Merge gives Archer Greiner higher profile in economic development sphere

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Acquisition of Shrewsbury firm puts EDA board member on payroll, gives Nelson, Supko & Hanlon access to resources to create regional powerhouse.So when regional firm Archer & Greiner P.C. put a merger agreement on the table to convert his Shrewsbury office to a full-service Monmouth County legal hub, Nelson and fellow principals Michael P. Supko and Christine Giordano Hanlon gladly accepted the offer.
“Archer is one of the few regional law firms that have been undergoing great growth despite the poor economic conditions, and while our practice has been growing and doing well on its own, it was becoming more and more difficult to fully service clients without having the resources and expertise in IP issues,” Nelson said.
Nelson said not much will change internally aside from the principals’ titles when the merger is completed Oct. 1, though he expects a need for more staff and space to crop up shortly after, as there are “no other regional law firms with a real presence in Monmouth County.”
“Although Archer’s greatest presence is in the southern part of the state, it’s nice to be part of a firm with offices in Philadelphia, New York and Delaware, because I’ve seen issues tend to arise across the state borders — especially for clients in New Jersey,” Nelson said.
Nelson said Archer & Greiner’s broad regional reach will also give him the opportunity to “assist clients with issues in Trenton as I had done in the past, because having one office out here (in Shrewsbury) wasn’t conducive to do that.”
Since Nelson serves on the board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and represents several public entities and officials, Archer & Greiner President Christopher R. Gibson said in a statement the acquisition “provides us a higher profile in a key area of New Jersey, while enhancing our capabilities in important practice areas,” such as municipal and governmental law, corporate law, intellectual property, health care, and trusts and estates.
When Archer & Greiner acquires Nelson Supko & Hanlon LLC on Oct. 1, the firm’s regional network will expand to nine offices with more than 215 attorneys and more than 450 employees.