JD Journal » law firm hiring

2012 Expected to be Good Year for Law Firm Lateral Market

jim — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:18:36 +0000

Experts expect the market for lateral moves to continue its rebound in 2012 after is began its initial rebound in 2011 following a handful of drought brought on by the recession.

“It feels like it’s been picking up steam and will continue to do so. There’s a lot of people looking to make moves,” said chief operating officer Christopher Petrini-Poli of HBR Consulting LLC.

Law firms will look to increase their lateral moves in 2012 in an effort to expand their existing services. Firms hope to hire new lawyers who will bring new clients to the firm that fall into sectors the firms are trying to increase. According to Petrini-Poli, lateral hiring should be up at all law firms across the country.

Altman Weil Inc. released a survey in September which questioned 240 United States law firms about their strategies for growth. Of the firms that responded to the survey, 91.6 percent of the law firms said that they were trying to hire new lateral attorneys in 2011. Most of the law firms surveyed also said that the firms were hoping for high returns on their additional hires.

Thomas S. Clay is an author of the report issued by Altman Weil. Clay thinks that the increase in lateral hiring is due to lawyers needed who have plenty of business, not to refill jobs that were lost during the recession.

“The people who were let go during the recession were mainly young lawyers,” Clay said. “This has nothing to do with filling up those ranks.”

Lawrence Mullman, a legal recruiter from Major Lindsey & Africa LLC, said that law firms might have trouble filling some of their practice areas because a lower number of attorneys have had the chance to develop their experience within the business world.

“Historically, everyone always wants corporate M&A,” he said. “But even more so in these uncertain times, there are not many qualified partner candidates with the kind of business experience that makes sense. Transactional work, whether in corporate or real estate, is soft.”

“When the upside for [gross domestic product] predictions is 2.5 percent and the stock market can move two or more percent in a day, that creates turbulence in capital markets which makes it difficult for transactional practice,” the managing partner for DLA Piper’s U.S. activities, Terry O’Malley, said.

O’Malley also said that his law firm was able to add 110 lawyers working in the United States in 2011 but said the firm was still looking for candidates to hire.

“We’re eager to add some regulatory bench strength in Washington — we think it’s going to be a very active year inside the beltway, both because of the election and because of the regulatory initiatives underway under Obama administration,” O’Malley said.

Why Law Schools Fail at Teaching Students how to be Lawyers

jim — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:42:32 +0000

Law schools across the United States are desperately trying to repair their broken images because of reports that have been released about falsifying graduation statistics. The statistics that have been falsified include how many graduates acquire jobs once out of school and how much they are making in those jobs. Law schools are graduating with six figures in debt, no job, and almost no prospects.

In previous years, law school students did not have to know much about their profession. In fact, if the graduate knew how to research and write along with the fundamentals of legal documents, then he or she would be an excellent hire for law firms. The reason for this was that law firms were able to charge clients for time spent on teaching associates in their first and second years on the job about how to practice law.

The Wall Street Journal pointed out that more and more companies are less likely to subsidize on the job training for brand new employees. This means that employees working jobs out of school might not know as much about their job as in years past. A survey was conducted recently regarding in-house legal counsel, and the data shows that 20 percent of companies are refusing to pay for work by first and second year lawyers. Experts feel that this number will only continue to grow in size over the next couple of years.

Some law firms across the country have seen their profits reduce, which has caused them to shift to somewhat of an apprenticeship for new lawyers at the firms. These firms have less money to hire younger attorneys, or those directly out of school, because they simply cannot afford to pay them while they learn on the job. This means that more and more students who would have applied for jobs at law firms are now working in government offices and public interest positions.

An idea has been thrown around recently and it involves the creation of a coalition of elite law firms. Those law firms should approach the Ivy League Law Schools in the country and let them know that if they do not update their curriculums then the firms will no longer hire those schools’ graduates. On the other side of things, they could tell lower-ranked law schools that if they change their curriculum then their graduates would be hired much more often by the elite law firms. The results for this would be highly dramatic because a law school’s reputation is determined by where its graduates are hired. The more graduates hired by elite law firms, the more applicants the school will receive each year.

