Eight months after moving into the 17th floor of 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Sidley Austin’s Century City office was welcomed to the neighborhood as part of a ribbon cutting with the Century City Chamber of Commerce March 2.
Replete with a conference room-filled sushi bar, candy concessions, and a representative from the mayor’s office, Sidley’s celebration also marked the firm’s steady incline at its built-out office, growing from two to 23 lawyers in Century City since the June 1 move-in.
Sidley & Austin closed its Century City office in the early ‘90s at a time when many Westside firms were consolidating its staff in low-rent downtown.
Now they’re back in what they called “the second coming of Sidley,” with hires from Simpson Thacher, Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy and elsewhere.
Dan Clivner, corporate lawyer who specializes in mergers and acquisitions, and Matt Thompson, corporate media and entertainment partner, said the firm is in the right place to pursue the types of clients their team specializes in: media and entertainment, real estate, private equity, and the like.
“Sidley is very focused on the Los Angeles market as a whole. We’re leading a joint effort and making a big commitment to this market. We certainly hope to grow more,” Thompson said.
Sidley has 1,900 lawyers in 19 offices worldwide. Its gross revenue in 2014 was $1.75 billion, a 10 percent increase from the previous year, according to The American Lawyer.
Sidley Austin Los Angeles is celebrating its 35th year. The L.A. branch has 170 lawyers who specialize in litigation, corporate law, hospitality and real estate, and other kinds of legal services. Clivner, who was named the 2016 Corporate Lawyer of the Year by the Century City Bar Association, said Sidley is known for representing the big players of industry and high-profile transactions with banks, media and entertainment, production companies, and theme parks.
With a first-class reception under its belt, Sidley Century City is focused on expanding Sidley’s long-standing presence in Southern California.
“Having Sidley Austin’s presence and legacy in Century City is a wonderful addition to the fabric of our community,” said Susan Bursk, president and CEO of the Century City Chamber of Commerce. “The firm’s arrival further demonstrates the active expansion of Century City, and we are excited about the area’s continued growth.”
