JD Journal » Drinker Biddle

LA Boutique Reish & Reicher Closing

joshua — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:08:06 +0000

Reish & Reicher, a boutique firm in LA specializing in ERISA cases, is shutting its doors as of March 15. Eleven attorneys, including named partner C. Frederick Reish, will be joining Drinker Biddle, while the remainder move to local firm Silver & Freedman.

Drinker Biddle will be host to the firm’s employee benefits practice. Attorneys in the estate planning practice will be joining Silver & Freedman. In a statement posted on the firm’s website, R&R assured its clients of a smooth transition as lawyers carry their business to their new firms.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:10:45 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, August 20th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Drinker Biddle & Reath added a four-person team to its customs and international trade practice…

Thompson Hine partner Jeffrey R. Appelbaum was recognized by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland for his leadership of the Ohio Construction Reform Panel (OCRP)…

Corporate INTL awarded Fakhoury Law Group ‘Immigration Advisory Firm of the Year in Michigan’…

Drinker Biddle Snags International Trade Team

joshua — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:21:26 +0000

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has added a four-person team to its customs and international trade practice from Hunton & Williams. Joining the firm’s Washington D.C. office are partners William A. Silverman and Douglas J. Heffner; counsel Richard P. Ferrin; and Eric L. Johnson as a senior international trade analyst.

The team focuses its practice primarily on international trade remedies litigation, concentrating on antidumping and countervailing duty investigations and administrative review proceedings. In addition, the practice involves representing clients in “sunset” reviews of antidumping and countervailing duty orders, as well as Section 201 “safeguard” proceedings under the Trade Act of 1974.

Clients include foreign manufacturing firms and international trading companies that are respondents in trade investigations, and U.S. companies that are petitioners in trade investigations.

“The addition of this well-respected team in Washington allows us to offer our clients additional resources in an area that will only become more important to them as the economy improves and global competition continues to increase,” said Alfred W. Putnam, Jr., Drinker Biddle’s chairman.

Drinker Biddle & Reath is a national law firm with 675 lawyers in 12 offices.

Cooley Godward Bolsters Antitrust Practice

joshua — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:41:38 +0000

Cooley Godward has added Howard Morse as a partner in its Washington D.C. antitrust practice and elected antitrust special counsel Francis Fryscak to the partnership in its Palo Alto office.

Morse is a former assistant director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission and most recently served as co-chair of the antitrust practice at Drinker Biddle. He regularly represents businesses before the FTC, the Department of Justice and State Attorneys General in investigations involving mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures as well as alleged monopolization and restraint of trade cases.

During his 10-year career at the FTC, Morse was responsible for more than 50 enforcement actions, the firm said in a press release.

Fryscak counsels companies on antitrust matters arising out of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, as well as on distribution arrangements, price discrimination and corporate antitrust compliance. He has worked closely with clients in numerous high-profile antitrust investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and foreign antitrust regulatory agencies.

“The addition of Howard and Francis to the partnership reflects the importance of and our absolute commitment to this critical area of practice for our clients,” said Joe Conroy, Cooley’s chief executive officer. “Cooley has a long history of successfully advising clients on antitrust matters, including transaction-related counseling and bet-the-company litigation. Given their respective backgrounds and experiences, I am confident that Howard and Francis will only strengthen our legacy of client service and success in the antitrust area.”

Cooley Godward, which was ranked by Bloomberg and Mergemarket as one of the top ten law firms in the U.S. for completed M&A transactions, has 650 attorneys with offices in Palo Alto, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Reston, Va.,Broomfield, Co., Washington D.C., Boston and Seattle.

Morning Roundup

sara — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:54:08 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, March 5, and here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s news…

O’Melveny & Myers file a lawsuit against video game publisher Activision on behalf of game makers Jason West and Vince Zampella…

Profits are steady but revenue is down at Drinker Biddle…

A dozen companies pledge $30 million to law firms owned by women and minorities…

The Senate Judiciary Committee approves Dawn Johnsen’s nomination to lead the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel…

Chadbourne & Parke bolster their practice with five additions to their Mexico and New York City offices…

David Quinto protects the trademark of the Academy Awards…

Governor David Paterson of New York turns to lawyer Theodore V. Wells Jr. for assistance…

Profits Steady but Revenue Down at Drinker Biddle

joshua — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:45:03 +0000

Gross revenue came in at $373 million at Drinker Biddle & Reath in 2009, a slight decrease from the firm’s 2008 revenue of $382 million. Revenue per lawyer also fell, to $600,000 from $615,000, but profits per partner managed to hold steady at $605,000.

