JD Journal » law firm

News Corp. Hires Williams & Connolly Partner as Counsel

jim — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:05:49 +0000

A partner from Williams & Connolly has been tapped by News Corp. to serve as the company’s group general counsel. The partner, Gerson Zweifach, has experience in litigation, first amendment, media and patent law. He will hold the position of senior executive vice president of News Corp.

Zweifach is taking over for Janet Nova, who served as the interim general counsel for the previous six months. He will report directly to Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch.

Zweifach said that it was a tough decision to leave the firm that he worked at for close to 30 years.

“I’m part of the furniture here. It’s family,” he said of the firm. He also said that he is exited for the “unique opportunity to play an important role in this global media company at a critical time in their history.”

The biggest obstacle he will encounter is the investigation of the phone-hacking scandal by News Corp. He said that it is important for him to find out how and where the activities involved occurred and how they unfolded. He also said that he will put policies and procedures in effect to prevent this from ever happening again.

Zweifach will still work closely with his former firm, which represents News Corp.

Zweifach will be at the top of a team of attorneys that have been hired since the scandal broke back in the summer months. The legal team that has been working with News Corp. includes Joel Klein, the former head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division and Viet Dinh, from Bancroft.

The three attorneys will soon face the task of responding to criminal investigations in the United Kingdom and the United States. Lawsuits have been filed in both countries against News Corp. as well.

Zweifach developed a reputation as a seasoned attorney who handled crises for clients in and out of court while working at Williams & Connolly.

Zweifach defended former chief of the New York Stock Exchange Richard Grasso in one high-profile case. There was a lawsuit filed against Grasso by former New York State attorney general Eliot Spitzer. The suit was dismissed by the New York State Court of Appeals in 2008.

“He understands the intricacies of business situations and helps a client make good judgments outside the context of pure litigation,” Robert Barnett, a senior partner at Williams & Connolly, said. “Because of the work he’s done here, he has an extremely good understanding of how corporations work and the challenges they face, economic, regulatory, investigatory, litigation and public relations. He’s a counselor in the traditional sense, not just a litigator.”

“We worked on a lot of high profile cases where media attention is not unusual,” Steven Farina, a partner at Williams & Connolly, said. “The attention to that case was quite intense and the litigation with the AG’s office was hard fought. We are sorry to lose him, but I think he’ll be an extraordinary general counsel. If I needed a lawyer, he would be the first person I would hire.”

Rupert Murdoch added, “We are fortunate to have such a renowned attorney join our Company as we navigate the rapidly changing media landscape.”

Why It’s Not A Good Idea To Go To Law School Straight Away

chelsei — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:44:15 +0000

Every year newly finished college graduates head straight to law school hoping that another degree in law will help them to land a good job. This is becoming more and more of a bad idea.

In hiring most entry-level lawyers, the law firms and companies are favoring those candidates who have actually worked somewhere. It’s a big change in the legal world–which once favored those intellectual bona fides over hours logged over at the office. It’s just one more example of how the recession has impacted even the country’s most privileged: Young college graduates from the top universities who thought that they were doing every single thing right, getting into the law schools with the best reputations and positioning themselves for a high-paying job out in the legal world.

”What am I supposed to put in a cover letter? That I have been in school?” says Samantha Walls in a recent phone interview. Walls went straight from college at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, to the law school at Georgetown. She finished last spring and is still out trying to get a job.
”Of everyone I know from Georgetown who has one the [law] firm jobs you need to pay off law school loans, all but two had work experience between undergrad and law school,” Walls said, who also finished in the middle of her class. ”You are competing with all the laid off lawyers and graduates from the last few school classes who can’t find work. I can’t compare to someone who has worked at a bank and knows about financial transactions and can start making a firm money right away.”

While no one is tracking the employment rates for lawyers with some professional experience, interviews with more than 30 law professors, admissions officers, law students, recent graduates and hiring partners at law firms confirm that professional experience has grown more important in this disintegrating economy. In many of the cases, work experience functions as a tiebreaker in a toss-up between two otherwise equally qualified candidates. Many of the young lawyers that had previously gone directly from law school are now regretting their hurried decision.

With all of the unemployment rates at a record high, even for the lawyers–68.4 percent of graduates from the national law school class of 2010 are employed in jobs that require a doctorate decree in law, just a drop of 8 percentage points from the class of 2007–college graduates without any experience out there in the real world need to think carefully about heading straight to law school.

”There is no doubt that this is a buyer’s market for hiring,” says Kevyn Orr, who is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of a top-tier law firm Jones Day in a phone interview. ”And so in a more competitive market, we will look at the experience more now than in the past. For a candidate on the margin, yes, it can make a big difference. But it’s currently hard to quantify.”

Legal Hiring in Q1 Bright for Legal Industry

jim — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:00:47 +0000

According to a quarterly hiring survey by legal staffing firm Robert Half Legal, close to one third of lawyers are planning to issue new hires in the first quarter of 2012.

The survey revealed that 31 percent of lawyers said that they plan to add legal jobs in the first three months of 2012. This is up from the 25 percent who projected that they would hire new legal positions within the fourth quarter of 2011. The majority of the hiring is expected to come from law firms, with the strongest growth in bankruptcy and foreclosure, litigation and labor and employment.

Two hundred lawyers were interviewed by the survey across the country (100 lawyers at law firms with at least 20 employees and 100 corporate lawyers at companies with at least 1,000 employees). Jonathan Witmer, the metro market manager for the District of Columbia and Baltimore at Robert Half Legal, said the following:

“A majority of the lawyers we surveyed nationally and here in D.C. are feeling good about hiring,” he said. “Firms are being smarter about how and when they add personnel.”

Charles Volkert, the executive director for Robert Half Legal, said the following:

“General counsel are handling more matters internally in areas such as corporate transactional, labor and employment, intellectual property, litigation and regulatory law,” Volkert said.

Sidley Austin Retirement Letter

jim — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:47:30 +0000

Every so often, a resignation or retirement letter will appear in the legal industry. The majority of interesting letters usually come from associates, but every now and then, one of those letters will come from a partner. A new letter was released to the media last week from a partner retiring from a major firm and here is a tease: “I have realized that I cannot simultaneously meet the demands of career and family. Without criticizing those who have chosen lucre over progeny let me just say that I am leaving the practice of law.”

The retirement memo was submitted to everyone working in the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin on Friday, December 30.

The letter was written by David B. Johnson, who worked at Sidley Austin as a litigation partner. Johnson’s biography was removed from the firm’s website but it used to read as follows:

“DAVID B. JOHNSON is a partner in the Litigation Group of the Chicago office. He has a broad-based litigation practice with an emphasis on consumer and securities class action defense. He has also handled numerous business and commercial contract disputes regarding such issues as employer-employee relations, first refusal and preemptive rights and franchise relationships.”

