Large Firms
Jun. 26, 2002
Carr & Ferrell Gets Partner From Brobeck
SAN FRANCISCO - John Montgomery, co-chairman of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison's 56-lawyer business and technology practice in East Palo Alto, is moving to Carr & Ferrell, a 40-lawyer Palo Alto corporate and litigation firm.
Montgomery, who resigned from Brobeck earlier this month after three years as a partner, said the San Francisco firm had allowed him to leave before his 30-day notice expired in July. He expected to start work for his new firm as early as today.
"I've been a good boy," he said, noting that he transferred his client work to other Brobeck partners and cooperated with the firm on accounts receivable and other financial matters.
The departure "couldn't have been on better terms," he said. "I hope to have a long and productive relationship with Brobeck."
He said his decision to leave the 700-lawyer firm was a personal one that had nothing to do with the departure of former chairman Tower Snow Jr. Snow took a group of 17 partners to Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells in May and June amid extensive publicity.
"Professionally, I was extremely happy at Brobeck," said Montgomery, who was also the co-chairman of Brobeck's venture capital practice. "The stuff in the press played very little part in my decision."
Curtis Mo, the head of Brobeck's East Palo Alto business and technology practice, said, "John's departure and the timing of his departure had nothing to do with anyone else's departure or their timing."
Instead, Montgomery said, a book written by James Collins, "Good to Great," inspired him to reassess his life and contemplate leaving Brobeck.
The book describes how 11 public companies improved themselves. Montgomery said he applied some of the techniques they used to his own life.
Based on what he read in Chapter 5, for instance, he asked himself what he loved to do, what he could do the best, and how he could make money doing it.
Montgomery, 44, decided that rather than serve in management roles at Brobeck and represent public companies and investment banks, he would focus exclusively on emerging growth and venture capital companies.
"What I love to do is accelerate the growth and success of emerging technology companies," he said.
A random call from Carr & Ferrell founding partner Barry Carr in February "got me thinking," he said.
Montgomery described Carr & Ferrell as a well-regarded corporate and litigation firm with strengths in intellectual property and venture capital law.
"They're kind of a well-kept secret," he said.
Montgomery "is a great acquisition" for the firm," Carr said.
"John is really preeminent in the technology startup and venture capital practice here in Silicon Valley. He's a feather in our cap," Carr said.
Carr and three former Fenwick & West partners formed Carr & Ferrell 10 years ago. It now has 40 lawyers and recently subleased space from Brobeck that will allow it to accommodate 15 more.
"We've been fortunate," Carr said. "We certainly did see a downturn, but we are starting to see an uptick."
Carr said the firm hopes to add lawyers in its corporate, patent and intellectual property groups.
"We're not looking to merge with anyone," he said. "We want to do it on a one-on-one basis as people become available."
He said there is a glut of talented lawyers on the market.
"There are lots of people laid off by larger firms," he said. "We'll be looking at those people as well."
Carr said the firm should be able to attract big firm partners because it has low overhead. Other firms, including Brobeck, have retrenched staff and attorneys but are stuck with leases on unused office space.
"We're well situated from a real estate standpoint, and we will be for the next five to 10 years," he said. "Other [firms] have anchors on profitability built into the system."
As for Brobeck's future, Montgomery said he is confident the firm will do fine.
A recent partnership meeting, he said, reinforced his confidence. "What I came away with was this tremendous sense of durability of Brobeck as an institution," he said.
Brobeck, he added, "has as much turnover as any other firm, but it has such a strong brand identity that people will hire the firm."
Mo said Brobeck's 112-lawyer East Palo Alto office has seen an increase in business over the past few months.
"We're pretty busy right now," he said. "Part of the reason is that a few partners have left and we've retained their clients and work."
He dismissed accounts of was "turmoil" at the firm and added, "It's interesting how fired up and cohesive partners really are."
Erik Cummins
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