The Atlanta-based firm of Constangy, Brooks & Smith announced last month that it plans to open offices in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Charles W. Pautsch, former head of the Milwaukee office of Wessels, Pautsch & Sherman, will be in charge of the new offices and the labor relations practice. Joining him are Brian G. Nuedling and Lisa A. Baiocchi from the Wessels firm.

The Chicago office location is suite 3100, 200 S. Wacker Drive. Contact cpautsch@constangy.com.

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Sonya Olds Som has joined Dykema’s Chicago office as of counsel to the Employment Practice Group. She headed the Immigration Practice Group at Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin & Tominberg.

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Benjamin Rothmel has joined Fox Galvin, St. Louis, as an associate in maritime, environmental and general commercial litigation. A former clerk in the Missouri Court of Appeals, he is a member of the Illinois bar.

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Michelle M. Haynes has joined GoodSmith, Gregg & Unruh, Chicago, as an associate in the Transactions Group. She was with Goldberg Kohn.

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Donna M. Goelz has joined the Business and Corporate Practice Group in the Peoria office of Howard & Howard. Formerly with a large St. Louis firm, she practices in corporate, regulatory and compliance matters for financial institutions.

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Matthew S. McBride has been named a partner in Lashly & Baer, St. Louis, after three years with the firm. His practice involves commercial and corporate litigation in state and federal courts in Illinois and Missouri.

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Lara A. Duda has joined the Chicago office of McGuireWoods as an associate in the Health Care Department. A former summer associate, she has a law degree, master’s degree and health law certificate from DePaul University.

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Erika Dillon has joined Meckler, Bulger, Tilson, Marick & Pearson, Chicago, as a partner in the Labor and Employment Group. Previously deputy chief counsel of Sara Lee North America, she is a former partner in Franczek Sullivan.

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Charles P. Sheets, Matthew J. Murer and Jason T. Lundy have joined the Chicago office of Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus as shareholders in the Health Care Practice Group. They were with Foley & Lardner.

The Rock Island firm of Pappas & Schnell and the Chicago firm of Hubbard & O’Connor announced their merger on Sept. 29, forming Pappas, Hubbard, O’Connor, Fildes & Secaras with offices in both cities. For complete information, access www.phofs.com.

Partners are Matthew P. Pappas, Elizabeth L. Hubbard, John Campbell O’Connor, Terry Lea Fildes and Harry J. Secaras. Stuart R. Lefstein and Roy W. Van Der Kamp remain of counsel in the Rock Island office

Molly O’Meara Schnell and Melissa A. Hancock, formerly with the Rock Island firm, have formed the new firm of Schnell & Hancock in Davenport, Iowa. Patrick J. Flynn is of counsel.

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Krupa Shah has joined Quarles & Brady in Chicago as an associate in the Tax Group. She was a judicial clerk to Judge A. Benjamin Goldgar of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District.

The Oak Brook firm of Sraga, Engler & Boyle and the Flossmoor firm of Hauser, Izzo, DeTella & Petrarca merged their practices on Sept. 1 and will maintain both existing offices.

The new 11-member firm, Sraga Hauser LLC, represents school districts, educational cooperatives and other entities of local government.

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Shelly DeRousse has joined Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis in Chicago as a partner in bankruptcy matters and business restructuring. She practiced previously with Sidley Austin and Sugar & Felsenthal.

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The Chicago firm of Sugar, Friedberg & Felsenthal recently changed its name to Sugar & Felsenthal and adopted www.sf.law.pro as its new domain name.

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Michael S. Knippen and Mark F. Wolfe have joined the Chicago office of New York-based Traub, Lieberman, Straus & Shrewsberry as resident partners. Both practice commercial litigation in a variety of areas.

Also joining Traub Lieberman are James M. Eastham, Kimberly H. Petrina and Elise N. Willis. All five were with Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey.