Firm Watch
Jun. 25, 2002
Gordon & Rees: ADDITION OF ELDER-ABUSE LAWYERS BRINGS NEW POST
Expanding into a practice area that is generating a tidal wave of litigation, Gordon & Rees is adding nine long-term-care lawyers from LaFollette Johnson DeHaas Fesler Silberberg & Ames .
Seven of the attorneys are joining Gordon & Rees in its San Francisco headquarters, while the other two will launch the firm's Sacramento office.
The seven joining the Bay Area office are John Supple, Rick Canvel, Elizabeth Burns, Angele Cicala, James Braze, Stephen Brooks and Gail Braze. The Sacramento team will include Kathleen Rhoads, who will head the office, as well as Catherine Manske.
The acquisition is effective July 15.
"Rick and I are very interested in establishing a statewide, uniform and quality defense to elder abuse claims," says Supple, who is managing partner of LaFollette's San Francisco office. "And Gordon & Rees really gives us the opportunity to capitalize on that goal."
Supple will lead the long-term-care practice group at Gordon & Rees.
Alleged elder abuse is exploding into contentious and costly litigation, Supple notes. He says the trend is partly attributable to California legislation passed in 1992 that provides for enhanced damages.
The LaFollette attorneys were lured by, among other things, Gordon & Rees' strong statewide presence and the high caliber of its attorneys, Supple says.
The team represents a number of long-term-care facilities, acute-care hospitals and physicians, although Supple declined to name them. The group is bringing its entire client base to Gordon & Rees.
In the future, Supple hopes to expand the practice into Western states such as Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
"The plan is to be able to provide our clients with statewide and regional defense to the vigorous attacks by these plaintiffs' attorneys that are moving westward like a swarm of locusts," Supple says.
Dennis Ames, a member of LaFollette Johnson's administrative committee, says that several lawyers at the firm will continue to handle long-term care work.
LaFollette Johnson, a Los Angeles-based insurance defense firm, has 80 lawyers and six offices.
Gordon & Rees has 185 attorneys in five offices in California.
Staff Writer
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