The three-lawyer Coral Gables criminal law firm of Hirschhorn & Bieber has joined the Orlando-centered multi-city law firm of Gray Robinson.   See here.  Their move from a small criminal law practice to  a much larger firm reflects a trend of many of "the best and the brightest" of the criminal defense bar leaving small firm practices to join large firms, a trend about which I have mixed feelings.  See here.

On the one hand, superb lawyers like Joel Hirschhorn and Brian Bieber, with significant criminal trial experience and demonstrated willingness to stand up to the government when appropriate, add expertise, energy and a degree of combativeness to the often too compliant white collar criminal defense bar.

On the other hand, the loss of two excellent lawyers from the ranks of the general criminal defense bar with its willingness and ability to represent the most unpopular and most in need of able, experienced and vigorous counsel saddens me.  Although Brian Bieber vowed that his group will retain its "boutique" identity, I fear that there will be pressures from others in their new firm not to handle certain cases for image and economic reasons.  I hope, and I would not be surprised, that these two dedicated lawyers resist.

I wish them luck.

(goldman)