In 1983, Johnson earned his J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In 1978, Johnson earned his B.A. from Marquette University. Johnson was a member of the Illinois bar from 1983 and was admitted in the Seventh Circuit and the Central and Northern Districts of Illinois.

The full retirement memo from Johnson is pasted below:

SIDLEY AUSTIN — DEPARTURE MEMO OF PARTNER DAVID JOHNSON

I have realized that I cannot simultaneously meet the demands of career and family. Without criticizing those who have chosen lucre over progeny, let me just say that I am leaving the practice of law.

My epiphany may have come a bit late as my youngest child — I believe his name is Erik — is 24. But as I always said after missing a filing deadline, better late than never.

I have made friendships at Sidley that I will treasure well into the first quarter of 2012. But a career based on the perception of untapped potential, rather than on actual production, has a limited shelf life. I frankly would have expected management to have caught on years ago. I trust that my longevity will serve as a beacon of hope for underperforming lawyers of all ages. No need to name names: you know who you are.

Farewell and best wishes,
David

Robert Morvillo Passes Away at 73

jim — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:49:55 +0000

Robert Morvillo, a white collar defense lawyer, passed away at the age of 73 on Sunday. He is most famous for representing Martha Stewart, Geraldine Ferraro’s husband John Zaccaro, and AIG’s Maurice Greenberg. Morvillo’s law firm announced his death on their website:

“With great sadness, Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C. announces the passing of our partner and colleague, Robert G. Morvillo. Bob was an unrivaled advocate dedicated to protecting his clients, upholding the finest traditions of the legal profession. He also was a dear friend, wonderful colleague, and cherished mentor to us all. We extend our love and deepest sympathies to his family. We will miss him.”

Morvillo was recovering from a recent operation, passing away in his sleep, according to the New York Times.

Morvillo first started out as a prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Manhattan under Robert Morganthau. Morganthau later became the District Attorney for Manhattan. The mark left by Morvillo on the legal industry is immeasurable. A boutique was founded by Morvillo in 1973 that would eventually turn into Morvillo Abramowitz. The firm became one of the top white collar practices in the entire country.

The law firm started by Morvillo was one of the first firms to focus on white collar criminal defense for high profile cases. He turned this practice into a very profitable enterprise. When the law firm began practicing this type of law, not many others were willing to do it because they viewed it as work beneath their standing. When you look at major law firms today, almost all of them have a practice that is devoted to white collar crime, competing with the firm of Morvillo Abramowitz.

Morvillo is most widely known for representing Martha Stewart in her case that charged her with obstruction of justice. There are a handful of Morvillo’s biggest victories that will only be known by a select few people because he was able to resolve those cases prior to charges being filed.

Friends and colleagues of Morvillo say that he was a sight to behold in the courtroom, according to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

“What is very difficult to convey is his tactical brilliance,” Judge Jed S. Rakoff said. Rakoff, speaking in Manhattan, presided over the final trial Morvillo was involved in this past summer.

“Win or lose, he was always thinking three steps ahead of anyone else in the room,” Rakoff said. Rakoff also is a 40-year friend of Morvillo. Their friendship began back when the two were federal prosecutors.

“He just had a great ability to see how a particular tactic would play out, not just in the short run but in the long run,” Rakoff said.

Attorney from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Hired by Pittsburgh Pirates

jim — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:30:53 +0000

The Pittsburgh Pirates, one of Major League Baseball’s oldest franchises, has added former Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP attorney Bryan F. Stroh. Stroh has been hired by the Pirates as their new vice president and general counsel, according to Katten Muchin. A spokeswoman for Katten Muchin confirmed that Stroh had left the firm’s Chicago office for the front office of the Pirates last month. Stroh had been with the firm for six years.

“He is a skilled young attorney who will do a great job. Hopefully, since the Pirates are in the National League, he’ll still find time to root for the White Sox,” the spokeswoman told Law360.

The head of Katten Muchin’s sports law practice, Adam Klein, worked directly with Stroh on quite a few cases. Klein praised the positive attitude and personality that were a part of Stroh’s everyday life.

“I give him a lot of credit: He saw something he was interested in and went for it,” Klein told Law360 on Thursday.

A kickback scandal involving talent scouts arose involving several Major League Baseball organizations recently, and Stroh was the representative for the Chicago White Sox in that scandal. The team was cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was alleged that scouts from the White Sox organization identified future players in Latin America. The scouts would then discuss how much the players would be willing to pay in kickbacks to the White Sox scouts and to David Wilder. Wilder was, at the time, the team’s director of player personnel.

The owner of the White Sox, Jerry Reinsdorf, hired the firm of Katten Muchin to help with the investigation. Reinsdorf was informed about the wrongdoings by a whistleblower. The Dominican players who were forced to kickback segments of their signing bonuses to officials in the organization were interviewed by Stroh and his colleague Sheldon Zenner.

In February of this year, Wilder pled guilty to one count of mail fraud in an Illinois federal court. Jorge Oquendo Rivera also pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in the same court back in November of this year.

In order to obtain kickbacks, Wilder, Oquendo and Victor Mateo (another scout) did not provide the White Sox organization with the correct amount of the players’ bonuses. Those three men also left out certain information about the payments issued to the players. This caused the organization to pay fraudulently inflated bonuses to players while also purchasing the contracts of players from other teams at high prices.

Stroh also worked with the Cleveland Indians and the White Sox on player salary arbitration cases while employed at Katten. Stroh attended Princeton University for his undergraduate degree and obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia. Stroh was a member of the Princeton University varsity baseball team during his academic career.

“Given his passion for the sport, I’m sure he’d love to get a taste of the operational side,” Klein said.

The New York Judge Rules Law Partner is Not an Employee, Cannot Sue for Age Discrimination

chelsei — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:40:33 +0000

A favorable decision for Holland & Knight in a long-running fight over the termination of a former partner could make it harder for other law firm partners to sue over alleged unfair treatment, at least it is in the Empire State.

According to the court papers, John Weir, who has been battling his former firm since 2002, was expelled from the partnership at the age 55 over what the firm claims was just a disagreement abut the direction of their labor and employment practice. Weir, who became the so-called New Class B Capital Partner at Holland & Knight after the firm had merged with Haight Gardner Poor & Havens back in 1997, which led the firm’s labor and employment group in New York at one point.

Weir sued Holland & Knight initially back in 2005 in the Manhattan federal district court, claiming that the firm had let him go because of his age and because it didn’t want to have to pay for the retirement benefits he says he was entitled to under the ERISA plan he had. After the judge After the judge had heard the case, and dismissed Weir’s claims back in 2007, on the statue-of-limitations grounds, Weir changed his complaint and then tried to sue Holland & Knight in a New York state court.

