Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton history

1928 The following year, they were joined by Mathes' law school roommate, James Sheppard, and the name of the Firm became Haight, Mathes & Sheppard.

The Firm has garnered numerous awards for its pro bono service, and now boasts more than 400 lawyers, a far cry from the small contingent who laid the foundation in the 1930's.

The Firm -- now named Mathes & Sheppard -- had two law clerks in 1932: J. Stanley Mullin and George R. Richter.

Both joined the Firm upon completion of their legal studies in 1933.

In 1936, he returned to the Firm, where he began serving lending clients and also became an expert in labor law.

In 1938, when the Depression was waning, Mathes & Sheppard again called upon Harvard Law School when it recruited a young lawyer, Gordon F. Hampton, an Orange County native who had attended Stanford as an undergraduate.

Having lost its senior trial lawyer, in October 1945 the Firm recruited Frank Balthis, who had begun his legal career at O'Melveny and who had served during the war years as Southern California Director of the Office of Price Administration.

1946 In 1946, at a time when there were few women practicing law, the Firm became one of a handful in Los Angeles to hire a female associate, Kathleen Parker.

Gordon Hampton specialized in antitrust law, helped develop the antitrust laws during the 1950's, and was a founder of the American Bar Association Antitrust Section.

He spent 16 years as the United States delegate to the International Ski Federation, was the first president of the California Sports Car Club in the 1960s, and was on the organizing committee for the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley.

By 1975, because of the leadership exhibited by the founders and the excellence of those who followed, the Firm outgrew the space it had occupied in the Rowan Building for over 40 years.

1977 In 1977, the Firm opened its first branch office, in Orange County.

1981 In 1981, the Firm opened its San Francisco office.

The San Diego office opened in March, 1986.

2001 In 2001, the Firm moved to invest itself even more fully in the legal firmament of California by opening two new offices in Century City and Del Mar Heights.

2003 In 2003, the Firm opened an office in Washington, D.C. allowing for a truly nationwide practice.

Also in 2008, the Firm announced the creation of a Sustainability Program focused on promoting the efficient use of energy, resources and materials throughout the Firm.

2009 The Brussels office first opened in 2009 with a practice focusing on international trade.

In 2010, the Silicon Valley office moved to new and larger space in Palo Alto.