Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough law firm opens first office in Manhattan

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough – the high-profile, Columbia-based law firm and major Main Street anchor – open its first office in New York, the firm announced Monday.

Nelson Mullins, which already employs more than 500 attorneys in seven states and the District of Columbia, has assembled a 20-plus member team in Manhattan to establish a presence in the nation’s financial capital, the firm said.

“For the last several years, Nelson Mullins has evaluated potential candidates and groups of lawyers in New York City with the goal to open an office to support our corporate group’s capital markets, private equity, public securities, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate practices,” Nelson Mullins Managing Partner James Lehman said in a statement. “We look forward to growing our 15th office and enhancing our services to clients.”

The law firm said it has added JPMorgan Chase Bank Executive Director Steve Hantz as a Nelson Mullins partner in its real estate capital markets group as well as Gillian Deutch, who has New York law firm experience in real estate and corporate finance.

Nelson Mullins currently administers its capital markets group, which advises companies on raising money, through its offices in Atlanta and Charlotte. Along with the move to New York, the firm will expand capital market operations in the South.

Nelson Mullins is the major tenant in the 17-story Meridian Building in downtown Columbia, which in 2004 became the first city high-rise developed in 15 years along Main Street.

This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough law firm opens first office in Manhattan."