SOUTH BEND – Barnes & Thornburg attorneys have elected John Smarrella as managing partner of the South Bend and Elkhart offices, succeeding Philip Faccenda, Jr., who led the firm through a decade of growth and transition to a new downtown office building.
Smarrella, a partner in the firm’s corporate law department, has more than 20 years of experience serving as outside counsel for closely held and family-owned business, as well as in handling mergers and acquisitions.
“On behalf of our attorneys and staff, I want to express my gratitude to Phil for his leadership over the last 10 years during a time of challenges and significant change,” Smarrella said. “My hope is to build on what we have accomplished under Phil’s guidance and to continue our role as a client-service focused firm and an active corporate citizen in the communities where our attorneys, staff and clients work and live.”
With the firm’s deep roots in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan, the office has seen client growth and process innovation in the last decade, along with technology and legal project management advancements.
“I’m extremely proud of what we have done to position our South Bend and Elkhart offices as thriving and relevant producers within an ever-growing large national law firm,” said Faccenda, who remains on the firm-wide Management Committee. “The investments we have made in our talent and office are a sign that we are here to stay. I’m excited for the future of the office under John’s leadership.”
Corporate citizenship is a hallmark of Barnes & Thornburg’s northern Indiana offices. Most recently, the firm hosted a series of Philanthropy Food Truck events outside its new South Bend office to support various local nonprofits with proceeds from food purchases.
Likewise, the firm prides itself on being a productive member of the downtown business community. Late last year, it signed a long-term lease to move into the first new downtown South Bend office building in 20 years. It was the South Bend office’s first relocation in nearly 40 years.
With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.