On December 9, New York Supreme Court Justice Marcy Freidman ruled on the summary judgement by dismissing Weir’s entire complaint, which included the claims of the age discrimination and retaliation, breach of the fiduciary duties, breach of contract, and fraudulent inducement.

In tossing around Weir’s discrimination claims, Friedman relied in part on a six-part test established in a US Supreme Court case, Clackmas Gastroenterology Associate v. Wells, that was first used to determine whether a shareholder in a professional setting can be considered an employee under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision has since then been applied by courts outside the context of the ADA.

Friedman said that Weir did not pass the Clackmas test, nor did he ”submit any evidence to show that he was not a bona fide partner” with some control over the firm.

Robert Hillman, who is a professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law and an expert on partnership, said that as the law firms begin to grow to include what, in some instances, are hundreds of partners, the line between the partner and the employee has grown increasingly blurry.

”This case reminds us that there’s an issue here, and it affects a lot of law firms,” Hillman says, adding that the facts related to an individual fight often determine how influential a given partner is within his or her own law firm.

Friedman’s ruling departs from the one issued by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in connection with a case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Sidley Austin.

In that case, the EEOC alleged that the firm had taken 32 former partners of their equity stakes due to their age. This case was settled in 2007, with Sidley Austin agreeing to pay a total of $27.5 million to the former partners, but not before a three-judge Seventh Circuit panel had ruled that the EEOC appeared to have enough facts to show the Sidley partners qualified as employees and were therefore protected by the anti-discrimination laws.

Election of Deborah Read at Thompson Hine as Managing Partner Puts Her in Small Circle of Women at Top of Major Law Firms

rebneely — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:16:26 +0000

In recent days, Thompson Hine LLP, a leading national law firm, announced that Deborah Z. Read has been elected as the firm’s managing partner, making her one of only a few major law firms with a woman at the top.

Read will succeed David J. Hooker on May 1, 2012. Hooker has served as managing partner since 1997, and will continue to be an active partner in the firm.

Read has been an integral part of building the firm and setting its strategic priorities. As managing partner she will utilize her leadership experience within the firm as a member of its Executive Committee for the last eleven years.

In addition, Read, for the past six years, has served as Thompson Hine’s firmwide hiring partner. In this capacity, she oversaw all group and individual lawyer hiring and created a unique hiring and integration program. As a result of these efforts, the firm was listed as one of the top four firms with fewer than 500 lawyers for lateral partner satisfaction and integration in a survey conducted by leading consulting group Major, Lindsey & Africa. During Read’s tenure as hiring partner, the firm’s lateral partner program increased in size by 49 percent.

Read’s management experience extends to all areas of the firm. She served as chair of the firm’s Tax, Benefits and Planning practice and its Lawyer Personnel Committee, a firmwide committee then responsible for compensation and career development for all non-partner lawyers. In addition, she worked to ensure implementation of the firm’s first parental leave policy, which is non-gender-specific, and in the 1990s, when technology supporting offsite work was less prevalent, she established an onsite Saturday childcare program for firm lawyers and staff. She was also involved in the formation of Thompson Hine’s Spotlight on Women® program, the firms award-winning national women’s initiative.

Read was quoted as saying: “It’s an honor to take on the role of managing partner. We have a very talented group of lawyers with whom I am privileged to work. I look forward to building on the firms strong foundation of client service and developing ways that we can continue to innovate how we deliver our services to provide the maximum value for our clients. Thompson Hine is an excellent firm with a long history, and we will continue to add lawyers that complement our existing expertise and enhance our geographic presence.”

Read has received numerous, prestigious awards, including the 2010 Northeast Ohio ATHENA award, presented annually by ATHENA International to people who assist women in realizing their leadership potential, show excellence in their business or profession, and have devoted time and energy to their communities. She is also the recipient of the 2006 YWCA Career Women of Achievement award, the 2006 Rainmakers Award (Northern Ohio Live), the 2001 Kaleidoscope Magazine Woman Who Gives Back award and the1988 United WayVolunteer of the Year award.

Read concentrates her practice on corporate structure and restructuring for nonprofit organizations, and tax and corporate planning for nonprofit organizations, foundations and health care organizations. She advises leading foundations and nonprofit organizations. Read also serves as a volunteer adviser to a variety of charities and organizations that make up Business Volunteers Unlimited, providing them with guidance and evaluation of their legal issues. Read is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

Read’s has long been dedicated to serving the community. Organizations to which she has contributed include United Way Services, the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, and the Health and Caring for All Vision Council, among others.

Established in 1911, Thompson Hine is a business law firm dedicated to providing superior client service.

ABA Panel Says No to an Outside Law Firm Ownership

chelsei — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:36:19 +0000

An American Bar Association commission is considering recommending that the nonlawyers be allowed to take an equity stake in law firms for which they work while urging that an existing ban be maintained on the kind of outside investment in US firms that is now possible in the United Kingdom and Australia.

If the panel’s recommendation moves forward, the move to let the nonlawyers own a piece of firms that employ them would not become an ABA model rule for more than a year, and would still need to be adopted by individual states. While all 50 states currently ban such nonlawyer ownership of the law firms, Washington D.C. has allowed it for more than two decades.

At the same time, the ABA’s Commission on Ethics 20/20 came out firmly against any move that would open the door to law firms becoming either publicly traded entities or multidisciplinary practices designed, for an example, to serve as one-stop shops accounting and legal needs.

Formed in 2009 to address how technological advances and globalization are affecting the regulation of law firms and lawyers, the commission released a new draft paper (PDF) Friday that lays out the panel’s views and seeks input from members of the legal community. Any formal proposals that are adopted, after the comment period, will not go to the ABA’s decision-making body until February of 2013.

The commission’s recommendations aren’t going far enough for Thomas Gordon, legal and policy director for Responsive Law, which is a year-and-a-half-old nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that advocates on behalf of what the group cities as the 80 percent to legal representation.

”There needs to be much more openness to outside involvement in the legal professional for consumers to benefit,” says Gordon, who submitted comments to and testified before the commission earlier this year. ”In any service industry, consumers will benefit where there’s innovation.”

Paul Paton, who is a profession at Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, who also serves as reporter to the 20/20 commission, says that the panel considered the entire spectrum of alternative business structures found elsewhere in the world, discussed at length in an issues paper (PDF) in the month of April, but ”decided there were certain practices mapped out…that weren’t appropriate for adoption in the US at this time.”

The ownership model suggested in the draft report would allow firms to give the nonlawyers they employ a financial interest in the firm and a share in its profits. Among all the professionals cited as potentially qualifying to take such a stake: architects, social workers, engineers or investigators who assist in such practice areas as, respectively, land use, intellectual property, family law, or personal injury.