The American Bar Association permits accreditation to law schools across the country but they will not force schools to change their curriculum to update with the times.

McKenna Long & Aldridge to Include Psychological Test as Part of its Hiring Process

marvins — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:21:16 +0000

McKenna Long & Aldridge, an leading international law firm with more than 475 lawyers, announced that aside from grades, law review note, or Dalai Lama internship, the firm is now including another step in its hiring process- a psychological test. McKenna is now taking the recruitment process to a whole new level by employing a psychological test. McKenna is now requiring their potential associates to undergo a psychological test as part of the firm’s callbacks. Aside from the usual behavioral questions, the firm wants their new recruits to take psychological test to asses their psychological makeup.

Jennifer Queen, the firm’s head of recruiting and development, explained that the main reason behind it is the fact that they want to invest in the right people. “We started looking into [how we hire associates] back in 2007 when the salary increases hit. The salary was at $160,000 in D.C., and there were rumors that it might go to $180,000. That’s serious money. We’re a business, and want to invest in candidates the right way.”

Queen added that those who want to be part of McKenna will have to go through the new hiring model. “There’s the on-campus interview, where we look at the package of grades and experience. For the callback, we ask for a writing sample, and we ask candidates to do an online assessment test that takes 30 minutes. Then they come in, and lawyers are designated to ask certain questions-like “Tell me about the time you shared credit for an accomplishment,” or “the time you worked with someone you had a disagreement with.”

Daily Roundup

joshua — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:15:42 +0000

Good Morning! Here’s a recap of yesterdays stories.

Haynes & Boone expanded, adding four new lawyers as of counsel…

Ball Janik opens shop in Seattle with a new governement contracts practice…

Skadden will make all its summer offers on one day in September….

and Chadbourne & Parke is establishing a presence in northern California…

Four more for Haynes and Boone

joshua — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:44:39 +0000

Haynes and Boone has four more lawyers after bringing in Henry Garrana, Nicolas Gikkas, Michael Foreman and E. Webb Spradley. Garanna, previously the head of IP law for Dell, is joining the IP practice in Austin as of counsel. Gikkas, the former IP counselor for the semiconductor manufacturer Marvell, will be of counsel in San Jose. In New York, Foreman will come aboard as of counsel in the international bankruptcy group and Spradley, who has spent ten years as international counsel for Trinity Industries, will be of counsel in the international practice group in Dallas.

Haynes and Boone, based in Texas, is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Washington, D.C., Mexico City and Moscow.

Page Firm to Hire 5 in Ohio

Erik Even — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:58:26 +0000

Gregory Page, formerly of Pickrel Schaeffer & Ebeling, is launching his own practice in Springboro, Ohio, and will hire two attorneys and three staff before the end of the year.

Gregory S. Page Co. LPA will focus on commercial and residential real estate, construction and business litigation.

Page spent over a decade years at Pickrel Schaeffer, and was previously at Faruki Ireland & Cox. His JD is from the University of Toledo College of Law.

Gilbert Oshinsky – Oshinsky = Gilbert LLP

Erik Even — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:06:29 +0000

Jerold Oshinsky is leaving the partnership of Washington DC’s Gilbert Oshinsky, to join the Los Angeles office of Jenner & Block.

The firm will now be known as Gilbert LLP.

Oshinsky was the firm’s only Los Angeles partner, and that office will now close.

Gilbert LLP is expanding, with the return of one former partner and the new hires of one of counsel and three associates.

Based in Washington DC, with offices in Los Angeles and Austin, Gilbert Oshinsky represents corporations, partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals in complex disputes, including high-stakes litigation, bankruptcy matters, class actions and ADRs.

Andrews Kurth Brings on Lawyers

Erik Even — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:02:15 +0000

Houston’s Andrews Kurth, which laid off at least 20 lawyers across its offices in March, has brought on two attorneys.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister joins Andrews Kurth as a partner in its Austin office, to lead the appellate practice. He will focus on litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Brister was previously with Andrews Kurth in the 1980s. He was also a district court judge in Harris County; a justice on the First Court of Appeals in Houston; and chief justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston. His law degree is from Harvard Law School.

David Whittlesey joins in Austin as a partner in the litigation group. Whittlesey will focus his practice on complex commercial, business and technology litigation. He is is President-Elect of the Austin Bar Association; a former president of the Austin Young Lawyer’s Association; and an active member of the Admissions & Disciplinary Committee for the Western District of Texas. He earned his JD magna cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was a member of Order of the Coif.

Andrews & Kurth LLP was founded by Frank Andrews and Congressman Thomas Henry Ball in 1902, and later joined by Melvin Kurth in 1913. The firm currently has over 400 attorneys internationally, including offices in London and Beijing.

New Immigration Firm Hiring in New York

Erik Even — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:30:21 +0000

The Immigration Firm is hiring. Which immigration firm? The Immigration Firm.

New York’s Vivian M. Williams & Associates has opened a brand new stand-alone immigration law boutique firm, called The Immigration Firm. The firm will handle petitions of residency, deportation proceedings, H-1B professional worker visa applications, naturalization and asylum requests.

The new firm is actively recruiting for associate attorneys and professional staff members.

New York City’s Vivian M. Williams & Associates handles intellectual property law, bankruptcy and civil rights matters.

K&L Gates Adds New Names to Roster

Erik Even — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:10:50 +0000

Raja Bose joins K&L Gates from Singapore office from the crosstown firm Watson Farley & Williams. He concentrates on cross-border litigation and arbitration matters, and serving the oil and gas industries in construction disputes.

Also, Stephen Crimmins joins from Mayer Brown, and will work in Washington DC in the securities enforcement practice. His JD is from Columbia Law.

K&L Gates LLP is a US law firm with over 1700 attorneys worldwide, and is ranked as the 10th largest law firm in the world.

Hughes Hubbard Expands NY Bankruptcy Practice

Erik Even — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:51:36 +0000

Hughes Hubbard & Reed has expanded its bankruptcy practice in New York with two hires.

Kathryn Coleman joins from Gibson Dunn, where she was a partner. She represents Chapter 11 debtors in possession, creditors’ committees, secured lenders groups, acquirers of distressed assets in and out of bankruptcy court, and equity stakeholders in connection with troubled investments and portfolio companies.

Eric Fromme joins as counsel. He is a federal-court litigator and corporate reorganization lawyer.

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, an international law firm based in New York, is ranked number one in New York and number two nationally on The American Lawyer’s A-List of the “top firms among the nation’s legal elite.” AmLaw also ranked the firm #4 in “Top Growth Firms” among the nation’s 200 largest firms over the last 10 years.

Beachcroft Brings on 4 Lawyers

Erik Even — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:59:31 +0000

Beachcroft has hired a four-lawyer clinical negligence team, working out of Dublin.

Ann O’Driscoll joins from Mason Hayes+Curran as a clinical negligence partner. She advises health care professionals and hospitals on clinical negligence and risk management issues.

She is joined by Ciara Palmer, a legal executive from Mason Hayes. Two associates will also join the team, Claire Foley from William Fry and Suzanne O’Keeffe from BCM Hanby Wallace.

Beachcroft LLP is one of the largest national commercial law firms in the United Kingdom. It employs over 1,500 people, and provides legal advice and litigation services from eight UK locations (Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Winchester, and two in London) as well as Brussels.

DLA Piper Annexes German Team from Clifford Chance

Erik Even — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:47:29 +0000

DLA Piper’s Frankfurt office has brought on a three-lawyer team from Clifford Chance.

