Polsinelli Shughart PC will shorten the firm name to Polsinelli PC effective late April, 2013.

The firm’s February 2009 combination with Shughart Thomson & Kilroy was preceded by several smaller mergers and acquisitions. The firm has added over 150 attorneys in the four years since the Shughart Thomson merger. Today, the national law firm has more than 630 attorneys in 16 cities including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

“While our legacy firms and our history provides our foundation, we have become more than the sum of our parts. Most importantly we are all one firm today and our clients already refer to us as Polsinelli,” said Chairman Russ Welsh. “The owners agreed using one name reflects we are one firm from coast to coast.”

In its 40-year history Polsinelli has had multiple firm names including Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus just before the firm successfully merged with Shughart Thomson & Kilroy and adopted the combined name of Polsinelli Shughart. The merger added Shughart’s well recognized extensive litigation experience to the firm’s established and growing corporate, healthcare, real estate and financial services practices. Adopting one name reflects true integration of services and firm culture.

“This decision reflects branding trends in legal and other professional services which have emulated longstanding practices in consumer marketing,” said Chief Marketing Officer, Allison Yurman. “From a strategic point of view, building brand equity around one name is more viable, and this change leverages existing name awareness by focusing on the shorthand already in use by clients.”

Welsh said the Shughart merger in 2009 brought critical strength in litigation and Shughart’s long, impressive history in Kansas City since the 1940’s. Many of the original Shughart attorneys hold key leadership positions at Polsinelli as practice group chairs and board members.

“We would not be where we are today without those who joined the firm through mergers and laterally.” said Welsh. “When we first merged with Shughart we all joked that both names were a mouthful. But the core reason for the name change is that it reflects who we are now and where we are headed strategically. We are confident the one name, Polsinelli, is easier for clients and will help us strengthen our national identity.”