The commission does suggest placing some conditions on opening law firm ownership to nonlawyers, including: requiring lawyers to investigate the professional reputation of anyone considered for an equity stake; ensuring that a firm’s lawyers maintain a controlling financial interest and voting rights in the enterprise; and prohibiting nonlawyer owners from having their own clients or offering any services to firm clients outside of legal needs.

The Wisconsin Business Law Initiative

jim — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:23:02 +0000

Jonathan Lipson, a UW-Madison law professor, is trying to correct a major misconception about his place of employment. Lipson claims that the school’s law school is not anti-business, and that it works tirelessly to help the disenfranchised and the wrongly accused.

“There’s this idea that we’re focused only on the rights of criminal defendants, or that we have really strong left-leaning or anti-market politics,” he said. “When people outside think about the law school, I don’t think business law is what comes to mind.”

Lipson is a business law professor who is hoping that the Wisconsin Business Law Initiative helps to change this. The initiative was launched last month by Lipson under the direction of Law School Dean Margaret Raymond.

The program’s goal is to raise the public profile of business law by targeted programs, outreach, and networking opportunities according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

“One of the things lawyers and clients in particular constantly express frustration with is people graduating from law schools not adequately trained in business law,” Lipson said. “We’re very definitely committed to improving that.”

The initiative has become a welcome sign for lawyers of companies all across the state as well. Jerome D. Okarma is the vice president and general counsel for Johnson Controls, which is based in Milwaukee and is a $44 billion operation across 125 countries.

“I’m all for it,” Okarma said. “We’ve made efforts in this direction in the past as general counsels, and we believe it would be a benefit to the law school, to companies and to the students themselves.”

The former executive vice president and former general manager of Harley-Davidson, Gail A. Lione, had the following to say about the initiative,

“Clients really want their law firms to understand their business,” she said. “The reality is that most of your clients (as a lawyer) are businesses, whether it’s a for-profit business or a not-for-profit. Most of them have a balance sheet, whether they’re big or little, and it’s just about equipping law students with some basic understanding of that. This initiative is a good one, but it is not the only direction the law school has. It’s critical that law schools remember their primary objective is to help develop good lawyers, and to not have them go into niche areas too soon. You really do want a well-rounded and versatile law student graduating.”

The initiative will also offer better training for students while also directly helping businesses.

“At some point, we’re just going to survey the major corporation counsel offices in Wisconsin about what their legal needs are — what keeps them up at night,” Lipson said, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. “We could then very easily organize a series of programs to meet those needs. You don’t want to compete with the private lawyers, but if somebody here is already working on that problem (in research), we could connect up that person with the company.”

Workers Laid Off By KEL Law Firm

jim — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:30:50 +0000

Lawyers are leaving KEL law firm but not by choice. No one knows how much staff was actually dismissed but several lawyers were laid off this past week. This is sad news for the lawyer world because many firms were just now recovering from the recession. The most troubling part of this story is that no one knows why these lawyers were dismissed.

One of the founders of the firms covers up the questions by saying they over-hired in certain areas. Letting go some of the lawyers helps release some of the stress of having too many workers. Jeffrey Kaufman (the co-founder) also states that a law firm is a lot like any other business.

“We have people who come and go all the time at different times of the year,” Kaufman said. “It is like the retail business — things slow down at certain times of the year and get busy at other times. But this is not an issue of times being bad for us. Really, this is not a big deal at all.”

While it may not be a big deal to him, it is a big deal to those who walked out of the law firm without a job. Some of the top lawyers of the firm received their notices as early as Tuesday last week. Again, one laid off lawyer explains that no one knows who was laid off and how many were let go. However, there is some speculation as to why these lay-offs might have occurred.

“Mistakes in a consumer-bankruptcy case involving Sanchez and the inadvertent violation of a related court order drew the wrath of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Briskman, who temporarily barred KEL from practicing bankruptcy law in the Middle District of Florida. The Orlando-based judge later filed a complaint with The Florida Bar and cited KEL itself for what he termed “unprofessional” work.”

One of the lawyers who received a “lay-off notice”– states that he has cleared his role in the matter. The lawyer, also known as William Sanchez, states that he must take a few exams to refresh his license and also pay a small fine. However, an ongoing investigation still exists with “KEL partners Kaufman, Matt Englett and Craig Lynd.”

Several of the “laid-off” employees have spoken up about “why they think this has happened.” Many of the “former employees” think it has to do with the foreclosure aspect of the law firm. Whether KEL law firm confirms this or not is up to them. However, Kaufman still continues to deny that this is the reason the company has slowed down with business. Kaufman continues to state the following

“This has nothing whatsoever to do with the downturn in foreclosures. That area is still very good for us,” he said. “It doesn’t make up a majority of our work, anyway. We have huge areas of family law in which we are also doing well.”

Greenberg Traurig Opens Office in Mexico City

rebneely — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:00:17 +0000

International law firm Greenberg Traurig announced yesterday it will open an office in Mexico City. This office will make it the firm’s 33^rd, and will concentrate on providing legal services to international clients seeking to enter the Mexican and Latin American markets, and those having established businesses in the region.

Luis Rubio Barnetche will act as the managing shareholder of the office. He is the former managing partner at Rubio Villegas & Asociados, a well regarded Mexican law firm founded in 1966.

By early 2012, the office is expected to have an estimated 20 attorneys; this team will possess a multitude of disciplines, and serve clients on a broad range of matters, including corporate/mergers and acquisitions, competition/antitrust, telecommunications, global trade and investment, civil and commercial litigation and arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, real estate and food and drug regulation.

Serving as a partner at Rubio Villegas & Asociados, Rubio established a broad practice representing domestic and international clients in complex corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory proceedings, divestitures, joint ventures, international contracts and tax and international trade proceedings. He has provided representation for domestic and foreign corporations, trade associations, and the Mexican government in several international trade proceedings.

Rubio was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “I am excited to become part of Greenberg Traurig’s global platform. Given the symmetries in our experience, culture, areas of practice and clients, the new office is a positive new resource for our clients.”

Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, chair of the Global Practice Group was quoted as saying: “The addition of a Mexico City office is well aligned with Greenberg Traurig’s goals and platform in Latin America, which includes a focused emphasis by high-caliber attorneys on the regional and global needs of local and international clients. Greenberg Traurig is pleased to have Luis join us. We have a long history of working hand-in-hand with him in Latin America. We share a collaborative culture that will serve our mutual clients well as we continue to expand our services in the region.”

