Nick Miller, Managing Partner Hawley Troxell/Christine Nicholas, President Moffatt Thomas (Submitted Photo)
By Sarah Glenn/For the Journal
BOISE – The law firms of Moffat Thomas and Hawley Troxell teamed up Tuesday to build Idaho’s largest business law firm.
Seventy-five attorneys in offices from Pocatello to Boise to Coeur d’Alene will now serve more than 2,500 active business clients under the Hawley Troxell banner.
“This expansion will strengthen our core practice areas and bring more depth and breadth to our existing expertise,” said Nicholas G. Miller, Hawley Troxell’s Managing Partner. “With the resources and strong reputations of both firms, this is truly a win-win for our clients. Bringing these talented attorneys and staff together under one banner as the state’s largest business firm is critical to serving our continued strategic growth and the growing needs of our combined client base and our dynamic region.”
The agreement means that Hawley Troxell will be increasing its presence in Boise and Pocatello while continuing operations in its five locations in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Reno.
Company representatives said that with the new depth of knowledge the partnership brings, eventually Hawley Troxell could expand services offered. Hawley Troxell currently offers expertise across 23 different practice areas.
“We recognized early on that joining forces with Hawley Troxell would enhance our ability to meet the more diverse and sophisticated requirements of our clients,” said Christine Nicholas, Moffatt Thomas President.
The clients served by the combined law firms extend across almost every major industry sector in Idaho. The expanded firm now also serves clients in all of Idaho’s geographic regions.
“We knew our similar client-focused philosophies and cultures of excellence, when combined, would offer even greater value to our clients,” said Stephen Thomas, Moffatt Thomas Shareholder.
Hawley Troxell isn’t calling the deal a merger.
“The agreement, effective Aug. 1, Is not exactly a merger,” Miller said. “We are combining forces and going forward under one roof. Technically, this is the end of the Moffat Thomas fiscal year, so they are starting fresh.”
The two firms will operate as one, with Moffat Thomas lawyers slowly making a transition from their offices nearby in downtown Boise into the Wells Fargo space over the coming months.
Layoffs aren’t a part of the deal, however some attorneys will be joining other offices.
Hawley Troxell partner Howard Burnett will be joining up with Julian Gabiola, David Gardner, Jetta Mathews, and Benjamin Ritchie in the Pocatello office. Joining the Boise office are attorneys Tyler Anderson, C. Clayton Gill, Larry Hunter, Gerry Husch, David Lincoln, James Martin, Matthew McGee, Jamie Moon, Mindy Muller, Christine Nicholas, Mark Peterson, Mark Prusynski, Andrea Rosholt, Peter Thomas, and Stephen Thomas. Paul Street, who retired Aug. 1 as general counsel of BHMC Stock Holdings Inc., and who had planned to return to Moffatt Thomas where he was a partner for many years, will also join Hawley Troxell as part of the combination of the two firms.
“Paul is a pillar of the corporate counsel and business communities in Boise and we are delighted that he will join us,” Miller said.
Hawley Troxell traces its roots to James Hawley. In 1862, at the age of 15, James made his way to Idaho’s gold fields and within two years made enough money to bankroll a legal education. He served as a United States attorney for Idaho before statehood, and settled in Boise in 1890. Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley was formed in 1964 when Jess Hawley Jr. and Jack Hawley joined forces with Robert Troxell and Paul Ennis. The Hawleys combined their litigation practice with Bob Troxell’s business expertise and Paul Ennis’ experience in business and litigation. Headquartered in Boise since 1964, Hawley Troxell opened an office in Pocatello in 1985, expanded to Ketchum in 1992, and established a presence in Reno, Nevada, in 2003. In 2010, Hawley Troxell expanded to northern Idaho by opening an office in Coeur d’Alene. Hawley Troxell merged with the law firm Smith & Banks in Idaho Falls in 2015.
Moffat Thomas was founded in Boise in 1931.
For more information, visit http://www.hawleytroxell.com/
