Kevin McKenzie

kevin.mckenzie@commercialappeal.com

The practice of health law provided the major attraction that drew Baker Donelson, the largest law firm in Memphis and Tennessee, to agree to a merger with a smaller firm in Maryland.

A consultant hired by Baltimore-based Ober|Kaler to look for merger partners last spring first introduced that 110-lawyer firm to Memphis-based Baker Donelson, which has more than 700 attorneys and public policy advisers.

Ober|Kaler is based in Baltimore, the headquarters city for the federal government’s chief health care regulatory and reimbursement agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Founded in 1903, Ober|Kaler has developed regulatory and reimbursement depth and breadth, and serves many for-profit health care companies, said Ben C. Adams, chairman and chief executive of Memphis-based Baker Donelson.

The capital of the for-profit health care industry is Nashville, where Baker Donelson has one of its 21 offices. With roots dating back to 1888, the Memphis firm has a stronger presence in the nonprofit health care industry and business deals.

“So you put the two together and you’ve really complimented each other in the health care field and you have a strong presence in what I’d call the three legal centers for health care,” Adams said.

“Washington on the regulatory policy, Baltimore because of the regulatory reimbursement with CMS and Nashville being the for-profit health care capital,” Adams said.

One factor that made the introductions between the two firms easier was that attorneys at both firms had previously met through the American Health Lawyers Association and while practicing, he said.

Shareholders of both firms have approved the merger, for undisclosed terms. Jan. 1 is the planned date when the combined firms, maintaining the Baker Donelson name, will become one of the 50 largest law firms in the nation, the firms announced Monday.

“In Memphis, this doesn’t really change anything, other than it allows us to offer a greater depth and breadth of services because of our expertise throughout the firm,” Adams said.

The firm has about 100 lawyers based in Memphis, he said.

Baker Donelson has continued to grow in recent years with mergers and groups of lawyers joining the firm. Those included smaller mergers with firms in Florida and Texas 2011 and 2012. The firm recently opened its first office in Columbia, South Carolina, when a dozen lawyers joined the fold, he said.

In addition to health law, the two firms found complementary strengths in areas including serving financial institutions and the construction industry.

“This combination will bring together two strong firms with national reputations, particularly health care, financial services and construction, for exceptional client service,” Ober|Kaler’s chief executive officer, Craig Holden, said in a statement.

In addition to Baltimore, Ober|Kaler has offices in Washington and Falls Church, Virginia. In addition to Tennessee, Baker Donelson has offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and the nation’s capital.