The Legal Intelligencer reports the average compensation for all partners was $538,000, a three percent increase from the previous year. There are 193 equity partners at Drinker Biddle, two fewer than in 2008 and its 72 non-equity partners is one more than the previous year.

There are 619 full-time lawyers, just two fewer than in 2008.

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP was founded in Philadelphia in 1849. The firm has 12 offices in the US. Its largest offices are in Philadelphia, Chicago, Florham Park, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.

Morning Roundup

sara — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:53:12 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, March 3, and here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s news…

Revenue is down at Winston & Strawn…

DLA Piper forms an alliance with a Brazilian law firm…

Former Arnold & Porter chairman Michael Sohn joins Davis Polk…

A former secretary sues Drinker Biddle over a pay dispute…

Ex Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo hires prominent D.C. lawyer Brendan Sullivan…

New research finds that U.S. News and World Report Law School rankings have an adverse impact on diversity efforts…

Irell & Manella wins an unanimous decision on behalf of Novellus Systems…

Fulbright & Jaworski names James K. Dixon their new executive director…

Wilkinson Barker Knauer scoops up Morrison & Foerster’s communication law group…

Patton Boggs partner Rodney E. Slater will advise Toyota on quality and safety issues…

Secretary Sues Drinker Biddle in Pay Dispute

sara — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:50:34 +0000

A former secretary at Drinker Biddle’s Washington office is suing the firm over an overtime pay dispute. Shawn Havrilla worked worked at the firm between 2006 and 2008. In a complaint filed last week at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia she contends that she was required to work over 40 hours a week without proper compensation. The complaint states that Drinker Biddle allegedly knew Havrilla was working these extra hours and even required them as a condition of her employment. The complaint goes on to say that the firm allegedly agreed to pay Havrilla one and a half times her hourly wage for each hour over 35 in a week.

Havrilla is represented by Arlington, Virginia based solo practitioner Nils Peterson. Both Peterson and a spokesman for Drinker Biddle have declined to comment on the case.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:01 +0000

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, January 26, and here’s your morning roundup…

A Pepper Hamilton Partner is the lead investor in a deal to purchase the Texas Rangers…

Wilmer Hale’s numbers are out and per partner profits are up seven percent (guess they don’t mind that story leaking to blawgs) …

Wilson Sonsini is thawing salaries and paying bonuses…

And so is Hughes Hubbard…

NBC has triumphed over Conan when it comes to the IP rights of various characters from his show…

Chadbourne & Parke has a new IP partner…

It wouldn’t be a new year without a list of predictions, and seeing as how it’s almost the end of January, we thought we’d better find one…

Crowell & Moring snags one for its international arbitration practice…

Cozen O’Connor adds one in anti trust…

MLA gets a big contract from the government of Bermuda…

Our condolences go out to friends and family of Baker Hostetler partner John Mings…

Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis are redesigning their interfaces in reaction to competition from free search engines like google…

Drinker Biddle picks up one in New York…

A former McGuireWoods partner and former aide to NC Governor Mike Easley is facing corruption charges…

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:17:09 +0000

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, January 20, and here’s a look back at Tuesday’s news.

Jones Walker picks up a former US Attorney…

Gibson Dunn has launched an E-Discovery practice…

Patton Boggs expanded its international arbitration group…

Drinker Biddle announced its new merit based compensation plan…

Mischon de Reya opened its doors in NYC…

Jackson Lewis added six attorneys in Phoenix…

LG Electronics has sticker shock after losing in court…

Eckert Seamans expanded in Richmond…

K&L Gates opened offices in Tokyo and Moscow…

Walkers has new leader in its investment funds group…

Clifford Chance snagged a senior partner from Millbank Tweed…

and Sidley Austin has a major new client…

Merit Based Pay at Drinker Biddle

joshua — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:35:24 +0000

Drinker Biddle is moving to a merit based pay system, becoming the latest in a string of major law firms to abandon lockstep compensation. Under the new plan associates in their second year and beyond are broken down into four tiers. Each tier has a baseline salary but the firm is quick to emphasize that final salaries will recognize the individual contributions an associate makes to the firm’s success and could rise well above the minimum salaries. There are also two separate scales for major markets such as New York, and offices in other locations.

Associates in New York, Chicago, Washington DC and California will have base salaries of $145k, $165k, $185k, and $250k depending on tier, with the top tier reserved for those expected to make partner within two years. Outside the major markets, salaries range from $130k to $185k. Abovethelaw.com is reporting that this represents a salary cut for 53% of Drinker Biddle’s associates, but that’s based only on minimum salaries for each tier and may not be reflective of final salaries.

