Don Cruse

According to a news release earlier this week that had escaped my attention, former Justice James Baker's law firm (Hughes & Luce) is merging with the impressively named Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP --- which even the firm's own press release chooses to define as a short form ("K&L Gates") to avoid typing fatigue. [^fn-45-1]

Although the merger apparently didn't warrant further lengthening the new firm's name, the press release does allude to Justice Baker as among those being added to the soon-to-be 1500 lawyer operation.