MLA Guides Hahn & Hessen to Combine with Am Law 150 firm, Thompson Coburn

Hanover, MD (July 13, 2021) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, is pleased to announce Thompson Coburn’s combination with New York's Hahn & Hessen. Jeffrey Liebster, partner in Major, Lindsey & Africa’s Partner Practice Group, led the MLA team that advised Hahn & Hessen for several years. Liebster, who has handled many such combinations and office openings, was joined by MLA partners John Cashman and Janet Markoff in facilitating the transaction between the firms.

Thompson Coburn has sought the right partner firm in New York for many years. By combining with Hahn & Hessen and its sophisticated bankruptcy, finance, and litigation practice experience, Thompson Coburn is entering the market with the benefit of an old-line New York City firm with a reputation for delivering the highest quality work product. 

“Thompson Coburn and Hahn & Hessen had an alignment of interests that just made sense,” Liebster said. “Thompson Coburn desired to establish an office in New York and needed to identify a New York firm that would immediately raise its profile and complement its current practices and personnel. Hahn & Hessen needed a partner that would help deepen its bench, expand the services offered to their clients and enhance opportunities for their talented attorneys and staff.”

“We could not have navigated this difficult search without the skillful counsel of Jeff and MLA,” said Mark Indelicato, Managing Partner at Hahn & Hessen. “They successfully guided us through a very nuanced process. We are grateful for their tenacity and wisdom.”

Thompson Coburn, which will be known as Thompson Coburn Hahn & Hessen in New York, is a full-service, AmLaw 150 law firm with more than 50 practice areas. The firm represents clients of all sizes, including major companies and financial institutions like U.S. Bank, Citibank, Bayer and Kawasaki. In 2019, the firm was recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel as an ACC Value Champion, an international honor that recognizes “best-in-class” innovations that drive value and dramatically improve efficiencies within corporate law departments. The acquisition will result in a combined firm of more than 400 attorneys across seven offices: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Southern Illinois.