This system applies to associates in their second year and beyond. Drinker Biddle is continuing its new first year program, as reported here. First year associates will undergo extensive training while drawing salaries of $105k, and clients will be charged a reduced rate for any work done by this group.

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP was founded in Philadelphia in 1849. The firm has more than 650 attorneys in 12 offices in the US. Its largest offices are in Philadelphia; Chicago; Florham Park, New Jersey; and Washington, DC.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:56:33 +0000

Good morning everyone! It’s Thursday, the 10th of December, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news.

DLA Piper has brought in a new partner…

Senate Democrats have reached a compromise on health care reform…

Drinker Biddle picks up several lawyers in LA…

and Uganda has human rights activists up in arms with its proposed legislation…

Drinker Biddle Jump Starts Los Angeles Office

joshua — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:40:19 +0000

Drinker Biddle first opened its doors in Los Angeles back in 2001 but the office never picked up steam and had dwindled down to one partner, two associates, and one of counsel. Now the firm is jump starting their LA presence with six new laterals, including four partners. George Caplan, Henry Shields, Kristopher Davis and Paul Gelb have moved from Epstein Becker & Green. Caplan, Shields and Davis have joined as partners, and Gelb comes aboard of counsel. Also moving to Drinker Biddle are Kate Gold, who joins as partner after being of counsel for Kaye Scholer, and Pamela Graham, an associate who is moving from Irell & Manella.

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP was founded in Philadelphia in 1849. The firm has more than 650 attorneys in 12 offices in the US. Its largest offices are in Philadelphia, Chicago, Florham Park, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.

Scary Days at Drinker Biddle

joshua — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:23:31 +0000

Drinker Biddle managed to avoid deferring its incoming associates this year by cutting salaries, as we reported back in May. Apparently that wasn’t enough, as sources are reporting more than twenty associates were laid off yesterday. So far, it appears litigators are safe, with most cuts coming from tax and corporate practice groups. As we get more detailed information, we’ll keep you posted. If you have information for us, remember that tips are always anonymous and can be submitted here.

Two-Thirds of Drinker Biddle Summers Get Offers

joshua — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:26:05 +0000

In a year marked by layoffs, deferred start dates and low offer rates, this almost sounds like good news. Drinker Biddle made offers to 25 out of 37 summer associates, firm wide. While it’s certainly better than we’ve seen from some firms this year, it’s still a step back from last year when Drinker Biddle had a larger summer class and a higher offer rate. The firm is not deferring incoming associates but they are starting them out with a six month training program at a reduced salary.

Drinker Biddle was founded in 1849 in Philadelphia, and has 12 offices nationwide with over 650 attorneys today.

50 Best Law Firms for Women Announced

Erik Even — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:33:38 +0000

Working Mother Magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers have announced their 2009 Best Law Firms for Women.

The accolade is awarded based on attention to work-life and women’s issues, and the increased use of part-time and other family-friendly policies.

Firms with at least 50 lawyers were eligible to apply, and the application included detailed questions about issues that are important to the retention and promotion of female lawyers. The winning firms were selected based on their workforce profile, family-friendly benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and retention of women, among other criteria utilizing 2008 data.

The 50 firms chosen are not ranked in any order, but include:

Alston & Bird
Andrews Kurth
Arent Fox
Bass Berry Sims
Chapman and Cutler
Covington & Burling
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Debevoise & Plimpton
Dorsey & Whitney
Drinker Biddle
Foley Hoag
Folger Levin & Kahn
Fox Rothschild
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
Frost Brown Todd
Gibbons PC
Goodwin Procter
Gray Plant Mooty
Hanson Bridgett
Hardy & Bacon
Holland and Hart
Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn
Ice Miller
Jenner & Block
Katten Muchin Rosenman Cornish LLP
Latham & Watkins
Lindquist & Vennum
Littler Mendelson
Lowenstein Sandler
Manatt Phelps & Phillips
McGuireWoods
Miller & Chevalier
Morrison & Foerster
Munger Tolles & Olson
Neal Gerber & Eisenberg
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
Perkins Coie
Pillsbury Winthrop
Quarles & Brady
Shook
Sidley Austin
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Smith Moore Leatherwood
Steptoe & Johnson
Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox
Vinson & Elkins
Weil Gotshal & Manges
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Huh. The list of firms not included might be shorter.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:00:16 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Greg L. Berk joins Orange County, California’s Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger as a partner, to chair the new Immigration Practice Group. He joins from Atkinson Andelson in Irvine. Berk is a past Chair of the Orange County Bar Association Immigration Section, and currently serves on their Lawyer Referral Advisory Committee.

