Duane Morris LLP promoted a labor and employment partner from within to serve as its managing partner in its Boca Raton, Florida, shop.

Attorney Kevin Vance was chosen as the next leader of the office, the firm announced in a news release Thursday. He'll take over at the beginning of the year for current managing partner Harvey W. Gurland, who is moving to the same role at the firm's Miami location.

"I think it would be attractive to anybody, the opportunity to lead the office, and really, it's a collaborative role to work with others," Vance told Law360. "And trying to better the office here in Boca Raton, that's something that I believe anybody would like to do, and I'm really looking forward to doing that starting in January." [...]

Vance said Duane Morris has been established in Miami since opening its office in 1999. The Boca Raton office opened in about 2007 and since then, the offices have mostly been viewed as one unit until now.

"And that's worked well over the years, and the lawyers and the two offices collaborate extensively and know each other well," Vance said. "But they are two separate legal markets in some ways."

Vance added that as the Boca Raton office is growing, the firm has decided to separate it from the Miami office to some extent, which he believes is evidence that the firm is interested and invested in the area.

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