Moves:
In house
High-Flying Genetics Testing Firm GeneDx Hires Ex-Zoetis GC as Legal Chief
Heidi Chen is a “celebrated and well-respected business leader and general counsel who brings extensive industry experience to GeneDx,” said CEO Katherine Stueland.
Porsche’s Venture Capital Arm Adds General Counsel from Clifford Chance
Early-career attorney Lynn Nussbaum is taking the legal reins of Porsche Ventures as it presses forward on its next phase of growth.
After Mysterious Parting with Last GC, Photronics Fills Vacancy
Richelle Burr left Photronics this month, and the firm has not said why she was placed on leave earlier this year. According to her separation agreement, she will be paid for a full year.
Contract Software Unicorn Ironclad Hires Former Pinterest Lawyer as GC
Jasmine Singh served as assistant general counsel at Patreon for six months before joining Binti two years ago. In 2018–2022, she was Pinterest’s assistant general counsel.
Christelle Adjémian becomes Legal and Ethics Director at Engie Solutions
Christelle is the newly appointed head of Engie Solutions’ legal division. She is currently serving as the Legal and Ethics Director of the Engie organization, which unifies all energy efficiency initiatives for French businesses, industries, and local governments, is Christelle Adjémian.
US restaurant franchisor Craveworthy Brands hires inaugural general counsel
John Silvestri, a seasoned corporate attorney, has been appointed as the first general counsel for Craveworthy Brands, a restaurant franchise.Silvestri comes from The John Buck Company, a US real estate company where he served as general counsel for more than 20 years.
Trump Taps Former Fla. Attorney General for AG
The nomination comes hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for the position.
UK & Ireland
Linklaters Sees Latest Partner Exit as UK Leveraged Finance Partner Walks to Simpson Thacher
Simpson Thacher, who has been developing the company’s European finance and private equity business, hired Dan Peach from Linklaters. Since Ian Barratt and Sinead O’Shea of London left last year, Simpson Thacher has been trying to bolster its roster.
Dentons adds high yield partner in London from Linklaters
Colin Chang joins as Dentons looks to take on increasingly complicated, large-scale deals that call for high yield knowledge.
White & Case lands ‘elite’ M&A partner from A&O Shearman in London
After more than 30 years with the Magic Circle business, Richard Browne joins as a partner. He focuses on helping worldwide corporations and UK public and private enterprises on recommended and hostile public takeover bids, auctions, and private transactions.
Alastair Keith joins Davidson McDonnell as director
Alastair Keith has joined the corporate team of Belfast-based commercial law firm Davidson McDonnell as a director.Mr. Keith mostly handles business transactions, both domestically and internationally, with a focus on Northern Ireland.
Arthur Cox welcomes Denise Murray as head of financial services compliance and regulatory relations
Denise Murray has been named head of regulatory relations and compliance for financial services by Arthur Cox.Ms. Murray has over 20 years of experience in the sector and in regulation, including more than 15 years as the top risk and compliance officer at Mediolanum and the Central Bank of Ireland.She was in charge of the Central Bank’s asset management supervisory section.
Proskauer Rose hires John Goldfinch after A&O Shearman drink-driving exit
Proskauer announced that they have hired former A&O Shearman and Milbank partner John Goldfinch into its global finance practice. He will start at the firm’s London office on 2nd December.
EMEA
DLA Piper strengthens Dusseldorf real estate practice with partner hire
Dr. Gerold Jaeger has been appointed as a partner in DLA Piper’s Dusseldorf office, bolstering the firm’s German real estate practice, with effect from January 1, 2025.
Hogan Lovells strengthens litigation practice with new partner
Thomas Nebel, a disputes partner, has been welcomed to the Düsseldorf litigation office of a global legal firm. He will formally join the firm early next month. Nebel was co-head of a multinational legal firm’s practice in Germany before joining Hogan Lovells, where he focused on local and international commercial and civil law conflicts.
Morgan Vail, a tax partner at Ashurst, joins the tax team at the Paris office, which has been overseen by Emmanuelle Pontnau-Faure since 2017. For more than 15 years, Morgan has provided clients with business tax advice. He is especially knowledgeable in the taxes of digital activities and the new technologies, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector.
Christine d’Ovidio joins Grant Thornton Société d’Avocats as a partner
Christine d’Ovidio is welcomed by Grant Thornton Société d’Avocats, a partner firm of the Grant Thornton audit and consultancy business. The attorney will assume the role of partner in the corporate law division.
Cohen & Gresser Expands Paris White Collar Practice with the Addition of Vincent Desry
Vincent specializes in general criminal law and white-collar crime, with a particular focus on cross-border matters. In high-profile business, political, and financial disputes, including intricate financial criminal prosecutions, he counsels and defends executives, public personalities, and corporate entities. At the French law firm Temime, Vincent most recently worked on a number of historic cases.
