On Dec. 31, Taft Stettinius & Hollister will merge with Morris Manning & Martin, which has offices in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, giving Taft a stronger presence in the Southeast.

It is the third merger of the year for Taft. In June, Taft merged with Mrachek Law, an 18-attorney litigation firm with offices in West Palm Beach and Stuart, Fla. That partnership marked Taft’s entry into Florida.

Earlier in the year, Taft finalized a merger with Sherman & Howard, Denver’s oldest and third-largest firm. This enhanced Taft’s stronghold in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. Sherman & Howard brought with it about 125 lawyers and annual revenue topping $100 million.

Jill Friedman Helfman, co-partner in charge of Taft’s Cleveland office, said her firm’s growth strategy has been to find t

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