West Virginia Record

CINCINNATI – Dinsmore & Shohl is expanding its national footprint through a merger with Peck Shaffer & Williams LLP (Peck Shaffer).

For more than 120 years, Peck Shaffer has developed one of the largest and most respected public finance practices in the country. With the merger, Dinsmore will gain significant bond counsel strength. To support this growth, the firm will create a Finance Department and restructure several practice groups.

Effective March 1, Peck Shaffer will become a division of Dinsmore & Shohl.

“The timing is right from our standpoint,” said George H. Vincent, Dinsmore’s Managing Partner and Chairman. “Peck Shaffer is known nationally for the quality and strength of its public finance practice. Combining its 35 attorneys with our top commercial finance and bond counsel groups means we are well positioned in the finance arena.

"We are very pleased to add these exceptional attorneys to the firm. This expansion also aligns with our strategic goals of keeping pace with our clients’ sophisticated public financing needs.”

Dinsmore's West Virginia footprint will benefit, too.

“We are excited about this opportunity, not only for the firm as a whole, but for us here in West Virginia,” said John Hussell, managing partner of Dinsmore’s Charleston office. “Peck Shaffer is well known for its work in the finance area and its addition will provide us with the capability of meeting the complex public financing requirements of clients here in West Virginia that was not previously available.”

Peck Shaffer was founded in Cincinnati in 1889 and is one of the oldest bond counsel firms in the nation. From 1977-2005, Peck Shaffer expanded as its work grew, opening offices in Columbus, Covington, Ky.; Chicago and Denver. Peck Shaffer serves clients in nearly all 50 states. Dinsmore welcomes 23 partners, eight associates, four Of Counsel attorneys and 27 professional staff.

“We are excited about the opportunity to join Dinsmore and to expand our public finance service offering,” said Dirk M. Bedarff, Peck Shaffer’s Managing Partner. “It also enables us to leverage Dinsmore’s Corporate, Litigation, Labor & Employment and Intellectual Property groups to fully support our clients’ needs.”

Peck Shaffer consistently ranks as one of the top bond counsel firms in the country. For 2013, The Bond Buyer ranked the firm 15th in the nation among underwriter’s counsel and 16th in the nation among bond counsel. Peck Shaffer attorneys have also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and singled out as “Public Finance Law Lawyers of the Year.” They are also fortunate to have attorneys who are American College of Bond Counsel Fellows.

Dinsmore provides a broad range of integrated services to meet the needs of both large and small businesses as well as institutions, associations, governments, professional firms and individuals. It boasts more than 500 attorneys with locations in 16 cities throughout Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and West Virginia.

For more information, visit www.dinsmore.com.