Goodwin Further Expands Investment Funds Team in Luxembourg
Global law firm Goodwin announced that Codrina Constantinescu will join the firm’s Private Investment Funds practice as partner in the Luxembourg office. Codrina’s arrival is the latest addition to Goodwin’s growing Luxembourg team that recently relocated to larger premises.
APAC
Former Gibson Dunn Asia arbitration head joins One Essex Court
Paul Tan, a former partner and head of arbitration for Asia at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, has joined One Essex Court, a commercial group of barristers’ chambers in London, as an international counsel and arbitrator.
Hogan Lovells poaches arbitration partner from Ashurst in Singapore
To strengthen its dispute resolution business in Southeast Asia, international law firm Hogan Lovells has recruited Rob Palmer, an expert in international arbitration, as a partner from rival Ashurst.
Makarim disputes lawyer joins local boutique as partner
Raditya Anugerah Titus, a former senior associate at Makarim & Taira S, has joined the Indonesian boutique law firm Batavia Advocatorum (B.Av) as a partner, strengthening its dispute resolution practice.
The Americas
O’Melveny, Bracewell Add Lawyers to Texas Energy Teams
Bracewell signed on Vinson & Elkins tax counsel Peter Rogers as a partner in Dallas, and O’Melveny & Myers recruited Jibin Luke, a partner in energy transactions at McDermott Will & Emery, as a partner in Houston.
Weil Practice Leaders Expected to Leave for Paul Weiss,
Brad Karp, the chair of the Paul Weiss committee, claimed in a statement that Anish Desai and Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser were “two of the most accomplished and respected litigators in the country.”
Holtzman Vogel Taps Weil Gotshal Attorney to Lead Miami Expansion
Mark Pinkert has been hired by the GOP-aligned corporation to increase its footprint in Florida and will eventually assist in establishing a physical presence in the booming city.
People in the News—Nov. 21, 2024—Willig Williams, Hangley Aronchick
Willig, Williams & Davidson, a labour, employment, workers’ compensation, and family law company, announced the addition of lawyer Jesse Bernstein to its labour law practice.
Attracted to Thompson Hine’s Fee Flexibility, Morgan Lewis Litigator Switches Firms in Chicago
Gregory Fouts, a litigator with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, has joined Thompson Hine, a Thompson Hine firm that is ranked in the Am Law 200, as a litigation partner in Chicago. He plans to expand his business there.
Holland & Knight, Akin, Crowell, Barnes and Day Pitney Add to DC Practices
Holland & Knight, Day Pitney, Akin Gump, Barnes, and Crowell announced new lawyer recruits this week in the most recent round of lateral hiring in D.C.
Polsinelli Adds Health Care Litigator in Nashville, Ex-SEC Enforcer Joins BCLP in Atlanta
Polsinelli has welcomed Kevin T. Elkins to its Health Care Litigation Practice Group as a shareholder in Nashville. Elkins is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on representing health care clients in managed care and payor disputes along with other related litigation.
Crowell & Moring Adds International Trade Partner Erik Woodhouse
Erik Woodhouse rejoined Crowell & Moring as a partner in its international trade and financial services groups in Washington, the firm announced Tuesday. Woodhouse will advise clients on complying with US economic sanctions and anti-money laundering rules and regulations.
Scott Bailey Joins Jones Day’s Corporate Practice in Dallas
Scott Bailey has joined Jones Day as a lawyer in the Corporate Practice, the firm stated. He works out of the Dallas office of Jones Day.
Akin Welcomes Shawn Maree Bishop to Lobbying and Public Policy Practice
Shawn Maree Bishop, a former top health advisor for Senate Finance Committee Majority, has joined Akin as a senior advisor in the firm’s lobbying and public policy practice in Washington, D.C.
Team Moves
The hiring of partner Sandra Esquiva-Hesse and her team will help DLA, which lost a three-lawyer restructuring team to Paul Hastings in May, regain its competence in restructuring transactions and related legal procedures, as demand for such counsel is growing.
Latham & Watkins makes quartet of restructuring partner hires from Weil, Paul Weiss
Ray Schrock, who will be the worldwide chair of Weil’s restructuring and exceptional situations practice, as well as Candace Arthur and Alexander Welch are among the new Weil attorneys.
Weil loses trio of high-profile partners to Paul Weiss and Latham & Watkins
Litigators Anish Desai and Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser are going to Paul Weiss, and restructuring partner Ray Schrock is joining Latham.
Financials:
Collections Are Critical for Texas Law Firms Through Year’s End
According to current data, Texas’s demand and revenue growth trailed behind the sector during the third quarter, but domestic businesses can catch up by concentrating on recovering accounts receivable.