Richard A. Rosenbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Greenberg Traurig was quoted as saying: “We are one firm, balanced, stable, effective and collaborative, which deeply values its uniquely empowering, respectful and fair culture. Our intense focus on preserving those attributes while strengthening our unmatched US platform, our long standing and highly regarded practice in the Americas and our growing presence in the key business centers of Europe and Asia, has now led us into Mexico. With an emphasis on cross-border work, the attorneys in the new Mexico City office will play an integral role in Greenberg Traurig’s Latin America Practice, as well as the firm’s broader Global Practice. These are our friends who are already well known to our clients, with an established business base, and so this move is a natural evolution for us.”

International law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has approximately 1,800 attorneys in over 30 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Baker Botts Announces 13 New Partners

rebneely — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:53:29 +0000

The law firm of Baker Botts announced in recent days that thirteen lawyers will become partners in the firm, beginning in January 2012.

Managing Partner Walt Smith was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “These new partners represent a diverse group with exceptional legal skills. They will add depth to our practice throughout the firm.”

New partners in the Washington office will be Bill Foster in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice, Adam Haubenreich in the Corporate practice, and Jeremy Levin in the Litigation practice. In the firm’s Austin office, Paula Heyman will become a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. In the firm’s Houston office, new partners include Hillary Holmes in the firm’s Corporate practice, Lisa Kelly in the Intellectual Property practice, Russell Lewis in the Litigation practice, Shalla Prichard in the Corporate practice, and Denmon Sigler in the Global Projects practice. In the firm’s Palo Alto office, Brian Lee will become a partner in the Corporate practice. Jessica Pulliam and Jonathan Rubenstein will both become partners in the firm’s Litigation practice in the firm’s Dallas office. Finally, Sergei Stepanov will become partner in the firm’s Corporate practice in Russia.

Bill Foster focuses his practice on patent counseling and related litigation and prosecution matters, with an emphasis in providing infringement/invalidity analyses; preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications; and assisting in all aspects of patent litigation, including appellate practice.

Adam Haubenreich concentrates his practice on corporate law, with an emphasis on securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.

Jeremy Levin concentrates his practice on corporate investigations, white collar criminal defense, and complex civil litigation. Among other areas, he has represented companies and individuals in Justice Department, SEC, and congressional investigations, governmental enforcement actions.

Paula Heyman is experienced in litigating patent and technology disputes in both Texas and in federal courts around the country. Previous representations have involved computer systems, database management software, medical devices and neural network technology.

Hillary Holmes handles a broad variety of corporate and securities work, with a focus on corporate and securities matters and mergers and acquisitions. She has extensive experience in capital markets transactions (including public and private offerings of debt and equity securities by corporations and master limited partnerships), mergers and acquisitions, private equity financing, Exchange Act reporting and SEC compliance.

Lisa Kelly focuses her practice on a variety of areas of intellectual property law, including patent litigation and prosecution, and works primarily on cases involving patent and trademark infringement in the fields of mechanical and electrical devices and computer systems.

Russell Lewis focuses his practice in the areas of product liability, commercial litigation, toxic tort and personal injury law. He has significant experience representing clients regarding product liability claims, including allegations of negligence, breach of warranty and manufacturing and design defects.

Shalla Prichard counsels borrowers, financial institutions and other institutional investors in senior and subordinated debt, acquisition financings, asset-based lending and equipment and project financings.

Denmon Sigler focuses her practice on complex commercial and financial transactions in the energy industry, including the alternative energy market, and on M&A, joint ventures and project development, among other sophisticated transactional matters.

Brian Lee represents public and private companies and private equity firms in merger and acquisition transactions, and he advises issuers and investors in equity and debt offerings, venture capital financings and other transactions.

Jessica Pulliam focuses her practice on a wide variety of clients in trial and appellate courts across the country, litigating disputes involving accounting and legal malpractice, securities fraud and intellectual property.

Jonathan Rubenstein’s trial practice includes a broad range of commercial, intellectual property, securities and personal injury defense cases. He regularly provides representation in a variety of industries, including the telecommunications and energy industries.

Sergei Stepanov focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, energy, mining and real estate transactions. He represents major Russian and large multinational companies in Russia and several CIS countries – mainly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – on a variety of projects.

With over 725 lawyers and a network of 13 offices around the globe, Baker Botts is an international law firm recognized as a leader in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors. The firm was established 170 years ago.

Boyd M. Johnson, III, Deputy U.S. Attorney for SDNY Joins WilmerHale

rebneely — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:57:03 +0000

The law firm of WilmerHale recently announced that Boyd M. Johnson III, current Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), will join its trial litigation and white collar practices.

As Deputy U.S. Attorney, Johnson has overseen the litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the SDNY, including several high profile matters: the biggest crackdown in U.S. history on hedge fund insider trading; in regards to the Bernard Madoff fraud scandal, the handling of the criminal prosecutions and civil forfeiture proceedings, as well as the “investigation and prosecution of individuals and entities responsible for structuring and promoting international tax shelters,” per the press release at the firm’s website. In this role, Johnson supervised over 450 federal employees, managed a $50 million budget and took part in the creation of the SDNY’s Civil Frauds Unit.

William Perlstein, co-managing partner at WilmerHale, was quoted as saying in the press release: “Boyd’s reputation precedes him, and his tenacity combined with his intellect, demeanor and dedication to developing young lawyers makes him an excellent addition to our Litigation/Controversy Department and our New York office.”

Prior to serving as Deputy US Attorney, Johnson served as Chief of the SDNY’s Public Corruption Unit. In this role, Boyd supervised bribery and embezzlement prosecutions of New York State legislators and New York City council members, and investigations of corruption of United Nations officials. In addition, he led an investigation into prostitution rings used by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Johnson served as the Deputy Chief and Chief of the SDNY’s International Narcotics Trafficking Unit from 2004 to 2006. During this time, he led extraterritorial prosecutions of Colombian, Mexican and Chinese drug kingpins; Afghan narco-terrorists; and members of global money-laundering syndicates.

Johnson began his career at the SDNY over a decade ago, in 1999. Since then, he has conducted 15 federal jury trials, briefed and argued 15 appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and led the prosecution in the terrorism trial of Monzer al Kassar, a Syrian arms trafficker who supplied weapons to terrorists for over thirty years.

According to the press release, the New York Times reported that Johnson “has been described as a classic hard-charging government lawyer, confident and talented yet self-deprecating and fair, who would not allow politics to hinder good judgment.”

According to the March 2008 wsj.com blog, “The Man Behind the Spitzer Prosecution: Boyd M. Johnson III”, Randy Mastro, a Gibson Dunn partner and formerly the deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, and who supervised Johnson as an associate at the firm, where he worked in the mid- 1990s, was quoted as saying of Johnson:: “He’s a very affable guy, but don’t let that affability fool you — he’s a very tenacious, determined litigator.” He also was quoted as saying that when he persuaded Johnson to stay with the firm when he was considering moving to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Johnson responded that becoming a prosecutor “is just something I really want to do.”

