Larger firm buys Powell Goldstein

A well-known Atlanta law firm is being sold to a much larger firm with offices in more than 20 cities across the globe, including Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles.

Powell Goldstein, a 220-lawyer firm that is commonly referred to around town as Pogo, will be acquired by Bryan Cave, a 945-lawyer firm. For the next two years, the firm will be called Bryan Cave-Powell Goldstein. After the initial period, the Bryan Cave name will take over.

Powell Goldstein will be able to boost its national and international business through the sale, said its chairman, James J. McAlpin Jr. He also said he was especially pleased when Bryan Cave’s merger team began by proposing to have all of Powell Goldstein’s staff transfer to the new company.

“This is a very positive change for our firm and the community,” McAlpin said Saturday. “We were very selective in our search [for a merger partner]. We found a cultural partner that appealed to us.”

Powell Goldstein has offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Washington. The firm, founded in 1909, had been searching for some time to find a partner that could bring a broader expertise.