Law360 Again Distinguishes Morris Nichols as a Delaware Regional Powerhouse
“A titan in the Delaware business community,” Morris Nichols has once again been selected for inclusion on Law360’s list of 2023 Regional Powerhouses.
“It’s been a very strong year for the firm,” Bill Lafferty, chair of Morris Nichols’ executive committee told Law360. “Both in respects of outcomes for the clients, but [also] in terms of, what I think a lot of people predicted in the legal market as being effectively a down year on legal work, we haven’t seen any real downturn on that front.”
A combination of steady work, a collaborative environment, and practices focused on Delaware statutes, caselaw, and courts have all contributed to Morris Nichols’ success over the past year, building upon it’s nearly 100-year history. Morris Nichols was involved in headline-grabbing corporate disputes, a large portion of District of Delaware IP cases, cutting-edge business law transactions, and restructurings.
The firm has “a tight group of partners and good people who are driven and really take a team approach," corporate counseling partner Patricia Vella reflected.
The past year included special committee advice concerning billion-dollar deals and litigation wins at the Delaware Court of Chancery and District Court. One of the most-complex cases was the Boy Scouts of America reorganization. Morris Nichols’s bankruptcy/restructuring group represented the Debtors as co-counsel. After many months of litigation, negotiation, and mediation, the Debtors filed an amended Chapter 11 plan in February 2022. The plan included a $2.7 billion sexual abuse compensation fund. Following a long trial, the bankruptcy court issued a 200-page opinion that subsequently led to 17 appeals in the district court. After a two-day hearing, the court issued a 150-page opinion affirming the Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy plan which went into effect on April 19, 2023.
“I think the length of those opinions just highlights the complexity of the issues that we faced,” said restructuring partner Andrew Remming. “I’m really proud of the team we have in the bankruptcy group. We continue to have a very experienced and deep bench, and we’re before the judges here on a daily basis.”
“One of the things that’s certainly kept me here is the diversity of work,” said Tarik J. Haskins, who focuses on alternative entities and commercial transactions. “We do everything from mergers and acquisitions to loan transactions to counseling for the use of Delaware entities. Each day is different.”
Patent litigator Michael Flynn agreed, “I think what really keeps me going day to day is the environment here at Morris Nichols and knowing that I can rely on any of my colleagues to pitch in at any time.”
Law360 is a news source for legal intelligence and insight. Each year, the publication highlights organizations and individuals across the legal community with a variety of awards and honors. Delaware was one of eleven US regions examined in the annual Regional Powerhouse series. Powerhouse honorees were chosen based on the percentage of attorneys in the state and the strength of matters handled in the state over the past 12 months.