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr has over 1,000 lawyers in twelve offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Law professors: law schools should open their own law firms

EmploymentCrossing — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:58:58 +0000

According to law professor Robert Rhee’s article, a new twist might occur in the history of law schools; law schools starting their own law firms. This will be done to erode the huge criticism from public for producing unskilled law freshers every year. These law firms would shape the emerging lawyers in good shape when they come out of school. This type of law firm would have a duration of two years for every new lawyer.

Read the original article here:
What if law schools opened their own law firms?

McDermott Will & Emery Set to Open Office in Paris

rebneely — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:24:28 +0000

McDermott Will & Emery will open an office in Paris on May 2, 2011.

The addition of the office will make it the seventh European office for the firm. Other European offices are located in Brussels, London, Milan, Rome, Düsseldorf and Munich.

The firm opened the office to better meet the needs of multinational clients operating in France. To achieve this, attorneys in the firm’s corporate, tax, competition, employment and litigation practice groups will focus on cross-border transactions.

Peter J. Sacripanti and Jeffrey E. Stone, co-chairs of McDermott Will & Emery were quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We’re delighted to welcome Jacques and his team to the Firm. ening in Paris with such a high level and well-regarded team of experienced partners is an important strategic move with numerous benefits to our clients. The Paris office will allow us to service our multinational clients across all the major European financial and commercial centers while offering our French clients access to our international capabilities across the EU, the United States and Asia.”

Jacques Buhart, formerly head of the Corporate and Competition Groups at the Paris office of Herbert Smith, and one of France’s leading international lawyers, will lead the team of five partners in the office. Other partners include Thibaud Forbin, co-head of the Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Delsol Avocats, Hervé Bidaud, a leading tax lawyer with extensive experience in international taxation, and Jilali Maazouz, a partner in the Paris office of Bryan Cave, who represents French as well as international corporate clients. One more partner will join the office directly.

With over 1,000 lawyers, McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice.

DLA Piper Opens Office in Delaware

rebneely — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:45:24 +0000

In recent weeks, DLA Piper announced the opening of an office in Wilmington, Delaware.

Five partners join the office from Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP. They are Stuart M. Brown, Selinda A. Melnik and R. Craig Martin, who will join the Restructuring practice, John L. Reed who joins the Corporate and Litigation practices, and Denise Seastone Kraft, who joins the Litigation and Intellectual Property and Technology practices.

Brown, who will serve as managing partner of DLA Piper’s Wilmington office, is the former head of EAPD’s Wilmington office and former chair of its Restructuring & Insolvency Department.

Reed is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for his corporate law and litigation practice before the Delaware Court of Chancery and Delaware Supreme Court.

Kraft is the former co-chair of EAPD’s US Commercial Litigation practice group.

Melnik is listed in peer review publications as a leading international insolvency law specialist and is the founder of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

Martin is a Fellow of INSOL International, the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals.

Francis B. Burch, Jr., Global Chairman of DLA Piper was quoted as saying in the press release at the firm’s website that: “Delaware is home to many of our largest corporate clients and as the legal market in Wilmington has grown, we have had to regularly engage the services of local counsel given the local practice requirements. For this reason, and with the recent expansion of our Restructuring, Corporate and Litigation practices, including the arrivals of Rick Chesley, Jamie Wareham and Laura Flippin, we believe the timing is right for DLA Piper to expand into the Delaware market.”

These partners are joined by former EAPD associates Paul D. Brown, Michelle Marino, Cynthia Moh, K. Tyler O’Connell and Aleine M. Porterfield.

DLA Piper today has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The firm represents more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than virtually any other law firm in the world.

Two Major Firms Merge In Oklahoma City

todd — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:48:56 +0000

Two major firms in Oklahoma City, Crowe & Dunlevy and Day, Edwards, Prpester & Christensen have merged to form a nearly 140-lawyer large (with over 100 of those lawyers coming from Crowe & Dunlevy) firm.

Roger Strong, president of Crowe, said, “With the resources and strong national reputations of both firms, this is truly a win-win for our clients.”

According to Bruce Day, president of Day, Edwards, Propester & Christensen, “We knew joining forces with Crowe & Dunlevy, which was ranked 6^th in the nation in U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers 2010 Best Law Firms in the number of practice areas with first tier rankings, would allow us to provide our clients with a broader level of legal services. With a similar client-focused philosophy and culture of excellence, together we will offer even greater value to our clients.”

Bruce Day and Tara LaClair have been appointed directors at the new firm. Day and LaClair will serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the firm’s securities litigation practice group.

Yoss LLP To Dissolve At Month’s End

todd — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:06:20 +0000

The largest minority-owned law firm in the United States will dissolve at the end of the month.

According to an e-mail, from managing partner George Yoss, “We are sure you are aware, these have been extremely difficult times for the firm. After meeting with the bank and evaluating the firm’s status and financial position, the decision was made to wind down its operation.”

The announcement comes not long after a former founder and name partner Henry Adorno had his law license suspended due to allegations that he had mishandled a settlement.

After Adorno’s suspension, the firm dropped his name from their title, but the firm has been hit with partner departures and layoffs ever since. Since then, they’ve lost nearly 75 lawyers.

Winston & Strawn Announces a New Partner at its IP Practice

marvins — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:56:20 +0000

Winston & Strawn, an international law firm with over 900 lawyers, lured away Michael Murray, a former intellectual property litigator at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Murray joined Winston & Strawn’s intellectual property litigation practice, which currently has about 26 lawyers at its New York office and over 140 firmwide. Murray, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, has been an IP litigator for more than 25 years representing clients on various strategies for developing intellectual property assets, licensing and patentability of technology, patent infringement and enforcement issues.

Michael Elkin, managing partner of Winston’s New York office, said that Murray’s solid experience in the IP practice will bolster the firm’s highly-ranked IP group. “Mike brings enormous talent and high energy to our IP litigation practice. His vast experience understanding complex IP issues, along with his track record of success in the courtroom, will be an immediate asset.”

Jim Hurst, head of Winston’s intellectual property group, affirmed that Murray’s addition will have a big impact on the expansion of the IP practice of the firm. “As our IP practice expands, it will look for the kind of experience and know-how that Mike brings to the table. His abilities are a great fit for the practice and firm, and will allow us to expand our services in a strategic way around the globe.”

Mona Mehta Stone Joins Greenberg Traurig’s Phoenix Office

marvins — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:06:54 +0000

Greenberg Traurig LLP, a leading international law firm with over 1,800 lawyers, announced the addition of Mona Mehta Stone, a former partner at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, to its Phoenix office. Stone will join the Labor and Employment and Litigation practices as Of Counsel.

