Lippes Mathias merges with Fay Sharpe

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The Buffalo-based full-service law firm of Lippes Mathias has combined with Fay Sharpe LLP, a Cleveland-based boutique intellectual property law firm founded in 1884.

“Fay Sharpe’s reputation and track record initiated our attraction to the firm,” said Kevin J. Cross, managing partner and chairman of Lippes Mathias.

“As we’ve gotten to know each other, it’s our common principle of people-first culture and approach to the business of law that makes the … combination such a natural fit,” Cross said.

The 20 attorneys from Fay Sharpe brings the Lippes Mathias attorney count to 165. An additional 23 staffers are also included in the combination.

“The reputation of Fay Sharpe and its attorneys is one of competence, sophistication, and experience. In my nearly 40 years of practicing intellectual property law, Fay Sharpe has remained a pillar of accomplishment and professionalism in that environment,” said Scott E. Thompson, Lippes Mathias partner and IP team co-leader.

In addition to this expansion to Cleveland, the firm has recently opened offices in Long Island, Rochester, and San Antonio. There are also offices in Albany, Long Island, New York City, Toronto, Chicago, Jacksonville, and Washington, D.C.

“This is the right move at the right time. The combination of Fay Sharpe with Lippes Mathias is driven by what is best for our firm and our clients,” said Joseph D. Dreher, former partner at Fay Sharpe, now partner and IP team co-leader at Lippes Mathias.

The former Fay Sharpe attorneys and professionals will continue to practice out of the fifth floor of the Halle Building in downtown Cleveland under the Lippes Mathias LLP brand, with Dreher and Thompson co-leading the unified intellectual property practice team.

James E. Scarbrough, a former managing partner at Fay Sharpe, will serve as the partner-in-charge of Lippes Mathias’ Cleveland office.

“There’s a lot of technical advancements going on in the software field and the electrical mechanical and chemical fields and we felt that we needed to position ourselves to have a bigger platform to expand on our existing IP practice and hopefully add new areas and strengthen areas of IP practice,” Scarbrough said.

Scarbrough said the merger is “a really good cultural fit in terms of personalities.”

Since 2015, Lippes has combined with seven law firms, starting with an 11-attorney shop in Albany. The Linden Oaks office opened about 18 months ago and has already outgrown the space with seven lawyers. The firm expects to add three more to that office this year.

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