North Carolina's oldest law firm, Raleigh-based Maupin Taylor, announced Friday that it plans to merge with a Richmond, Va., firm, Williams Mullen.

The combined company would be one of the largest in the Southeast with 300 lawyers, 700 employees and about a dozen offices in North Carolina; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and London.

The name of the combined firm will be Williams Mullen, although North Carolina offices will operate under the name Williams Mullen Maupin Taylor for a transitional period. The firm's headquarters will be in Richmond.

"This will be good for North Carolina because it adds more depth in service that we can provide here," said Keith Kapp, Maupin Taylor's managing partner.

Although Raleigh will lose the cachet of having the firm's headquarters, Kapp said there will be no layoffs, closed offices or cutbacks as a result of the merger.

Maupin Taylor has about 130 employees and 30 partners, all of whom will become partners in Williams Mullen. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This is a combination of two firms where nobody is buying or selling anything," Kapp said.

Maupin Taylor will gain Williams Mullen's Washington strategies group, which will be useful for clients with ties to federal government agencies, Kapp said. Williams Mullen gets a significant North Carolina client base.

In environmental law, Williams Mullen complements Maupin Taylor's strength in water quality issues with an expertise in air quality.

Joey Smith, chairman and CEO of Williams Mullen, Virginia's third-largest law firm, will become chairman and CEO of the merged company.

Such unions are common among law, accounting and medical practices, said Bill Wagner, an investment banker in Raleigh who helps execute mergers. "It comes down to being able to provide a fuller range of services as a combined firm rather than have to send business away," Wagner said.

Maupin Taylor has offices in Raleigh, Research Triangle Park and Wilmington. Williams Mullen has offices in Charlottesville, McLean, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Tysons Corner, Virginia Beach and Portsmouth, Va.; Washington, D.C.; and London.

Maupin Taylor's Raleigh office will be the second-largest in the combined firm, with about 100 employees. The merger is expected to close March 1.

Maupin Taylor has had several names since its founding in 1870.

It was known as Maupin Taylor Ellis from the 1960s until 2003. That was when Thomas F. Ellis, a well-known supporter of former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and the Republican Party, left the firm.

Ellis earned some fame for helping elect various high-level Republicans. He was credited with salvaging Ronald Reagan's political career by helping him win the 1976 presidential primary in North Carolina.

Today, Maupin Taylor concentrates on corporate law, litigation, and employment and labor law.

http://www.maupintaylor.com