Bay Area-based trial law firm Lafayette & Kumagai LLP announced that it will expand into Southern California with a historic merger with Sanders Roberts LLP, a diversified firm with a strong focus on litigation and transactional matters. Sanders Roberts is the United States’ largest and one of its fastest-growing Black-owned law firms. Both Black-owned firms are certified as minority-owned businesses and are members of the prestigious National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF).
“With offices spanning the state of California, we are excited to offer our clients greater capacity to handle cases while upholding the exceptional standard of litigation and trial expertise that our clients rely upon and expect,” said Lafayette & Kumagai founding partner, Gary Lafayette. “With our expanded offerings, we strengthen our capabilities in business and employment litigation and now provide clients access to general liability litigation and entertainment law services.”
Lafayette, awarded the prestigious California Lawyer of the Year award by California Lawyer Magazine, and called a “big gun” and “high profile” by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Recorder, has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has tried more than 35 jury trials to verdict, and has successfully argued significant cases before the California Court of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit, the Ninth Circuit en benc, and the United States Supreme Court. Lafayette, a notable trial attorney who has successfully tried a number of multi-month jury trials, and who is often sought to handle especially complex or sensitive matters, will join Sanders Roberts as a Partner. Coming with him will be the balance of the Lafayette & Kumagai lawyers and staff.
“We have known Gary for a long time and deeply admire the work he and his firm have done,’’ said Lawrence C. Hinkle II, Managing Partner, Sanders Roberts LLP. “I was excited about the opportunity to join forces and welcome Lafayette & Kumagai to the Sanders Roberts family and establish a Bay Area presence with such top talent. We strive to meet and exceed the highest standards of excellence, and bringing Gary and his excellent team aboard underlines that commitment.”
While Sanders Roberts and Lafayette & Kumagai have both grown organically, this represents both firm’s first merger, and advances Sanders Roberts’ goal of establishing the first institutional law firm in the United States that originated as a Black-owned firm, with an established presence in key major markets. This merger gives the firm a significant presence with top tier lawyers in three of California’s most significant legal markets, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego.
“We are thrilled and honored to have Gary and his team join Sanders Roberts,” said co-founder Reginald Roberts, Jr. “This is a huge deal for our firm and validates our aspirations of being a national institutional firm with some of the top lawyers anywhere.”
“Gary is a true heavy hitter in this industry, and having him and his outstanding team lead our Bay Area practice is going to add tremendous value for our clients,” said co-founding partner Justin Sanders. “We look forward to continuing to add some of the country’s best attorneys to our firm as part of our ongoing growth.”
About Sanders Roberts LLP
Since 2008, Sanders Roberts LLP has provided exceptional legal services customized to its clients and their individual situations. Sanders Roberts believes in efficiently and effectively resolving the issues at hand and crafting solutions that work for its clients and their enterprises.
As a premier firm with a stellar reputation for obtaining the best results possible for its clients, Sanders Roberts’ litigation and transactional attorneys are creative, aggressive advocates and “fixers” who design and execute the most efficient and cost-effective strategies to protect and advance their clients’ interests. The firm’s experienced trial lawyers have successfully tried numerous cases to judges and juries, providing counsel of the highest quality and ethics. Its transactional lawyers have effectively negotiated and structured deals for entertainment and commercial matters. Sanders Roberts has been recognized as a “Top 20 Boutique in California” by the Daily Journal and one of the “Most Admired Firms to Work For” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The firm is a member of NAMWOLF and a certified Minority Business Enterprise, and currently has offices in Los Angeles and San Diego.
About Lafayette & Kumagai LLP
Lafayette & Kumagai is a boutique litigation firm with a focus on employment and business litigation, including complex and class actions matters. Established in 1994, the firm has earned a reputation for excellence with a proven track record of successfully representing its clients in all aspects of litigation. The firm takes pride in the recognition it receives from clients and the legal community for its litigation and trial skills. Lafayette & Kumagai was awarded the Minority-Owned Law Firm Client Service Award, presented by the California Minority Counsel Program for outstanding client service. The firm has also been listed in “Litigation Kings” and in “Who Represents America’s Biggest Companies?” in Corporate Counsel magazine’s annual report on the law firms most used by the Fortune 100, and has often been recognized as a “Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies” for its Labor & Employment practice.
Lafayette & Kumagai has extensive experience in both state and federal courts throughout California, and has a distinguished record for motion practice, jury trials and appeals. Lafayette & Kumagai is one of few minority-owned firms to argue before the United States Supreme Court. Clients trust the firm’s handling of high-profile cases with media exposure.
Read press coverage in the Los Angeles Business Journal