Juergen Taschke joins as partner, to head up DLA Piper’s corporate crime and international investigations team in Germany. He focuses on criminal law relating to business offenses. He has been with Clifford Chance since 1992. His law degree is from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.

Taschke brings with him two associates.

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world. It is a legal services organization whose members and affiliates are separate and distinct legal entities. The organization boasts more than 3,500 lawyers in 29 countries and 65 office.

Genovese Joblove Hires Associates

Erik Even — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:29:46 +0000

Miami, Florida-based litigation firm Genovese Joblove & Battista has brought on two associates.

Frank Massabki will focus on complex civil and criminal litigation in both federal and state court. He received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Michael Schuster joins from the dissolved Kluger, Perez, Kaplan & Berlin, where he represented clients in debt restructuring, reorganization and liquidation matters, including Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy proceedings. Schuster got his JD from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.

Genovese Joblove & Battista is one of the largest specialty practices in Florida, with offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Covington & Burling Picks Up Heavyweights from Rushton Stakely

Erik Even — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:27:32 +0000

Covington & Burling has hired two prominent attorneys away from Montgomery, Alabama’s Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett.

Robert Brock joins the Washington DC office of Covington & Burling as a partner in the litigation group. He will chair the product liability & mass tort practice group. Brock was with Rushton Stakely for 25 years. His practice focuses on trial work and civil litigation. His JD is from the University of Alabama School of Law in Tuscaloosa.

F. Chadwick Morriss also joins as of counsel. He was also a Rushton Stakely lifer. He handles class action defense; insurance fraud; drug & medical device defense; professional liability; and personal injury defense. His JD is also from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. It consistently ranks among the top 20 on The American Lawyer’s prestigious “A-List.”

UPDATE

Thanks to the JDJournal tipster who pointed out that “heavyweights” only has one “w.”

Tipster: Gallagher & Kennedy Hires Team from Greenberg Traurig

Erik Even — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:14:26 +0000

According to a JDJournal tipster, Phoenix law firm Gallagher & Kennedy has hired a bankruptcy group away from the crosstown office of Greenberg Traurig.

If you know anything about these hires, please — send us a confidential tip!

Founded in 1978, Gallagher & Kennedy is a full service business law firm with offices in Phoenix, Prescott, Santa Fe and Washington DC. Some of their larger clients include the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Arizona Cardinals, PetSmart, Yamaha, and Discount Tire Company.

It is the sixth largest law firm in Arizona, with nearly 100 attorneys.

Hancock & Estabrook Hires Associates

Erik Even — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:11:33 +0000

The Syracuse, New York firm of Hancock & Estabrook has hired three new associates.

Meghan S. Gaffey joins the firm’s corporate and health care practice. She previously interned for the Office of the Onondaga County, New York, District Attorney. Her JD is from the Syracuse University College of Law.

Christina M. Verone joins the litigation and zoning & land use practice. She was a law clerk for Justice Anthony J. Paris of the Onondaga County Supreme Court. Her JD is from the Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Robert C. Whitaker Jr. joins the firm’s labor & employment practice. He served with the US Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps as defense attorney, deputy staff judge advocate, prosecutor and legal assistance attorney. His JD is from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School.

Founded in 1889, Hancock & Estabrook is one of Upstate New York’s leading law firms, employing 56 attorneys.

Paul Hastings Hires IP Team from Skadden

Erik Even — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:51:45 +0000

Paul Hastings has hired a team of three IP attorneys from Skadden.

Jeff Randall joins Paul Hastings’ Palo Alto and Washington DC offices, as co-chair of the firm’s Global Intellectual Property Practice. He represents companies in multi-billion-dollar intellectual property cases. He earned his JD from the University of California Hastings College of Law.

Allan Soobert joins in Washington DC. He represents major technology companies in patent disputes before trial and appellate courts across the United States. His JD is from the Franklin Pierce Law Center where he was editor of IDEA, The Journal of Law and Technology. He received his LL.M in Intellectual Property from George Washington University Law School.