Jeffrey H. Verbin, the managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Phoenix office, said that the firm is pleased to have Stone in their team. “We are delighted to add someone of Mona’s stature to our firm. She is a first-rate litigator whose energy and experience will complement the labor and employment and litigation services we offer our clients.”

Stone said that she is grateful to the opportunity and trust given by the Florida-based firm. She added that she is excited to share her expertise particularly in the areas of labor and employment, business and commercial litigation, antitrust, and insurance defense. “I am truly delighted and honored to be part of the Greenberg Traurig team and look forward to continued success here. I am excited about growing my national practice at Greenberg Traurig.”

Stone’s previous work includes drafting, negotiating and litigating corporate and service contracts, writing articles regarding best practices for employers and counseling companies on the latest industry trend on law in relation with their business operations. Stone took up Political Science at Bradley University where she finished her B.A degree. She earned her J.D. at Tulane University Law School.

No Bonuses at Jones Day

marvins — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:48:46 +0000

Jones Day, a leading international law firm based in Ohio, will once again forgo associate bonuses this year.

Joe Sims, a Jones Day partner, said in an email that Jones Day will not bow to industry pressure by providing bonuses. He explained that the associates at their firm are rewarded in different ways. “We don’t do bonuses. We did away with that several years ago. Most bonuses are tied to hours billed, which creates an artificial incentive-artificial in the sense it is separate from any particular client needs-to bill hours. We compensate our associates based on their overall contribution in all the aspects of their work, just as we do our partners.” Sims added that although Jones Day does not give bonuses, the firm provides merit raises to its associates.

Recently, other law firms such as Boies Schiller, Susman Godfrey, Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan, Cahill Gordon & Reindell and Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced their year end bonuses. The bonuses in most firms range from $7,500 to $35,000. However, Boeis has moved well ahead with its $75,000 to over $200,000 bonus to its associates. Sims explained that even though Jones Day does not give out bonuses, their associates stay with the firm because it’s still making partners. In fact, Jones Day recently announced that the firm has 36 new partners in its various practices such as antitrust, trial practice, bankruptcy, merger and acquisitions–and even a couple or so in real estate.

Brownstein Announces its New CEO

marvins — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:44:20 +0000

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, a respected national law firm based in Denver, Colorado with over 250 lawyers, announced that Blane Prescott, the former Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Hildebrandt Baker Robbins, is the new Chief Operating Officer of the firm beginning December 2010. Prescott will assist in developing and executing business and marketing strategies while overseeing the overall operation of the firm. He will work closely with Bruce James, Brownstein’s former CEO and now a managing partner, who is charged with setting the strategic direction of the firm.

James expressed his full confidence over Prescott’s leadership. “We look forward to the unique expertise that Blane brings to his new role as CEO. Blane has been working with us as a consultant for many years throughout our mergers and rapid expansion. As a result, we’ve built a solid relationship with Blane and I trust that this partnership will continue and prove valuable for the firm as a member of our executive team.”

Prescott , with 25 years of law firm management experience, said that he is excited to work in Brownstein given its competitive culture. “I have always been impressed by Brownstein’s culture and success. In my role as consultant I’m often asked, ‘which firms do the best job of executing on their strategy, and yet still preserve their culture?’ I work with many of the largest and most profitable firms around the world, yet Brownstein is always among the top 3 firms in that list. I’m looking forward to working with Bruce and the rest of the firm’s leadership to continue growing a great firm.”

Law Firms Collas Day and Crill Canavan To Merge in 2011

marvins — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:21:35 +0000

Collas Day in Guernsey and Crill Canavan in Jersey revealed their merger plan, which will take effect sometime in the spring of 2011. The combined law firms will be known as Collas Crill and will create a new 15 partner Channel Island film. The merger is designed to build on the strengths that each firm has especially in the field of corporate and banking, investment funds, property, trusts and dispute resolution.

Collas Day, a leading and highly respected law firm in Guernsey, will continue to cater to the Guernsey market through the firm’s associated fiduciary business, the Guernsey Trust Company. Collas Day IP Management will become Collas Crill IP Management, and Collas Day’s London office will support the combined legal practices.

Collas Day’s senior partner, Chris Bound, expressed his excitement over the upcoming merger. He said that this plan is not just good news for each individual firm, but for the entire Channel Islands as a whole. “Together we will service clients in the Channel Islands, the UK and internationally – including the increasingly important Asian market – and will raise awareness of our services and our jurisdictions in the international legal markets.”

Crill Canavan is a leading law firm based in Jersey but operates through three strong international networks to handle its multi-jurisdictional work. Senior partner Nuno Santos-Costa also said that he highly looks forward to the merger next year. “Both Crill Canavan and Collas Day believe we have found in each other an excellent strategic fit. As mid-sized firms in our respective markets, we already punch above our weight. The merger will strengthen both firms’ presence locally and internationally, while providing clients with greater strength and depth of expertise across our full service offering.”

WilmerHale Names its New Co-Managing Partners

marvins — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:56:38 +0000

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) revealed its co-managing partners for a three-year term effective January 1, 2012. The law firm named Susan W. Murley and Robert T. Novick as the new co-managing partners replacing William Perlstein and William Lee, who have been co-managing partners of WilmerHale since 2004. Murley and Novick will work closely with the firm’s current co-managing partners to ensure a seamless transition next year.

Lee said that he is happy with the recent development in their firm. “Susan and Bob have been leaders within the firm for some time and this election is a natural progression. They come to these new leadership positions with a very broad and real understanding of WilmerHale’s practices, clients, culture and law firm economics. I am confident the firm will excel under their leadership.”

Murley, Boston-based, joined Hale and Dorr in 1986 after graduating from the University Of Virginia School Of Law. She became the chair of the firm’s corporate department in 1994 and the then chair of the transactional department in 2008. Meanwhile, Washington D.C.-based Novick graduated from the Washington College of Law at American University in 1983 and joined Wilmer Cutler as a partner in 2001, after four years of service as counselor and then general counsel in the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Ruden McClosky Names its New Managing Partner

marvins — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:23:50 +0000

After the recent real estate crash and economic downturn, Florida law firm Ruden McClosky will soon employ a new managing partner starting January 1, 2011 according to “The Daily Business Review,” the firm’s sibling publication.

Reports revealed that the current Ruden McClosky president and CEO Carl Schuster, an estate-planning partner in Fort Lauderdale, will now share the leadership seat with Michael Krul, his new second-in-command partner. Krul has chaired the firm’s corporate and finance practice for more than 20 years. He will co-manage the firm in 2011 with Schuster, who is slated to step down permanently from his present post and will return to his trusts and estate practice come 2012.