Roger D. Winston has been named chair of the real property, trust and estate law section of the American Bar Association. Winston is co-leader of the Planned Communities and Condominiums Group at Ballard Spahr’s Bethesda, Maryland office. His JD is from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his LL.M is from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Mark Costley joins Drinker Biddle as a partner in Washington DC. He was previously a partner with Alston & Bird, where he represented broker-dealers and investment advisers. His JD is from George Mason University.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:26:46 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

James Donato joins Shearman & Sterling’s San Francisco office as a partner. He was previously with Cooley. Donato is an antitrust lawyer and past president of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Also, Donato served as a trial attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.

Jesse Witten joins Drinker Biddle & Reath from the US Department of Justice, where he was co-chair of the Health Care Fraud Task Force. He will join the firm’s white-collar criminal defense and corporate investigations team in Washington, DC. Witten’s JD is from Harvard Law, magna cum laude.

Sue J. Hodges joins K&L Gates as a partner in San Diego, handling corporate and insolvency matters. She focuses on commercial transactions involving debt and equity financing. Hodges joins from Pillsbury, where she was managing partner of the firm’s two San Diego offices.

Howrey Adopts Apprenticeship Model for First Years

Erik Even — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:45:47 +0000

Howrey, which laid off 25 staff in April, is adopting an “apprenticeship” program for its incoming associates, similar to that proposed by Drinker Biddle in May.

Under Howrey’s Tier 1 Program, new associates will spend only one-third of their time in their first year on billable client work. The rest will be spent on pro bono work and training programs.

In the “Howrey Academies,” associates will be taught writing, get assigned to trial teams, plus other programs.

In year two, associates will work on client secondments, judicial externships, and other advanced development opportunities. Billable hours in the second year will be capped at about half of total hours.

The bad news? The Tier 1 Program will be limited to a select number of associates each year. Compensation is annual salary of $100,000, plus $25,000 upon acceptance of the job offer to defray law school loans or third year law school expenses.

In their second year at the firm, participants will receive an annual salary of $125,000 and a $25,000 bonus upon successful completion of the program, and entry into Tier 2 of Howrey’s associate development program. Higher compensation may be offered to candidates with special qualifications, such as advanced technical degrees or clerkships.

Howrey LLP was founded as Howrey, Simon, Baker, & Murchison in 1956, and was the first national anti-trust law firm. It has more than 700 attorneys in 17 locations worldwide.

DLA Piper Loses 4 Real Estate Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:00:09 +0000

DLA Piper has shed four attorneys from its real estate practice in recent months.

Pamela Westhoff left the firm’s Los Angeles office, joining Sheppard Mullin as a partner.

San Francisco attorneys Donald Archer and Sara Hansen Wilson moved to Drinker Biddle & Reath as partners.

Chicago’s Michael Ben-Isvy joined Quarles & Brady as a partner.

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world, and is the only firm with more than 3,700 lawyers in North America and Europe. DLA Piper is a legal services organization whose members and affiliates are separate and distinct legal entities. Together, the organization operates in 28 countries and 66 offices throughout the world.

Drinker Biddle Will Not Defer Associates, But Will Cut Salaries

Erik Even — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:44:02 +0000

Drinker Biddle will allow its 36 incoming associates to start on time in September; but their salaries will be reduced, and they will enter a training program rather than jumping right in.

From a memo so long, we wondered if he catches the whale at the end:

Many of our lawyers have asked us whether we intend to modify our hiring program. In particular, given client questions about the value of very junior lawyers, it has been suggested that we should rely more on lateral hiring of more senior lawyers who have already received their initial training elsewhere. …we believe the answer is not to cut off the source of talent and future leaders of our firm by abandoning our traditional practice of hiring lawyers out of law schools. Nevertheless, we are now reviewing how we run our summer programs and train recent law school graduates to be Drinker Biddle lawyers. …we may very well hire fewer people and commit to train them better.

We have also decided to welcome and train our incoming lawyers rather than defer their arrival for months or a full year…

Accordingly, we are advising all of our incoming lawyers to join us in late September of this year and to expect to spend the first several months of their practice receiving intensive training – a training program far more rigorous and focused than any we have previously provided. Although much of this training will be focused on traditional legal skills relevant to particular areas of practice, we also expect to spend substantial time educating our new lawyers about our clients’ businesses and Drinker Biddle’s approach to adding value in countless practical ways…

During this initial period.. we will pay our incoming lawyers at an annual salary rate of $105,000. Any client work they perform will be billed at a significant rate reduction to ensure that, if new lawyers perform work for clients, the value is clear. In the spring of 2010 – once our new lawyers have been with us for at least six months – we expect to bring their compensation in line with then prevalent market rates for first-year lawyers.

