Building off the momentum from 2014, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP makes a move to strengthen its Midwest presence and deepen its bench of trial attorneys. Dinsmore is pleased to announce a merger with Huddleston Bolen LLP, one of the oldest law firms in West Virginia and the surrounding region.

The merger, effective February 1, 2015, will add 40 attorneys and 56 staff to the firm. With the addition, Dinsmore will become the 4th largest law firm in West Virginia with more than 75 attorneys practicing in five offices.

"Our focus continues to be on growth and making strategic moves to add services that benefit our clients and strengthen our offerings,” said George H. Vincent, Dinsmore’s Managing Partner & Chairman. “Last year, we expanded our national footprint with offices in Chicago and Denver. As we grow, we don’t want to lose sight of our Midwestern roots. This merger demonstrates our commitment to West Virginia and Kentucky. Combining with Huddleston Bolen also brings established litigators, commercial lawyers, and estate planning attorneys that complement the deep talent we currently have.”

Huddleston Bolen is based in Huntington, WV and has offices in Charleston, WV, Louisville, KY and Ashland, KY. With roots stretching back to 1871, Huddleston Bolen is a prominent name in the Mountain State. The firm features an established, regional commercial law practice and a litigation department, widely recognized for successfully trying some of the most difficult cases in the most difficult venues in the nation. In 2015, Huddleston Bolen was named at “Top Listed” Railroad Law Firm in the United State by Best Lawyers. The publication also identified the firm as a “Tier 1 Law Firm” in the Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia market in areas including: banking and finance, bankruptcy and creditor rights, corporate law, construction law, and employment law.

“We have worked with our Dinsmore colleagues over the years and always understood we had synergies between our firms. It was just a matter of talking and working out how to combine them,” said Daniel A. Earl, Huddleston Bolen Managing Partner. “This is an excellent opportunity for us to join a highly respected law firm that has a national footprint and provide our clients with all the combined resources we have to offer.” Earl will serve as the Managing Partner of Dinsmore’s Huntington office following the merger.

“Investing in West Virginia makes good business sense. The merger will give Dinsmore an increased presence in the southern part of the state, balancing the locations in Morgantown and Wheeling,” said Anna Dailey, the managing partner of Dinsmore’s Charleston office. “This strengthens the areas we were looking to fill, but it’s important to note that we are still committed to growing. We can now leverage our increased footprint in West Virginia to target those areas we have identified for growth. It is all about making smart decisions that will ultimately benefit our clients.”

With the merger, Dinsmore will have 575 attorneys and locations in 18 cities throughout Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The firm provides a broad range of integrated services to meet the needs of both large and small businesses as well as institutions, associations, governments, professional firms and individuals.