New Lommen Abdo Law Firm Will Combine Litigation, Business and National Entertainment Strengths

12/6/2005

The new year is bringing together two long-standing Midwest-based law firms to create a new firm whose combined talents deepen its collective practice areas and sharpen its competitive edge – all to the benefit of their clients locally, nationally and internationally. Lommen Abdo will open its doors January 1, 2006, combining Lommen, Nelson, Cole & Stageberg, P.A. with Abdo, Abdo, Broady & Satorius, P.A. The official name will be "Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A." The firm will be marketed as "Lommen Abdo." The five-member Abdo firm will relocate to the offices of the 27-lawyer Lommen Nelson firm on the 20^th floor of the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. The firm also has offices in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Lommen Nelson’s reputation for complex litigation and appeals will combine with the respected practices of the Abdo firm in business transactions and disputes, artist advocacy and entertainment law, to give two already high-profile firms – with almost 155 years of combined practice – even more capacity for client service, competitive resources and leverage in the marketplace. Both firms have previously offered a wide array of legal services and the combination of the two firms will augment the litigation and business practices of each firm.

"Both legal entities are coming at this from positions of strength," Lommen Nelson President Phillip A. Cole says. "The Lommen Abdo name was selected because we want to emphasize both the expanded litigation and the expanded corporate resources of the two firms that are linked together in the new firm."

Complementary Combination

"There have been a lot of law firm mergers, but what makes this combination of firms unique is the glove-like fit of complementary areas of practice," adds Robert P. Abdo, President of the Abdo firm. "Neither firm needed to merge. However, the combination of the two provides greater benefits to the clients of each firm by deepening the resources that are now available when the client’s need arises. It’s a winning combination of two successful firms that will immediately expand their combined business presence and litigation practices."

Lommen Abdo will remain the Midwest’s largest entertainment law firm with its nationally recognized practice led by Daniel M. Satorius and Kenneth J. Abdo, both of whom have national reputations and have led national professional associations. Dan Satorius has served on several regional and national boards in the independent film industry, including the Independent Film Projects Board of Directors for Minnesota and New York. Ken Abdo recently served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries and was the first Chair to hail from the Midwest. In October, he presided over the ABA’s recent annual meetings in Los Angeles and New York.

"For our existing clients, the transition will be seamless, without any noticeable change other than a substantial increase in firepower and the availability of broader experience in all practice areas," Ken Abdo notes. "Lommen Abdo will debut on the national music scene as the exclusive law firm sponsor and presenter of the continuing legal education seminars at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas in March 2006." Both Ken Abdo and Dan Satorius will be featured lecturers.

The combined firm’s practice areas include artist advocacy and entertainment law, commercial transactions, business and corporate, the selection and creation of the best type of entities for business clients, mergers and acquisitions, securities, contracts, real estate, privacy issues, taxation, employment, environmental/land use, finance, intellectual property and technology, commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, wrongful death, products liability, mass torts and class actions, anti-trust, insurance coverage, appeals, mediation and arbitration, and estate and succession planning.

Phil Cole serves as President of the new firm, while Bob Abdo will join the board of directors and serve as a Vice President. Bob Abdo will also co-chair the firm’s Corporate Practice Section with Roger V. Stageberg, a former president of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Ken Abdo, Keith Broady and Dan Satorius will also serve as Vice Presidents. Dan Satorius and Ken Abdo will co-chair the Entertainment & Intellectual Property Section.

Lommen Nelson has its roots in the 1940s. It has taken on leadership roles in national anti-trust, mass tort, vaccine and legal malpractice litigation matters. Once known as an insurance defense firm, over the past three decades, its litigation focus has shifted to include commercial litigation, medical malpractice, wrongful death and other complex litigation and appeals. The firm has also expanded its corporate practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, tax and estate planning practice. It has also expanded the business practice of its Hudson office, which was opened over 20 years ago. Through the years, Lommen Nelson has continued to successfully reposition its overall practice with several strategic mergers and lateral hires.

Lommen Nelson’s corporate clients include entrepreneurs and mid-size local, regional, national and international businesses, many of which are family-owned or closely held, including companies such as Kulkoni, Inc., Vertin Companies, Catalog Marketing Services, Inc. and ZipSort, Inc. Litigation clients include businesses; construction companies and real estate developers; other lawyers sued for negligence or involved in licensing matters; executives involved in non-compete or separation disputes; people injured through medical negligence, auto accidents, or defective products; those harmed by anti-trust or securities violations; and creditors caught in bankruptcy disputes.

It is an active participant in the International Lawyers Network, an association of 85 high-quality, full-service law firms with over 4,500 lawyers worldwide. The Network provides clients with easily accessible legal services in 61 countries on six continents.

Founded in 1936 by E. John Abdo, who is survived by his lawyer-sons Bob and Ken Abdo, the Abdo firm has evolved from a general civil practice to a locally and nationally recognized business, entertainment law and business litigation firm. Business clients have included: Time Warner, Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting, ADT Security Services, Crown Bank and Associated Bank.

Lommen Abdo will also expand upon the Abdo firm’s entertainment law practice whose clients have included: Grammy® Award nominated recording artists such as Jonny Lang, Michelle Branch, and Garrison Keillor; established artists such as Bobby Caldwell, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Semisonic, Prince’s record company - NPG Records; and rising stars such as Anna Nalick, Vienna Teng, and Keri Noble. Clients also include numerous award winning motion pictures and television programs and producers including projects achieving Academy Awards®, Peabody Awards®, Emmy Awards®, and Sundance Film Festival® awards and nominations, producers, publishers, distributors, authors, major market radio disc jockeys, TV anchors, program directors, managers, and other performers in the music, motion picture, television, book publishing, computer and interactive media industries.

Participating in community and professional association activities has always been important to the lawyers of both firms. Many lawyers in the combined firm serve or have served as Mayors, on city councils, committees, school boards, non-profit boards, legal aid agencies, and as leaders of state and national bar associations. Providing pro bono services to the disadvantaged has also been a tradition of each of these firms, and that tradition will continue with the new Lommen Abdo.

The names of the two firms will be combined to become Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A., or Lommen Abdo. Pictured above (left to right) are the named shareholders from the two firms: Keith Broady, Roger Stageberg, Phil Cole, Bob Abdo, Dan Satorius, Bob King and Ken Abdo.