In May 1998, Daniel R. Atkinson, Sr. and his son Daniel R. Atkinson, Jr. teamed up with John W. Perry, Jr. and Daniel J. Balhoff to form a new Baton Rouge law firm. At that time, the Atkinsons had primarily practiced insurance defense law, while John Perry and Dan Balhoff had represented insurers and, more recently, plaintiffs. Joseph W. Mengis, Robert J. Burns, Jr., Randi S. Ellis, and John W. Perry, III later joined the firm, known today as Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis, Burns & Ellis.