New Kansas City location led by partners Nikki Howell and Bill Rudy The company and law firm names shown above are generated automatically based on the text of the article. We are improving this feature as we continue to test and develop in beta. We welcome feedback, which you can provide using the feedback tab on the right of the page. (Reuters) - Fox Rothschild on Wednesday said it is formally opening an office in Kansas City, bringing together a group of five labor and employment and intellectual property lawyers to spearhead its growth in the Midwest region. The initial group is led by partners Nikki Howell and Bill Rudy, joined by associates Aaron Wynhausen, George Brand, Michael Rudd and two staff members. Fox Rothschild chair Mark Silow said the firm has had lawyers practicing remotely in Kansas City for years, and now has achieved "critical mass that warranted a physical location.” Howell, a labor and employment lawyer, joined Fox Rothschild last August from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete. Rudy came to the firm in 2015 from Kansas City-founded Lathrop Gage, where he had chaired the firm’s IP division before it merged with Gray Plant Mooty to create Lathrop GPM in 2020. “We would like a full-service office,” Silow said. He said the firm is looking to have 20 to 30 lawyers in Kansas City, expanding its practice mix to include corporate, real estate, and civil litigation. The Kansas City office, which opens Nov. 15 at 4900 Main St., is Fox Rothschild’s 28th in the United States. With lawyers already working remotely in Boston, Silow added the firm is also looking to open a physical office there in the “not too distant future.” In the past year, the Philadelphia-founded firm also expanded its Atlanta and San Francisco offices by absorbing local boutiques.