Oklahoma City-based law firm McAfee & Taft recently merged with Tulsa boutique litigation firm Eldridge Cooper Steichen & Leach PLLC.

The merger expands McAfee & Taft’s Tulsa office to more than 180 attorneys and adds expertise in commercial litigation and products liability defense.

“Even before we opened our doors in Tulsa three years ago, we were committed to enhancing the firm in a very intentional, strategic way, as opposed to growing simply for growth’s sake,” said Richard Nix, managing director of McAfee & Taft in a written release. “Our expansion is aligned with the shifting needs of our clients and the changing marketplace.”

McAfee & Taft will retain all ECSL employees, who will join the firm’s downtown location at 1717 S. Boulder Ave., Suite 900.

“From a cultural standpoint, our joined firms are a great fit,” said Mary Quinn Cooper, ECSL co-founder and senior partner. “We’re both known for our collegial, collaborative working environments, and we have tremendous respect for our McAfee & Taft colleagues, both personally and professionally. More importantly, from a client perspective, this move provides us direct access to even greater resources and a full complement of legal services that few firms can provide with such depth.”

McAfee & Taft opened its Tulsa office in May 2008 with eight lawyers. In November 2009, it acquired Joyce & Paul PLLC, a local boutique law firm specializing in regulatory and environmental law.