KETTERING, Ohio -- Officials with the city of Kettering announced Monday that international law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have announced plans to open a business services center in Kettering.

The opening of the center is in collaboration with the State of Ohio and the Dayton Development Coalition.

Officials said the center would open in September and would employ about 187 employees from existing WilmerHale officers and new employees from the area.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said, “The Dayton region particularly highlights our state’s greatest strengths—a competitive business climate, innovative local leaders, and a skilled workforce that is second to none.”

“This is great news for Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Commission President Dan Foley. “These are new jobs with excellent pay for our high-quality, available workforce.”

WilmerHale, a leading full-service law firm with 1,000 lawyers in a dozen cities in the US and abroad, is in negotiations to open its business service center at the Miami Valley Research Park in September 2010. The new facility would create approximately 187 jobs for Dayton and surrounding communities.

The firm’s presence is expected to generate approximately $10-15 million per year for the local and state economy, in addition to the community service work the firm would also contribute as a citizen of the Dayton area.

“This is a big win for our region. WilmerHale’s decision to move to the Dayton region not only underlines how a collaborative effort can result in success, it also speaks to the strength of our local workforce,” said Jim Leftwich, President & CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition.

Individuals in the business services center would include administrative support staff who are critical to WilmerHale’s business needs, but capable of working outside of the firm’s current offices, in one central location.

Bringing together services such as finance, human resources, information technology services, operations, document review and management, and practice management would provide improved efficiencies for administrative teams and the firm, and reduce significant operational expenses.

WilmerHale employees impacted by this decision have been offered the opportunity to transfer to the business services center. It is anticipated that the business services center would be operational by September 2010. Details regarding recruiting are underway.