A San Francisco-based Gordon & Rees LLP partner has left to help start a new firm, where she is now the managing partner of its two California offices. 

Sara M. Thorpe, who served as managing partner of Gordon & Rees' San Francisco office in prior years, is a name partner at Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP, a boutique that will focus solely on representing insurance companies. She will be in charge of its Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. 

The new firm launched Jan. 2, featuring 30 Chicago attorneys, 29 of whom split off from Bates Carey Nicolaides LLP, along with Thorpe, two associates from Gordon & Rees' San Francisco office and one associate from Sedgwick LLP in Los Angeles. 

Richard H. Nicolaides Jr. is managing partner of the new firm, having brought nearly half of his attorneys from Bates Carey, which previously had more than 70 attorneys and doesn't have any offices outside of Chicago. He will also serve as managing partner of the 30-attorney Chicago office.

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