Theodore Goddard

Theodore Goddard (colloquially TG) was an English law firm based in London. The firm merged with Addleshaw Booth & Co on 1 May 2003 to become Addleshaw Goddard. The firm was established by John Theodore Goddard, the solicitor appointed by Wallis Simpson as an adviser to her during divorce proceedings and in relation to her involvement during the United Kingdom abdication Crisis of 1936 ("see below").

Early life

As a young man of 24, John Theodore Goddard founded the practice of Theodore Goddard & Co in 1902. For some years, he practised on his own account from offices in Clement's Inn, close by the Law Courts. Working the London court circuit as a litigator, his reputation soon enabled him to attract as a valuable client the newly created office of The Public Trustee. With the growth of the practice, he moved to new offices in Sergeant's Inn in the Temple area of London in 1917.

Growth of the practice

Over the next 30 years, there was further progress and by 1946 the firm of Theodore Goddard & Co had eight partners. John Theodore Goddard become known nationwide when, in 1936, he was instructed by Mrs Wallis Simpson (the late Duchess of Windsor) to act for her in her divorce proceedings. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,191136,00.html "Edward and Mrs Simpson cast in new light"] Richard Norton-Taylor and Rob Evans, "The Guardian", Thursday March 2, 2000] [ [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=4989370&SearchInit=4&CATREF=CAB+127%2F157 Link to papers] from The National Archives citing J Theodore Goddard as Wallis Simpson's lawyer] When King Edward VIII's intention to marry Mrs Simpson became known, Goddard became closely involved, at the behest of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, in the delicate abdication negotiations.

Role in the abdication

Following Mrs. Simpson's divorce hearing on October 27, 1936, Goddard had become concerned that there would be a "patriotic" citizen's intervention (a legal device to block the divorce), which worried him, who fearing such an intervention would be successful. He was handling the case as if it were an undefended divorce brought against Mr. Simpson, with Mrs. Simpson as the innocent, injured party. The courts could not grant divorce by consent of both parties, or if it were shown that Mrs. Simpson "colluded" with her husband in the divorce by, for example, having an affair or intending to marry another. On Monday December 7, 1936, the King came to hear that Goddard planned to fly to the south of France to see his client who had fled there. The King summoned him and expressly forbade him to make the journey, fearing the solicitor would put doubts in Mrs. Simpson's mind. Consequently, Goddard went straight to Downing Street and asked for Baldwin's protection. The Government immediately provided the airplane and Goddard flew directly to Cannes. []

The practice generally

In 1941, the offices suffered a direct hit during a Blitz air raid and were completely destroyed, together with most of the firm's records and clients' papers. The firm then relocated to New Court, immediately behind the Law Courts, which remained its home until its move to the City of London in 1965.

John Theodore Goddard retired as Senior Partner in 1950 and died in 1952. However, the 1950s saw a period of further growth through amalgamation with, in particular, the City firm of Deacons & Pritchard (founded in 1834) and the firm of Rhys Roberts & Co (founded in 1883 by future Prime Minister David Lloyd George who had been a Partner thereof for many years until his Parliamentary duties grew too burdensome).

The firm developed as a balanced general practice, with an emphasis on private client work. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Theodore Goddard & Co. attracted many company clients and the commercial side of the practice grew rapidly.

This led to the decision in 1965 to concentrate on this work and move to offices in St Martin's-le-Grand in the City of London.

Company, commercial and international work continued to increase during the next 20 years, by which time it had become the predominant part of the practice.

By the end of the 1980s the London office had grown to a total of over 300 staff with over 40 partners. This made it necessary to move offices again in 1990, this time to offices at 150 Aldersgate Street (which continue to form part of the London network of offices operated by the merged firm Addleshaw Goddard "see below").

The 1990s, 2000s and the merger

During the expansion of the practice throughout the 1990s, the firm at times experimented with international associate offices in Warsaw, Brussels and Paris amongst others. For a short time, there was also a small office run out of St. Albans.

Theodore Goddard continued to retain a strong media and entertainment law practice alongside a private client capability (including private tax work for members of "The Rolling Stones", David Bowie and others [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=98439&d=11&h=24&f=23 The Dude of Tax] Fiona Callister in "The Lawyer" 25 March 2002] , and defamation lawyers) at a time when many City law firms were divesting themselves of such business areas and concentrating on pure corporate matters. This diversity occasionally gave rise to high-profile cases involving celebrities including the firm's instruction in relation to the "Hello! magazine" dispute over photographs of Catherine Zeta Jones's wedding to Michael Douglas [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=100786&d=11&h=24&f=23 "The Douglases and OK! v Hello!: the photo finish"] Naomi Rovnick in "The Lawyer" 27 January 2003] and its appointment by Michael Jackson to advise on the controversial "Living with Michael Jackson" documentary. [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=99055&d=11&h=24&f=23 "Jacko jumps the gun with Theodores"] Helen Power in "The Lawyer" 10 February 2003] Toward the end of the 1990s and the early part of the 21st century, the firm was linked to a succession of potential merger targets including a rejected offer from Eversheds in 1993 and a proposed tri-partite amalgamation in 1998 with Richards Butler and Denton Hall. However, following a third failed merger attempt in 2001, this time with Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn, the firm's credibility as a viable partnership was beginning to be called into question in both the legal press and the wider profession [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=102375&d=11&h=24&f=23 Theodore Goddard-Salans marriage plans fizzle out] Naomi Rovnick in "The Lawyer" 24 September 2001] .

Consequently, in early 2003 following an approach by North of England firm Addleshaw Booth & Co, the fourth proposed merger was approved with very little resistance from the partnership. [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=100759&d=11&h=24&f=23 "The Lawyer"] "TG partners braced for Addleshaws takeover", Naomi Rovnick 17 February 2003] [ [http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=99552&d=11&h=24&f=23 "The Lawyer"] "Theodores partners vote for takeover by Addleshaws", Naomi Rovnick 16 April 2003] Five years on, the merger was described as "the most successful law firm merger since 2000". [ [http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1Z48be94d6f1b52852.cde UK 200 Annual Report] , "The Lawyer" (2008)] As of 2008 the merged firm of Addleshaw Goddard continued to operate out of offices in Leeds, Manchester and London.

Notes

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2701463.stm BBC website 1936 Abdication Timeline]
* [http://www.addleshawgoddard.com Addleshaw Goddard website]