Law Firms Are ‘Pinching Themselves’ Amid Double-Digit Profit Growth and Billing Rate Hikes
The performance of law firms in 2024 is still influenced by the growth of billing rates.
Cravath Matches ‘Special’ and Year-End Bonuses
Paul Hastings, McDermott, and Cravath have all acknowledged that they are offering “special bonuses” that correspond to Milbank’s summer bonus structure.
DC Law Firm Growth Falls Behind Big Firms in Other Regions
According to a Q3 report from Citi, revenue growth for businesses in the D.C. area was 7.6% in the first nine months, which was less than the industry average of 11.9%.
More Big Law Firms Rush to Match Associate Bonuses, While Some Offer Potential for Even More
For year-end bonuses and additional incentives, some employees at Fried Frank, Ropes & Gray and McDermott could make even more than the Big Law scale.
Brach Eichler; Cooper Levenson; Marshall Dennehey; Archer; Sills Cummis
Cooper Levenson adds a lawyer; Brach Eichler welcomes a litigation partner; and other changes are made.
Bonus Parade Continues, With Additional Firms Matching Milbank
Cleary, Davis Polk, Weil, Skadden Arps, Cadwalader, and O’Melveny are the most recent firms to match Milbank’s summer and end-of-year bonus plan, even though they did not rush to match the company’s special bonuses in August.
Southern California Law Firms Boast Industry-Leading Revenue, Demand Through Q3
Gloria Gomez-O’Rourke, a senior client specialist at Citi, stated that Southern California is “outperforming most regions in almost all categories” in addition to the “really, really strong growth in revenue” that Southern California companies have experienced over the first nine months of the year.
Travers Smith’s £4k vacay giveaway for lucky lawyers
Travers Smith provided £4,000 for a lavish vacation to each of its fund practice associates.Management made the decision early last year that too many of the group’s attorneys were in danger of being lured away by prestigious US legal firms like Paul, Weiss, and Kirkland & Ellis, where even recently trained solicitors earn between £170,000 and £180,000.
Promotions & Appointments
Simpson Thacher Names Largest Ever Partner Class
The firm is set to promote 44 lawyers to partner, 12 more than in 2023.
Amir Ali, MacArthur Justice Center Director, Confirmed to DC District Court
Rebecca L. Pennell was also confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in the Eastern District of Washington.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher Announces 19 Partner Promotions
“We congratulate these individuals on this milestone achievement,” said Matthew Feldman, co-chairman of the firm, in a statement. “They have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to our clients and firm, and we wish them continued success.”
Rawle & Henderson Hires New Del. Managing Partner
The Wilmington office of Rawle & Henderson has welcomed Loreto P. Rufo as a new managing partner.
Perkins Coie Boasts Diverse Partner Class
At Perkins Coie, 23 attorneys and senior attorneys will be promoted to partnership status.
Mayer Brown makes up 39 to partner in banking and finance-focused round
Mayer Brown, a top 15 US firm, has promoted 12 attorneys to counsel and 39 attorneys to partnership.
Five appointments at Cleaver Fulton Rankin
Cleaver Fulton Rankin has welcomed four solicitors and a new HR manager.
Enda McGarrity becomes youngest ever partner at PA Duffy & Co Solicitors
Enda McGarrity, 28, has been appointed as a director of PA Duffy & Co Solicitors, an All-Ireland law company, making her the youngest partner in the firm’s history.In 2018, Mr. McGarrity received his degree from Queen’s University Belfast, and in 2021, he became a licensed solicitor.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Lululemon Faces Legal Fire Over Its DEI Program After Bias Complaints Surface
Two shareholder concerns claim that the program “was not structured so as to meaningfully combat discrimination within Lululemon… as a result, Lululemon employees continued to experience discriminatory treatment.”
How Amy Harris Leverages Diversity to Give UMB Financial a Competitive Edge
UMG Chief Legal Officer Amy Harris stated, “If you have talented people and you give them a safe place to work, they’ll thrive.”
For Midsize Law Firms, Curbing Boys-Club Culture Starts with Diversity at the Top
A long-term endeavor, developing diverse leadership necessitates investing in staff members from the start, which may be more difficult for many midsize businesses to accomplish.
Inclusive cultures in your firm: add diversity and stir?
Reign Lee of Van Bael & Bellis and Nina Goswami of Clifford Chance discuss their diversity and inclusion session at the recent Law Firm Marketing Summit.
Office Openings & Closing:
Bolstering Southern California Presence, Sidley Austin Settles into Revitalized Downtown LA Office
Dan Clivner of Sidley stated, “We’re really proud of downtown LA and the investment we’ve made, but it’s part of a greater investment in California generally.”