The firm also announced a new flex time policy.

Some time in 2010, the firm plans to announce a new structure for associate compensation and bonuses.

Wolf Block Group Jumps Ship to Drinker Biddle

Erik Even — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:50:42 +0000

Drinker Biddle & Reath, which recruited 10 attorneys out of the Delaware office of dissolving Wolf Block, today announced it is forming a wholly-owned subsidiary out of a group from Wolf Block Public Strategies.

Robert L. Byrd, president and chief executive officer of Wolf Block Public Strategies, will found The Byrd Group, along with Kimberly Gomes and Rebecca Byrd.

Jennifer Ranji, one of the 10 people to join Drinker Biddle in Delaware, will work with The Byrd Group.

Cozen O’Connor Snags 28 Wolf Block Laywers

Erik Even — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:22:22 +0000

Cozen O’Connor is picking up at least 28 attorneys from the now-defunct Wolf Block.

Wolf Block voted this week to dissolve, and the firm’s nearly 300 attorneys are scrambling to find new positions.

Wolf Block executive committee member Robert Silverman has joined Cozen O’Connor, along with 11 attorneys from the private client group and 14 from real estate, and at least three from the tax practice.

Barry Klayman, the one partner from Wolf Block’s Wilmington, Delaware office who didn’t move to Drinker Biddle & Reath, will also join Cozen O’Connor.

Cozen O’Connor PC is a large US law firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm was ranked 114th on the Am Law 200 Survey in 2008, and ranked 89th on the National Law Journal’s list of the 250 Largest American Law Firms in 2007.

Drinker Biddle to Poach Wolf Block Attorneys

Erik Even — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:43:12 +0000

Ten out of 11 attorneys in Wolf Block’s Wilmington, Delaware office are in talks to jump ship to a local office of Drinker Biddle.

The group, including office managing partner Shawn Tucker, is made up of six partners and four associates. It includes the five attorneys who merged their practice, Oberly Jennings & Rhodunda, into Wolf Block in May 2008.

Wolf Block partner Barry M. Klayman, a founder of the firm’s Wilmington office, is not involved.

The move would increase Drinker Biddle’s Wilmington headcount to 15 attorneys.

Drinker Biddle & Reath Gets Six Thelen Lawyers

Erik Even — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:44:56 +0000

I really don’t think we can post enough “former Thelen lawyers find jobs” stories.

Drinker Biddle & Reath’s Washington, DC office has added six former Thelen lawyers to its labor & employment practice.

The group includes three partners, two associates, and one counsel.

Earlier this month, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius announced that two Thelen lawyers had joined the employee benefits practice in Washington, and Troutman Sanders added four lawyers to its DC tax group.

Via The BLT.

Three Philadelphia Law Firms Cut Staff

Erik Even — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:50:22 +0000

Three law firms in The City of Brotherly Love have laid off lawyers or support staff in recent days.

A spokesperson of Philadelphia’s Dechert LLP confirmed it has laid off 72 of its 570 administrative staff across its 11 US offices. The firm, which has about 1,000 lawyers, said it does not have plans to lay off associates.

Wolf Block announced this week it has laid off 15 lawyers and staff. It is also delaying the start dates of its first-year associates by two months. Wolf Block has about 180 of its 300 lawyers in three offices in the Philadelphia region.

Drinker Biddle & Reath has laid off as many as 20 lawyers. Drinker Biddle has roughly 210 of its 680 lawyers in two offices in Philadelphia.

Via Philadelphia Business Journal.

Blog: Drinker Biddle and Wolf Block To Have Xmas Layoffs

Erik Even — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:18:04 +0000

Above the Law claims that Philadelphia’s Drinker Biddle & Reath will let 20 people go on Friday, one week before Christmas.

Yes it’s true about DBR – on Friday afternoon. No stealth – they came around to every office – told everyone it was economy based. … Other tipsters confirmed that the dismissals were based on the economy and not associate performance. The firm would not confirm or deny the reports, as a matter of policy.

They also report that Phillie’s Wolf Block is shedding staff:

We were able to get a spokesperson from WOLF BLOCK to confirm the news and views:

The numbers you note … are accurate.

If you have any inside information about these or other layoffs, please — let us know!