Kutak Rock
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| Kutak Rock | |
| Headquarters | Omaha, Nebraska |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 18 |
| No. of attorneys | more than 500 |
| Major practice areas | Corporate law |
| Key people | David A. Jacobson, Chairman[1] |
| Date founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Robert J. Kutak, Harold L. Rock and William Campbell |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | KutakRock.com |
Kutak Rock LLP is a US law firm, founded in 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska, which now[when?] has more than 500 attorneys in 17 offices around the US.
History
The firm was founded in Omaha in 1965 by Robert J. Kutak and Harold Rock.[2] After 1972 the firm pursued an aggressive expansion strategy, first by absorbing two other Omaha firms and then by adding offices in other cities, beginning in 1977 with offices in Denver and Washington, D.C., By 1978 the firm, with its main concentration in public finance law, was reported to be the fastest growing law firm in the United States.[3] By 1981 it was apparent that the firm had expanded faster than it could sustain, and several offices closed, but growth later resumed as the firm added other specialties.[4] In 2014 the firm added its 17th office, in Spokane, Washington.[5]
Robert Kutak, a founder of the firm, chaired the American Bar Association commission which developed the new Model Rules of Professional Conduct and rewrote ethical standards for lawyers; today, the ABA offers a legal education award named for him.[6] He was also instrumental in purchasing and preserving the Omaha Bank Building for use as the firm's main office. He died of a heart attack in 1983, at age 50.[7]
Notable alumni
- David Karnes, former U.S. Senator for Nebraska, is of counsel to the firm.[8]
- Robert Kutak, founder of the firm and Chairman of the American Bar Association's Special Commission on Evaluation of Professional Standards [9]
- Bart McLeay, candidate for United States Senate for Nebraska in 2014.[10]
- Lindsey Miller-Lerman, Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court.[11]
- Steve Pedersen, founding member of indie rock band Cursive (band).
References
- ^ Jacobson's firm bio
- ^ History of Kutak Rock
- ^ "Kutak, Rock & Huie: One firm, under charter . . .", ABA Journal, October 1978.
- ^ Steve Jordon, "Business Opportunities Push Omaha, Neb., Law Firm to Grow", Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, January 20, 2000 – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
- ^ Linn Parish, "Kutak Rock LLP looks to expand quickly in Spokane", Spokane Journal of Business, September 25, 2014.
- ^ ABA Legal Education Committees, includes Kutak Award
- ^ Robert J. Kutak biography and memorial
- ^ Karnes' firm bio
- ^ http://www.kutakrock.com/robert-bob-kutak/
- ^ http://BartMcLeay.com/
- ^ Gradwohl, Judge Janice L. (April 2000). "Inching Through the Glass Ceiling: The History of the Selection of Women Judges in Nebraska" (PDF). The Nebraska Lawyer (Lincoln, NE: Nebraska State Bar Association): 12–18. OCLC 38005680. Retrieved 19 January 2016