Nearly 100 years after its founding, homegrown Atlanta law firm Powell Goldstein LLP has been acquired by St. Louis-based international law firm Bryan Cave LLP.

Powell Goldstein, known by its nickname, Pogo, has said it won’t shed any of its approximately 250 lawyers in the transaction, which creates a new firm with more than 1,200 lawyers and other professionals and a broad international presence. 

The combined firm will be known globally as Bryan Cave LLP, but the Atlanta office will initially do business as Bryan Cave Powell Goldstein LLP, according to a Powell Goldstein press release.

On its own, Powell Goldstein currently has no international offices but has locations in Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, N.C., and Washington. 

The combined firm will have 25 offices throughout 22 countries.  In the past 17 months, Bryan Cave has made a variety of moves to broaden its global influence, including establishing new offices in Milan, Italy; Hamburg, Germany; San Francisco and Paris.

Powell Goldstein’s leadership welcomed the acquisition as a means to expanding the depth of services it can offer clients.

“Bryan Cave has both a strong national platform and an expanding international presence.  The combination of the firms will provide our clients with a greater depth and range of services from a global platform,” said James McAlpin, Jr., chairman of Powell Goldstein. 

The combination will be effective Jan. 1.