Jeff Pade also joins in Washington DC. He has represented clients in patent litigation matters before arbitration panels, federal district courts and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His JD is also from the Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1951, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP is a leading international law firm with over 1,300 attorneys and 18 offices worldwide. Paul Hastings serves a diverse client base that includes many top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies.

Kutak Rock Founds Phillie Office

Erik Even — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:50:29 +0000

Ohama, Nebraska’s Kutak Rock has launched an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and brought on a former Wolf Block attorney to run it.

Jeffrey Blumenfeld joins as of counsel. He spent 24 years at Blank Rome, before joining Wolf Block in 2007, where he was chairman of its public finance practice. He represents public entities in the issuance of debt as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel and counsel to conduit borrowers, credit enhancers and trustees.

He is joined in Philadelphia by Michael T. McDonnell III, who also joins as of counsel. His litigation practice includes risk management, insurance coverage, appeals and construction law.

The Philadelphia office of Kutak Rock also employs an associate and a paralegal.

Founded in 1965, Kutak Rock LLP is a large law firm and lobbying group based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2007, the firm was ranked by the National Law Journal as the largest law firm in the state of Nebraska, and the 119th largest in the United States by number of attorneys. The firm also ranked 150th in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.

It employs 400 lawyers across 16 offices.

McCarthy Law Firm Hires Family Lawyers

Erik Even — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:07:11 +0000

The McCarthy Law Firm has announced the addition of attorneys Sabrina A. Davis and Edina AT Strum.

Strum has been practicing law for seven years, with a focus on family law. She has experience in the areas of child advocacy, dependency and child custody issues. Her JD us from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

Davis does research and analysis for child welfare advocacy issues, including research, writing and development of proposed model legislation on legal representation for children in custody issues. Her JD is also from Rogers College.

Tucson, Arizona’s McCarthy Law Firm is headed by Kathleen A. McCarthy, another graduate of the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law.

McKenna Long Adds Public Finance Attorneys

Erik Even — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:21:38 +0000

McKenna Long & Aldridge has hired on four public finance attorneys for its corporate practice in Atlanta.

Earle Taylor joins as a partner, and head of the firm’s Public Finance practice. Taylor has participated in public finance transactions in more than 15 states and territories, as well as for Indian tribes. He frequently drafts and consults on public finance-related legislation proposed by the Georgia General Assembly.

Ken Pollock also joins as partner. He has experience with financing governmental projects, and with tax-exempt financings benefiting private entities, including health systems and educational institutions.

John MacMaster joins as of counsel. He concentrates on tax planning and controversy, and was an attorney-adviser for the US Treasury Department.

Joe Krolikowski also joins as of counsel. He concentrates his practice on municipal bonds and other financing transactions, and was also an attorney-adviser for the US Treasury.

Atlanta-based McKenna Long & Aldridge is an international law firm with 475 attorneys and public policy advisers. It was ranked the 100th largest law firm in the country by the National Law Journal in 2007. The firm also ranked 141st in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.

Watson Burton Finds Work for Trainees

Erik Even — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:45:24 +0000

Commercial law firm Watson Burton has offered a job to only one or two of its eight qualifying trainees, according to blawgs.

However, the firm has helped all but one of those trainees find alternate employment. For instance, one will join a client of the firm, and another has been hired by a local accountant.

In March, Watson Burton launched a redundancy consultation targeting 25% of its staff.

Founded in 1811, Watson Burton is a leading law firm providing legal services to industry, commerce, public sector and private individuals, with offices in Newcastle, Leeds and London, United Kingdom.

Mullin Law Brings on Lawyer, Staffer

Erik Even — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:37:08 +0000

Mullin Law has hired attorney Kelly Ganzberger and Paula J. White.

Ganzberger focuses on franchise regulatory compliance and commercial litigation. In 2001, she served as a White House intern for the Office of White House Management. Her JD is from the Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida, founded in 1999.

