Paine Hamblen LLP, of Spokane, has opened a satellite office in Walla Walla and has formed an informal joint venture with Walla Walla-based Virtual In-House Counsel PLLC.

Jane E. Brown, managing partner at the 110-year-old Spokane law firm, says it has leased roughly 1,000 square feet of office space at 2225 Isaacs in Walla Walla. The firm doesn't have any dedicated employees at the new office currently, but Brown says it will be used regularly by attorneys from the Spokane office who travel to Walla Walla to serve the firm's established clients.

Paine Hamblen has some business clients in the southeastern Washington city, located about 150 miles southwest of Spokane, but it hopes to add more and possibly start handling some litigation in that market, Brown says.

"It's an exciting market from our perspective," she says. "A lot of very interesting businesses are down there."

The Walla Walla office is in the same building as Virtual In-House Counsel and shares common spaces with that firm, which attorney Kristian Hedine founded in 2001. Brown says the two firms are still in discussions about how to align their new partnership. In general, though, Virtual In-House Counsel will have access to Paine Hamblen legal team as a resource.

Paine Hamblen, headquartered on the 12th floor of the Washington Trust Bank Building, at 717 W. Sprague downtown, now has four satellite offices. In addition to the new office in Walla Walla, it has a presence in the Tri-Cities, as well as North Idaho locations in Coeur d'Alene and Priest River.

Founded in 1893, Paine Hamblen currently has 102 employees, including 47 attorneys, 29 of whom are partners.