Lewis and Roca to combine with Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons

Lewis and Roca LLP, one of the most well-known law firms to handle the gaming industry in Las Vegas, will combine with Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons in Denver beginning Sept. 1, the two law firms announced Wednesday.

The new 250-lawyer firm will be called Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP and will retain its current offices, lawyers and administrative staffs.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kenneth Van Winkle, managing partner of Lewis and Roca, will become managing partner of the combined firm and will continued to be based in the firm’s Phoenix headquarters. Fred J. Baumann, chairman of Rothgerber, will become executive committee chairman of the new firm, working in the Denver office.

“We found a solid partner in Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons and quickly realized our growth strategies aligned,” said Van Winkle, “It’s important to note this is a combination of two strong firms and a continuation of both firms together, rather than apart.”

The merger will allow Rothgerber to expand its presence beyond Colorado and Wyoming and into the Southwest, where Lewis and Roca has offices in Las Vegas; Reno; Phoenix; Tucson, Ariz.; Albuquerque, N.M., and Mountain View, Calif.

“Lewis and Roca shares not only our commitment to client service, but is a seamless fit strategically, culturally and professionally,” Baumann said.

Baumann said both firms are strong financially strong, but the merger was driven by a changing legal landscape in which Rothgerber clients need legal services in other markets where their businesses are growing.

“Our clients have been expanding in the Southwest region for some time and encouraged us to find an opportunity to establish a presence there,” Baumann said. “With Lewis and Roca, we are partnering with a firm with an equally strong reputation in its practices and markets.”

Founded in 1950, Lewis and Roca has been involved in several high-profile cases, including representing Ernesto Miranda in the landmark 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona, according to the firm’s website.

The court held that suspects in custody must be explicitly told of their constitution rights before their statements made to police could be admissible.

Lewis and Roca’s practice areas include gaming, real estate, Native American law, energy, regulatory, intellectual property, business transactions, as well as a national litigation practice. Rothgerber, founded in 1903, has practices in national litigation, insurance reorganization, religious institutions, banking and energy.

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @sierotyfeatures on Twitter.