Law Firm Manatt Phelps Grows With N.Y. Merger

The Los Angeles law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips said it has completed a merger with the New York firm of Kalkines, Arky, Zall & Bernstein, giving Manatt its first office in New York.

The new firm will retain the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips name and also will have offices in Albany, N.Y.; Los Angeles; Orange County; Palo Alto; Sacramento; Washington; Mexico City; and Monterrey, Mexico.

Manatt, with a staff of 285, was founded in 1965 by Charles T. Manatt, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, who remains active in the firm’s Washington office.

“The New York market is the next step in our evolution,” said Paul H. Irving, Manatt’s chief executive and managing partner.

Founded in 1988, KAZB is a boutique firm with a staff of 42 that is known for its health-care practice.

“Joining with Manatt presents us with the opportunity to expand our capabilities to new industries,” said Steven Polan, KAZB’s managing partner.