Goldberg Kohn Principal Honored with Seat on Board of Meritas, an International Alliance of Business Law Firms
May 4, 2005
Local Attorney Honored with Seat on Board of
Meritas, an International Alliance of Business Law Firms
Meritas welcomes Oscar Alcantara to the leadership
team of its international law firm alliance
MINNEAPOLIS – Oscar Alcantara, a partner of Goldberg Kohn Bell Black Rosenbloom & Moritz, Ltd in Chicago, has been elected to the board of Meritas during its 15th Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. A closely integrated group of over 165 full-service law firms and more than 5,000 attorneys located in more than 55 countries, Meritas provides business clients with worldwide access to comprehensive legal services. Alcantara will serve a three-year term.
“This is an exciting time to be joining the Board.” said Alcantara. “Meritas is uniquely positioned to provide the full range of commercial legal expertise, with local, independent firms that are part of their respective business and legal communities, and that share a common vision regarding client service.”
In addition to providing a full range of commercial legal services, Meritas firms offer business clients a variety of services that are not available through any of the multinational law firms. These include an extensive searchable online database of attorneys around the world, providing details on industry expertise and legal practice area background; and access to 10,000 written evaluation records on member firms detailing their performance on specific client matters.
Membership in Meritas is by invitation only, with only one firm admitted for each selected geographic marketplace. As part of its drive to ensure high caliber legal service among its member firms worldwide, Meritas also stipulates a regular recertification process as a requirement for membership. While members must prove that they meet these high standards just to be admitted, every firm must re-earn their membership by proving they adhere to Meritas’ high quality standards.
“It used to be that the only options for companies were to build up their own in-house legal department, use large national firms, or develop personal networks of preferred legal providers,” said Alcantara. “But through Meritas, Goldberg Kohn and other member firms can provide clients with coordinated, multijurisdictional, cost-effective services to meet their legal needs using law firms that adhere to the same high quality standards.”
Oscar Alcantara is a principal in the firm’s Litigation Group and also serves as chair for the Intellectual Property group. His practice focuses on intellectual property law, specifically trademark, copyright, right of publicity, advertising, unfair competition and deceptive business practices.
Mr. Alcantara is admitted to practice in Illinois. He received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1993 and his A.B., magna cum laude, in history and literature from Harvard University in 1990.
About Meritas
Founded in 1990, Meritas is an international alliance of business law firms in more than 55 countries, whose purpose is to deliver local legal service of the highest quality to business clients with worldwide legal needs through close integration among its members. Each member law firm is required to adhere to rigorous and specific service standards. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Meritas has more than 165 member firms in 200 locations worldwide. To find a Meritas law firm or for more information, visit www.meritas.org or call 612-339-8680.
