Arizona Attorney Magazine has learned that international law firm Steptoe will be closing its Phoenix office by early September 2019. Firm spokesperson Kathy King, Steptoe’s Director of Media & Public Relations, told us the following on Tuesday morning:
“Steptoe will be closing its Phoenix office by September 3, 2019. After 32 years in the Phoenix community, Steptoe has made a business decision to close its Phoenix office. While this was a difficult decision, Steptoe’s strategic plan is focused on growth in priority practices in key regulatory and financial markets in the United States, Europe and Asia, and maintaining an office in Phoenix is not aligned with the strategic direction of the firm.
“This decision was reached at a time of renewed strength for Steptoe, which recorded its best financial year ever in 2018. Revenue, revenue per lawyer and profits per partner all set new records. In recent months, the firm has also added several new partners in our other offices, and that growth will be continuing in 2019 with several new partners in the pipeline.
“The firm wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Phoenix business and legal community for the relationships forged during Steptoe’s tenure in the region, and to our Phoenix lawyers and staff for their years of service.”
The firm has more than 500 attorneys in nine offices worldwide, including in Beijing, Brussels and London. The shuttering of the Phoenix office reduces that number to eight.
Paul K. Charlton, former managing partner of the Phoenix office of Steptoe (photo via Wikimedia Commons by Gage Skidmore)
Paul Charlton, former managing partner of Steptoe’s Phoenix office, is no longer with the firm. As recently as February 13, 2019, he spoke with KJZZ reporter Steve Goldstein about the naming of a new United States Attorney for the District of Arizona – a position Charlton once held. As of that interview (which you can listen to here), Charlton remained Steptoe’s managing partner.
We’ve reached out to Charlton, and asked the firm for comment on when Charlton left the firm, and where he is now.
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