Shefsky and Taft To Merge

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CHICAGO – Chicago-based law firm Shefsky & Froelich and Ohio-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP have agreed to join forces.

The merged firm will count a total of 17 public finance lawyers in its ranks, 12 coming from Taft and five from Shefsky & Froelich. Brad Arnett will lead the firm’s bonding practice. The merger takes effect Jan. 2.

The firms said they pursued the merger after deciding they shared the same approach to business and that it would benefit clients and employees.

“With this merger, we will strengthen our core practices, but we also will be able to provide many services and cover areas of expertise that we just couldn’t before with a firm of 70 lawyers,” said Cezar “Cid” Froelich of Shefsky & Froelich. The merged firm will employ approximately 400 attorneys in its offices in eight cities.

The combined firm will carry the Taft name.

“Our mission is to be preeminent in our region, and to achieve that, a major presence in Chicago is essential,” Taft’s managing partner Thomas Terp said in the statement. This addition is a key step in our continued, selective geographic growth.”

Taft was founded in 1885 and has offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky and Phoenix. Shefsky & Froelich was founded in 1970. The merger won unanimous support from Shefsky shareholders and the firm said no staffing changes are planned although growth is expected in its Chicago office.

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