.

"We feel good about where we are," Domescik continued. "We have a great core group of lawyers at this point with depth in our strong practice areas." That includes "veteran lawyers from large law firms around town and a fantastic group of young associates."

The firm moved into new digs last year at 12th & Midtown at 1075 Peachtree Street, taking a floor of space in its relocation from Atlantic Center Plaza.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Report, © ALM Media Properties LLC. All rights reserved.