Holland & Knight announced today that the lawyers of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP, one of the nation’s premier real estate law firms located in Los Angeles, have joined its ranks and will constitute Holland & Knight’s new Century City office. The partner group joining Holland & Knight includes Stevens Carey, John Irons, William Jackson III, David Packer, Ariel Robinson, Michael Scheinberg, Eric Shortz and Jennifer White.
The addition enables Holland & Knight, which has one of the largest real estate practices in the U.S., to strengthen its capabilities in complex real estate transactions and dedicate more resources to its real estate clients while continuing to expand its presence in California. Holland & Knight will open its Century City office by assuming Pircher’s lease at 1901 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, adding to its existing California offices in downtown Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County.
“The four decades-long reputation, experience and relationships of the partners at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks made this an attractive opportunity as we look to continue the strategic expansion of both our real estate practice as well as the firm’s presence on the West Coast,” said Steven Sonberg, managing partner of Holland & Knight. “We are enthusiastic about our future together, and we’re confident that the added resources and scale will create new opportunities for our lawyers and provide significant value for our clients.”
Founded in 1983, Pircher, Nichols & Meeks has represented many of the most well-known and active equity funds, financial institutions, venture capitalists, real estate investment trusts, pension funds and other institutional and private investors nationwide. The firm is ranked as a national first-tier firm in Real Estate Law in the 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” guide.
“Holland & Knight’s client-focused mission and team-oriented culture perfectly align with the strengths, values and vision we have all maintained at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks,” said Ariel Robinson, who has been named executive partner of Holland & Knight’s Century City office. “Though it’s the end of an era for our firm, we’re now able to provide our clients with greater representation in markets where they’re conducting business and offer them expanded legal services with the deep and talented bench of Holland & Knight attorneys.”
“Joining Holland & Knight gives us access to additional national resources and capabilities so that we can continue to provide the highest quality legal representation to our clients both in California and throughout the U.S.,” said John Irons, who will be the deputy practice group leader of the West Coast Real Estate Group, along with Doug Praw of Holland & Knight. “We believe the larger platform, diversity of practices and culture of collaboration at Holland & Knight, together with our attorneys’ rich experience at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks, will provide a very attractive combination for our clients.”
With nearly 300 lawyers nationally, Holland & Knight’s Real Estate Section is ranked among the nation’s best by Chambers USA, which notes the firm’s strength in representing clients on complex mixed-use developments and hospitality projects, as well as its land use and zoning experience.
“The deep experience and knowledge that the lawyers from Pircher, Nichols & Meeks bring will be invaluable in navigating the hyper-competitive and increasingly complex real estate market,” said Joe Guay, leader of Holland & Knight’s Real Estate Section. “Investment continues to flow into the industry, and current market trends and regulations require clients to rely on high-quality legal assistance. We have already identified a number of synergies between our two firms, including with our West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group, and joining forces allows us to bring a more innovative, competitive and comprehensive offering to our clients nationally and in California.”
