Wiggin and Dana Expands Corporate Department

NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wiggin and Dana LLP is excited to announce that a group of lawyers from innovative New York boutique, Gray, PLLC, have joined Wiggin and Dana in its Manhattan office, adding five new attorneys to the firm's rapidly growing corporate and transactional practice. This group includes two partners:  Len Gray, founder of Gray, PLLC, who has joined Wiggin and Dana as Co-Chair of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice group; and Andrew Ritter, a Gray, PLLC partner, who has joined Wiggin and Dana as Co-Chair of the Finance and Restructuring practice group.

Len Gray, who has gained prominence in the New York startup community for his leadership of Gray, PLLC, has extensive experience working on a diverse range of corporate and financial transactions. Gray founded Gray, PLLC in 2016, after beginning his career at a major international law firm in New York City and a stint as a founder of multiple startups, he is a proven entrepreneurial leader with a track record for establishing deep relationships with emerging growth companies from formation to exit. Mr. Gray holds a J.D. with honors from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Andrew Ritter, recognized as a top-rated mergers and acquisitions attorney by "Super Lawyers," is an experienced corporate and restructuring attorney who has advised clients in connection with a broad range of domestic and cross-border transactions across a variety of sectors. Before joining Gray, PLLC, he worked at two prominent international law firms and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army, deploying to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. Mr. Ritter earned his J.D. from Northwestern University and his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Wiggin and Dana is also excited to announce that, in partnership with this new group of lawyers, it has begun work on a new startup-focused initiative that will launch as a sub-brand later this year. This new initiative will leverage the combined talents and perspectives of the Wiggin and Dana and Gray, PLLC teams, to bring creative solutions to emerging growth companies and venture capital clients.  The firm expects this to immediately enhance Wiggin and Dana's ability to respond to the changing legal needs of the growing and evolving technology community.

Regarding the move to Wiggin and Dana, Len Gray said "From my earliest conversations with the Wiggin and Dana team, it was clear that we shared a vision of the law firm opportunity that exists in the New York startup market, specifically a company-oriented practice nimble enough to provide its clients varied, but cost-efficient, solutions," He added, "It is obviously popular to talk about law firms being 'tech-enabled,' but too often clients do not see the benefit of that. Our ambition to deliver this type of service often exceeded our capacity to do so as a boutique law firm. This is what makes the opportunity at Wiggin and Dana so exciting for our clients and us:  it packages the benefits of a large, multi-faceted law firm with the agile, results-oriented approach of a boutique. And seeing the new startup-focused initiative take shape, it's clear that our clients are going to be the ultimate beneficiary of the combined approach."

"Our emerging companies, M&A and restructuring practices, are points of focus for us as we continue to grow strategically in areas important to our clients," said Managing Partner of Wiggin and Dana, Paul A. Hughes. He continued, "Adding colleagues of this caliber to our Corporate Department plays to the firm's strengths and is an exceptional win for our clients and us. We anticipate that the skill sets, ingenuity, and creativity that Len, Andrew, and their team bring to their new roles will allow them to have a positive impact on Wiggin and Dana's bright future."

William A. Perrone, partner and Corporate Department Chair at Wiggin and Dana, notes, "Adding these experienced, high-quality lawyers to our platform in New York City will only benefit our existing M&A and restructuring practices and allow us to better serve the dynamic and ever-expanding startup and technology market that exists there. Our corporate practice is immediately improved with the addition of these outstanding attorneys."

Commenting on the addition, Partner and Co-Chair of Wiggin and Dana's Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice group, Evan S. Kipperman, said, "Len and his colleagues have extensive experience and knowledge working with high-growth technology companies which will be a tremendous asset as we work together to innovate and grow our practice group. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with them in creating a new platform for our startup clients and are confident that our combined efforts will lead to a unique approach for delivering value to these cutting edge companies."

Wiggin and Dana is a full-service law firm serving clients domestically and abroad from offices in Connecticut, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Palm Beach. For more information on the firm, visit www.wiggin.com.

Contact: Paul A. Hughes
203-498-4321
[email protected]

SOURCE Wiggin and Dana