Goodwin, Polsinelli, Fox Rothschild Find New Phila. Offices
Two businesses have already moved into their new locations, while a third has signed a new lease.
Akerman Opens Charlotte Office with Focus on Renewable Energy, Data Centre Practices
To open its 26th office in the United States, the firm recruited a new tax partner and energy partner from Moore & Van Allen.
Fowler White Burnett Opens Jacksonville Office Focused on Transportation Practice
In response to increasing demand, the midsize corporation with headquarters in Florida hired a new maritime partner to head the operation. Additionally, it is relocating its Miami office and growing in Fort Lauderdale.
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Launches in Cairo and Abu Dhabi
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes (GBS) is strengthening its roots in the Middle East and North Africa, positioning the firm to meet the region’s increasing demand for international arbitration expertise. The launch of offices in Cairo and Abu Dhabi will strengthen its focus on international arbitration fueled by high-value disputes in sectors like energy and infrastructure. Twelve of GBS’s 52 lawyers are native Arabic speakers and dual-qualified.
Mergers & Alliances:
AA Thornton joins forces with Venner Shipley
With 230 employees, the merged company will begin operations under the Venner Shipley name on December 1st.
Nordic Capital Plans to Acquire IP Management Solutions Provider Anaqua
After the acquisition, Anaqua intends to expand its clients and improve its technology solutions.
Chicago Midsize Firm Will Combine with Miami Boutique to Form Antitrust Powerhouse
The combined company will be called Sperling Kenny Nachwalter after the merger of Sperling & Slater and Kenny Nachwalter takes effect in December.
Clark Hill Acquires L&E Boutique in Mexico City, Adding 5 Lawyers
The head of Tenorio Abogados, Jorge Tenorio, stated that he hopes to grow his clientele at Clark Hill and add more foreign businesses to his list of clients.
Baker McKenzie Accepts Defeat on Australian Integration with Asia
In order to integrate with the firm’s Asian practice, Baker McKenzie will not be having another vote of its Australian partnership.The Australian partnership recently failed to reach the necessary 75% of partners in a vote on financial and administrative merger with the Asian partnership based in Hong Kong.
Technology & Innovation:
Leopard Solutions Launches AI Navigator, a Gen AI Search, Data Extraction Tool
AI Navigator was created by the legal business intelligence company with the intention of helping legal practitioners conduct research more quickly.
The Future of Law: Harnessing AI Without Compromising Integrity
Success in this changing environment depends on striking the correct balance: AI must complement human skill rather than replace it. The secret is to use AI to its full potential—data analysis and process automation—while maintaining the fundamental principles of legal practice.
Knowable Launches Generative AI-Powered Tool Suite Ask Knowable
To assist attorneys in navigating and interacting with data and insights on completed contracts, the contract management company is launching a new line of tools.
Pinsent Masons Launches AML AI Tool in Wake of SRA Crackdown
The firm expects certain due diligence and AML challenges to be reduced considerably going from weeks to hours.
Pramata Launches AI Contract Management Tool AI Design Studio
The AI Design Studio offers playbook templates in addition to contract drafting support.
OpenAI, NYTimes Counsel Quarrel Over Erased OpenAI Training Data
The recovery of deleted data has been a point of contention in the legal struggle between OpenAI and the New York Times Co. over the AI developer’s purported use of copyrighted New York Times content to train its generative AI models.
Market Commentary:
Saying Your Goodbyes—Ethical Obligations When Transitioning to a New Firm
Here are some pointers to assist you handle these separations with professionalism and, if at all possible, steer clear of conflict.
Battle for Top Talent Accelerates Amid Profit and Demand Surge
“With very few exceptions, there is essentially no firm that is immune to market pressure,” one legal recruiter stated.
How Marsh & McLennan’s Small but Mighty Legal Innovation Team Builds Solutions That Bring Joy
The chief legal innovation counsel at Marsh McLennan, Farrah Pepper, stated, “Everything that we do and that we build is…to help our colleagues achieve their dreams.”
Florida-Based Law Firms Start to Lag, As New York Takes a Bigger Piece of Deals
Sunshine State firms have been struggling to keep up with their competitors to the north, after an interval where they were outpacing these rivals, according to a Wells Fargo legal market survey.
To Thrive in Central and Eastern Europe, Law Firms Need to ‘Know the Rules of the Game’
Big American and British companies have discovered that Central and Eastern European rates and profitability are not up to par. However, some businesses are succeeding there.
Ropes & Gray Reduces Time Off Allowance
Ropes & Gray has altered its associates’ contracts to remove five days’ holiday, reducing their annual allowance from 30 days to 25.
Billables and Bad Partners: Why Associates Are Still Not Happy
A survey of nearly 200 London associates has outlined the most common frustrations among junior lawyers.
