Lippes Mathias LLP expands in Pittsford

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The local office of Lippes Mathias LLP has moved into larger office space within the Linden Oaks Office Park, in Pittsford, and the growth is expected to continue in the coming year.

Kevin Cross, managing partner of the Buffalo-based law firm, said Linden Oaks is the fastest growing of the law firm’s 14 locations. Lippes Mathias has a total of 174 lawyers and Cross expects to reach 200 next year.

The firm has been growing through small-firm acquisitions (about eight to 10 of those since 2014) along with lateral hires, although the firm also hires associates early in their careers.

The Linden Oaks office opened in October 2021 and originally had about 3,500 square feet of space. The new office has about 7,500 square feet of space.

Currently the Linden Oaks office has eight lawyers and nine support staff and is big enough for 13 lawyers and 10 support staff.

“We’re not there yet, but I think we’re going to continue to grow there,” Cross said.

The latest addition to the staff is Berj Perseghian, from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, who is now part of the Lippes Mathias environment and energy team.

Lippes Mathias started in 1965 and has steadily grown since then. Initially, the firm believed it would be possible to serve clients in Rochester out of the Albany and Buffalo offices.

“That is not true,” Cross said. “It’s become very clear to us that having the office there, having the physical presence, having the people in the community participate in the community, giving support there is very important to relationships and the clients. It has grown a lot faster than we expected because of those things,” he said.

“There is certainly going to be more growth in Rochester, no number per se, but I am prepared to move again in another year or two, if necessary,” Cross said.

The growing practice areas in the Linden Oaks office are banking, real estate, corporate, environmental, insurance coverage, general litigation, and intellectual property law, he said.

Lippes Mathias is currently looking for attorneys to expand the environmental and tax practice areas locally.

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