Edwards Wildman Palmer

Edwards Wildman
Company type	Law firm
Industry	Legal services
Founded	2005
Defunct	2015-01-10
Fate	Merged with Locke Lord to form Locke Lord LLP
Headquarters	Boston, United States
Area served	United States, Europe, Asia
Key people	Alan Levin (Chairman)
Products	Legal services including antitrust and competition law, corporate legal services, international transactions, debt financing and capital markets, environmental regulations, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, labor and employment law, litigation, data privacy and protection, public finance, government affairs, real estate law, restructuring and insolvency, taxation, employee benefits and compensation plans, technology law
Number of employees	Not specified

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Edwards Wildman Palmer, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 2025

Edwards Wildman was a prominent AmLaw 100 law firm created through the 2011 consolidation of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon. The predecessor, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, originated from a 2005 union between Edwards & Angell LLP and Palmer & Dodge LLP. In 2008, the Boston-based Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge expanded further by merging with Kendall Freeman, a London firm of 40 attorneys with expertise in dispute resolution, litigation, and regulatory insurance and reinsurance matters.

The firm maintained a presence with 15 offices distributed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

On January 10, 2015, Edwards Wildman combined with Locke Lord, resulting in the establishment of Locke Lord LLP.

Leadership

Prior to the merger, Alan Levin held the position of chairman at Edwards Wildman.

Practice areas

The firm’s portfolio encompassed a wide array of sectors including antitrust and competition law, corporate legal services, international transactions, debt financing and capital markets, environmental regulations, insurance and reinsurance practices, intellectual property rights, labor and employment law, litigation, data privacy and protection, public finance, government affairs, real estate law, restructuring and insolvency issues, taxation, employee benefits and compensation plans, as well as technology-focused legal work.

Edwards Wildman placed particular emphasis on corporate financial dealings, sophisticated litigation cases, intellectual property management, and insurance/reinsurance services. The firm was especially recognized for its expertise in venture capital and private equity transactions. Drawing on more than 125 years of combined experience, Edwards Wildman catered to an extensive client base including Fortune 500 corporations, FTSE 250 companies, and emerging startups.

Representative Matters

In August 2012, Edwards Wildman played a key role advising Thomson Reuters on the establishment of Connecticut’s inaugural captive insurer—an achievement that garnered considerable media coverage. The firm also supported Stanley Black & Decker in transferring its captive insurer license from Vermont to Connecticut, marking the state’s second authorized captive insurer.

Partner Shawn Elliot Atkinson directed the international legal team during the $900 million acquisition of GTS Central Europe by Deutsche Telekom. Meanwhile, partner Al Sokol assisted two biotechnology startups in their transition from C corporation status to limited liability company structures and presented on this pioneering organizational approach.

The debt finance and capital markets group at Edwards Wildman represented a diverse clientele including global financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, and institutional lenders. Partner Stephen Huggard successfully defended Mark Philip—former president of Stryker Biotech—in federal proceedings that were ultimately dismissed; this achievement was highlighted in the Financial Times’ 2012 ranking of most innovative law firms.

Insurance and reinsurance specialists Darlene Alt and Robert DiUbaldo evaluated the business ramifications following Superstorm Sandy and provided strategic guidance for corporate recovery efforts. Partner David Bogan concentrated on utility regulation and energy policy matters with particular focus on Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy.

The Private Client Group analyzed charitable giving patterns in light of anticipated tax reforms for 2013; their insights were referenced by TheStreet. Partner Becket McGrath offered expert commentary on reforms to UK criminal cartel offenses and outlined their consequences for American businesses operating within that jurisdiction.

Edwards Wildman actively sponsored entrepreneurial competitions such as the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and TiE Boston events. Its Helping Innovators Thrive (HIT) initiative has backed companies like Sproxil and Dailybreak; founder Richard Kimball earned recognition for his leadership within TiE-Boston activities. The HIT program also received commendations in entrepreneurship lectures conducted at Tufts University.

Steve Rowan, serving as deputy COO for European and Asian offices, provided perspectives on operational efficiencies and evolving structures within the legal sector during an interview with The Lawyer. London-based attorney Jonny McDonald authored reflections on how his military background prepared him for a career in law.

Partner Mark Peters contributed articles addressing legislative reforms following the Vito Lopez scandal in the New York Daily News as well as consumer protection issues related to insurer insolvency published in CFO magazine.

Rankings/honors

In 2012, Edwards Wildman was acknowledged by the Financial Times on its "commended" list for innovative litigation practices, notably for representing Mark Philip, the former president of Stryker Biotech, in defending against FDA allegations including wire fraud.

At the 2012 Global Awards hosted by Reactions magazine, Edwards Wildman earned the title of "Best Global Law Firm of the Year." The firm achieved top rankings in the United States overall, as well as in regulation and insolvency, and led in London litigation. It secured second place in both US and London reinsurance categories and ranked third in US litigation and Bermuda regulation.

During the 2012 British Legal Awards, Edwards Wildman's London office was honored as "London Office of the Year," recognizing its strategic mergers, significant lateral recruitment, the "Helping Innovators Thrive" initiative, and dedication to pro bono efforts. Since 2008, this office has doubled its client portfolio and revenue while expanding its team from 60 to over 90 fee earners.

Legal Business UK included Edwards Wildman among finalists for "US Law Firm of the Year" in 2012, while The Lawyer shortlisted the firm for "International Law Firm of the Year."

Chambers USA ranked Edwards Wildman attorneys across a broad spectrum of practice areas in 2012, such as insurance, corporate/M&A, antitrust, bankruptcy and restructuring, private equity, environmental law, intellectual property, litigation, technology, banking and finance, public finance, healthcare, real estate, tax law, privacy and data security, and labor and employment.

In 2013, Chambers UK acknowledged the firm’s expertise in insurance, competition and European law, dispute resolution, employment law, intellectual property, private equity and venture capital investment, public international law, as well as restructuring and insolvency.

Based on a nationwide survey of corporate counsel, Edwards Wildman was included in BTI’s Client Service A-Team for 2013.

The 2013 "Best Law Firms" survey by US News/Best Lawyers recognized Edwards Wildman in 62 practice areas including litigation, intellectual property, insurance law, tax matters, banking and finance, public finance, education law, trusts and estates law, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and corporate governance.

For the fifth year running in 2013, the firm achieved a perfect rating on the Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work Survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign.

The Legal 500 UK recommended Edwards Wildman's London office in 17 categories during 2012. These included corporate and commercial law, dispute resolution services, finance matters, insurance law, technology sectors, media and telecommunications practices, as well as transportation law.

Diversity

Paulette Brown—partner based in Madison, New Jersey within Edwards Wildman's labor and employment division—held the position of Chief diversity officer at the firm. In August 2012 she participated on an ABA panel addressing implicit bias. Brown later served as president of the American Bar Association from August 2015 through August 2016. She made history as the first woman of color to lead the ABA and was a longstanding advocate for diversity initiatives. Brown is noted as the ABA’s sixth female president since its founding in 1878 and only its third African-American to hold that role.

Emily Yu, an associate working in Edwards Wildman's Real Estate Department, was recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a 2013 "Up & Coming Lawyer."

Offices

External links

Official website