White joins as Director of Franchise Compliance Services. She offers critical client support through specialization in franchise registration, compliance and documentation. White was previously with Snelling Staffing Services as the director of franchise administration.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Mullin Law is a full service commercial law firm. The firm represents clients throughout the United States in areas ranging from franchising to employment law, copyright/trademark law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate litigation, as well as dispute resolution.

Patton Boggs Hires Group from Weiner Brodsky

Erik Even — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:24:10 +0000

Patton Boggs has hired away a team of six mortgage finance lawyers from Weiner Brodsky.

Partners Richard Andreano and John Socknat join in Washington DC, along with associates Reid Herlihy, Heather Hutchings and Haydn Richards. Partner Michael Waldron joins in Dallas.

In April, Patton Boggs has hired away a three-person bankruptcy team from Foley & Lardner.

Patton Boggs LLP is a full service law firm with more than 600 lawyers and professionals in nine locations in the United States and the Middle East.

Mateer Harbert Hires 3 Lawyers, 6 Staff

Erik Even — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:20:16 +0000

Orlando, Florida’s Mateer Harbert has gone a hiring spree, picking up two new partners, a senior associate, three paralegals and three legal assistants.

The partners are Francis Pierce and Richard Allen; the senior associate is Susan Sewell.

Mateer Harbert is a 44-employee law firm based in Orlando. It has a second location in Ocala.

Vethan Law Hires Lawyers for New Office

Erik Even — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:31:17 +0000

Houston, Texas’ Vethan Law Firm has brought on two attorneys for a new office in Sugar Land.

Elyse M. Farrow and Lee Keller King will represent business law clients in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, and Harris County, in business law, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and business litigation matters.

Farrow and King both earned their JD’s from the South Texas College of Law.

The Vethan Law Firm is a business law firm offering corporate law, business litigation, intellectuall property protection, family law, and estate planning representation to clients throughout Texas and the United States.

Goodsill Anderson Lays Off 9 Staff

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:36:37 +0000

Hawaii’s Goodsill Anderson laid off nine administrative staffers last week. No attorneys were affected.

In fact, the firm plans to hire three more lawyers for its corporate and intellectual property practices.

Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, established in 1878, is Hawaii’s largest law firm. It is based in Honolulu, and lists 69 lawyers on its Web site.

Debevoise & Plimpton Hires Partners from Goodwin Procter

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:27:18 +0000

Debevoise & Plimpton has hired two banking partners away from Goodwin Procter.

Gregory Lyons joins Debevoise & Plimpton as a partner in New York. He will be Co-Chair for the Americas of the firm’s Financial Institutions Group. He was co-chair of the Financial Services Practice at Goodwin, and chair of its banking practice in Boston.

Satish Kini joins as banking practice co-chair in Washington, DC. He was a member of Goodwin’s Financial Services Practice.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a prominent international law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise and William Stevenson, the firm currently employs about 680 lawyers in eight offices throughout the world.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:19:34 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Salem Katsh joins Schnader Harrison from private practice as as a partner in its New York intellectual property group. Katsh previously chaired the IP groups at Weil Gotshal & Manges and Shearman & Sterling. More recently, he was the chair of the IP group at Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman.

Michael Piazza joins Greenberg Traurig from Dorsey & Whitney. He is a former Regional Trial Counsel for the Los Angeles office of the SEC. Piazza joins Greenberg Traurig’s securities litigation practice group as head of the Irvine, California office’s practice. His JD is from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Thomas J. Durling joins Flaster Greenberg’s Philadelphia from DLA Piper, as a shareholder in the IP practice. Durling’s practice focuses on patent procurement, due diligence, intellectual property litigation and client counseling within the mechanical engineering field. His JD is from the Widener University School of Law.

Lathrop & Gage Hiring for New Chicago Office

Erik Even — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:21:46 +0000

Lathrop & Gage has hired two Sonnenschein partners to launch its new Chicago office, its 11th — and plans “aggressive recruiting.”

Blaine Kimrey will be managing partner in Chicago, joining Lathrop’s intellectual property practice. He is joined by associate Bryan Clark.

The oldest law firm west of the Mississippi River, Kansas City, Missouri’s Lathrop & Gage provides litigation and business law services with 300 attorneys in 11 offices in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Washington DC.

Speechly Bircham Hires 90 from Campbell Hooper

Erik Even — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:33:00 +0000

London law firm Speechly Bircham has hired 90 people, including 17 partners, from the dissolving Campbell Hooper.

The hirings, which are not being characterized as a merger, give Speechly Bircham a total of over 400 employees. The firm says the move makes Speechly Bircham on of the top 50 UK firms.

Speechly Bircham has also reorganized, creating three groups — business law with 120 lawyers, real estate with 70 lawyers, and private clients with 60 lawyers.

Founded in the 19th century, Speechly Bircham is a 200-lawyer firm based in the City of London, with a strong reputation for both commercial and private client work.

Gudorf Law Hires 3 Lawyers

Erik Even — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:25:49 +0000

Dayton, Ohio lawyer Ted Gudorf has founded the Gudorf Law Group, bringing on three new attorneys.

Gudorf, who has practiced law in Dayton for 23 years, specializes in estate planning, estate administration and asset protection planning. He is board certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate law. His JD is from the University of Dayton School of Law.

Anne Thompson was previously a clerk for former Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Froelich, and a corporate tax attorney for NCR Corp. She will head the firm’s estate administration and business succession planning departments.

Russell Golowin joins as a contract lawyer, focusing on Medicaid crisis planning and veterans’ benefits planning.

Kelie Niswonger also joins.

Shutts & Bowen Adds Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:08:11 +0000

Shutts & Bowen has brought on three new senior lawyers for its West Palm Beach, Florida office.

Hank Jackson joins from Holland & Knight as a partner in the business litigation practice. He received his JD from the University of Arkansas Leflar Law Center.

Raymond Royce also joins from Holland & Knight, as a partner in the real estate and land use practice groups. He will concentrate on land use, development, and real property matters. He received his JD from the University of Florida College of Law.

Lawrence Lataif joins as a senior immigration counsel, representing clients in all aspects of federal immigration law. Before joining Shutts, he was president of Lataif & Associates in Fort Lauderdale. He received his JD and Master of Laws from Georgetown University.

Lovells Adds Four Lawyers in Italy

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:15:23 +0000

Lovells has brought on two partners from Simmons & Simmons for its Milan office.

Federico Del Monte and Corrado Fiscale specialize in structured finance and securities work, and will co-head Lovell’s Italian capital markets practice. They bring with them two associates.

Del Monte and Fiscale came to Simmons in 2004 from Clifford Chance.

Lovells is an international law firm with over 300 partners and around 3,200 employees operating from 26 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States. It is one of the largest international legal business practices in the world.

Appleby Brings on New Hires

Erik Even — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:31:54 +0000

Bermuda’s Appleby has brought on new hires for its Funds & Investment Services division.

Tanya Kozak joins in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands from Toronto, Canada’s Borden Ladner Gervais. She advises clients on the establishment of investment funds, exempted limited partnerships and corporate governance. She obtained her LL.B from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, in 2000.

Jessica Wormald also joins in the Caymans, with experience in funds work and formation of stand alone vehicles including segregated portfolio companies and limited partnerships. She also specializes in the formation, establishment and listing of mutual funds and hedge funds.

Appleby, previously Appleby Spurling Hunter, is an offshore legal, fiduciary and administration service provider, created by the merger of Bermuda’s Appleby Spurling Kemp and the Cayman Islands’ Hunter & Hunter in 2004, and a subsequent merger with Jersey, UK’s Bailhache Labesse in 2006.

It has offices in the key offshore locations of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Mauritius and the Seychelles, as well as London, Hong Kong and Zurich. It plans to open an office in Dubai.