The reports also disclosed that Ruden McClosky has been under major changes in the recent months. The firm has implemented layoffs and instituted an 18% across-the-board pay cut to stay afloat during the economic upheaval. The firm has 85 lawyers presently, from nearly 200 lawyers, after losing more than 50 partners and offices in Sarasota and St. Petersburg to its competitors. Some partners left the firm at the end of 2009 when they were asked to sign personal guarantees to secure the firm’s line of credit.

Krul remained positive despite the firm’s set backs. “We’re stronger and leaner heading into 2011. We will make budget. We’re doing fine; we’re poised to grow. A new management committee will be chosen in another partner election in December. The firm is even looking to start hiring again, looking for three senior associates to add to its depleted attorney roster,” Krul said.

Hammonds Hong Kong Office Rejects Merger of Hammonds and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey

joshua — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:30:56 +0000

Less than a month after partners at Hammonds and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey approved their transatlantic merger, the Hong Kong office of the British firm is saying no to the proposed union, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2011.

According to U.K. legal publication Legal Week, the six-partner office has told Hammonds’ management it intends to separate from the newly merged firm.

However, per the article at amlawdaily.com, it’s still unclear whether the partners from Hammonds’ Hong Kong operations will try and form a standalone firm or seek to join another firm entirely, Legal Week reports.

Creating a truly global firm was critical to both firms when Squire Sanders and Hammonds announced the merger talks in August. Hong Kong was one of the four cities in which both firms have an office. Squire Sanders chairman James Maiwurm, who will become global chair and CEO of the combined firm, told The Am Law Daily earlier this month that Hong Kong was the only remaining location where integration issues had yet to be resolved because of space limitations in each of the firm’s offices.

Hammonds managing partner Peter Crossley, who will become the new firm’s managing partner for Europe, told The Am Law Daily that the newly merged firm was focused on expanding its operations in Asia and was looking forward to doubling its size in Hong Kong with the merger.

However, as a result of Hammonds’s Hong Kong office rejecting its soon-to-be former parent, the new Squire Sanders Hammonds firm’s local operations will be comprised solely of Squire Sanders’s four-partner, 11-lawyer office, Legal Week reports.

In a joint statement, the two firms wished their Hammonds Hong Kong colleagues well, but emphasized the strength of their union.

“As is common with large law firm combinations, even in circumstances such as ours where the vast majority of the voting partnership approved the combination, a small handful of partners in Hong Kong have taken the view that they do not want to be part of a fully integrated global firm with established offices throughout China and have decided to leave,” the two firms said to Legal Week. “Regardless of this, the merger has significantly strengthened our ability to serve clients across the globe, and the collective energy of our two legacy firms is focused on the successful integration across our platform, including Asia.”

Jones Day Announces Plans for New Office in Boston

joshua — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:52:02 +0000

Jones Day will open a new office in Boston in January 2011.

In the press release at the firm’s website, Jones Day’s Managing Partner, Stephen J. Brogan, a graduate of Boston College and Notre Dame Law School, was quoted as saying: “We are privileged to have many strong client relationships in Boston and throughout New England. The Boston area is a leading center of new technology and continues to foster new business development and entrepreneurial spirit that is now bringing these companies to new markets around the globe. Our Boston Office will include some of our finest next generation talent, lawyers with distinguished academic and professional careers, who will be able to serve New England based clients backed up by the highest levels of legal capacity that the Firm has built up around the world. We look forward to more effectively serving our existing clients through a formal Boston presence, and becoming full participants in the vibrant business and cultural life of Boston and the region.”

Traci L. Lovitt, formerly an Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General and law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, will serve as the Partner-in-Charge of the Boston Office.

Jones Day’s Boston Office will offer a full range of legal services, as well as Jones Day’s one firm worldwide access to its lawyers around the globe. The Firm expects there will be close to 20 lawyers in the office by the end of the first quarter in 2011. Among the first partners to join Ms. Lovitt in Boston will be Eileen Falvey and Lynn Coe. The Firmwide head of Jones Day’s Trial Practice, Thomas (Tim) Cullen, Jr., will divide his time between Boston and Washington.

Jones Day is a global law firm with over 2,500 lawyers, including more than 400 in Europe and 200 in Asia. With the openings in São Paulo and Boston, Jones Day will have 34 offices throughout the world.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan Adds Two Partners

joshua — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:16:06 +0000

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP announced that Ron Kriss has joined the firm as a Partner in the Real Estate Practice Group and Chair of the Distressed Property Practice Group, and Paul Shelowitz has joined as a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group, effective immediately.

In the press release at the firm’s site, Alan Klinger, Stroock’s Co-Managing Partner was quoted as saying: “We believe Ron and Paul will be exceptional additions to our Miami Office. There is a very natural fit between Stroock’s existing clientele and expertise and Ron and Paul’s ability to grow and service both current real estate needs in work-out situations as well as development opportunities that will arise as economic conditions improve. They will be an important part of Stroock’s growth in the southeastern U.S. market place, and we are pleased to welcome them to the firm.”

Mr. Kriss was a shareholder at Akerman Senterfitt, where he founded and chaired that firm’s Distressed Property Group. He has handled a broad array of commercial real estate matters. As chair of Stroock’s Distressed Property Practice Group, he will concentrate on representing lenders in loan recovery and investors in the purchase of defaulted loans.

Mr. Shelowitz was also a shareholder at Akerman Senterfitt, where he practiced in the Litigation group. Mr. Shelowitz has more than 20 years of civil litigation experience and focuses his practice on complex real estate contract disputes, large commercial foreclosures, brokerage commission and licensure claims, and a multitude of other real estate related matters.

With over 750 lawyers, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP is an American law firm with offices in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:32:56 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, November 22nd. Here’s a quick look back at Friday’s news.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., promoted four attorneys to shareholder…

Ulmer & Berne LLP was recognized for strategic growth…

McDonald Hopkins added a lateral from Jenner Block…

Goodwin Procter Chairman Regina Pisa received the ACCESS First One Award…

Cleary Gottlieb announced plans to open an office in Brazil…

Sidley Austin added a partner in its Palo Alto office…

Ulmer & Berne LLP Recognized for Strategic Growth

daniel — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:06:14 +0000

The National Law Journal has not only recognized Ulmer & Berne LLP for a sixth consecutive year as one of the 250 largest firms in the U.S., but they also moved up 19 spots on the list.

“Our jump speaks to the sound financial management of the Firm and our strategic growth through lateral hires over the last 12 months,” said Managing Partner, Kip Reader. “We look forward to another strong year in 2011 and further opportunities for expansion.”

The firm, established in 1908, services the mid-west region. Their diverse group of clients include: financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations.

Former Motion Pictures Associations of America IP Counsel Joins Greenberg Traurig

joshua — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:41:09 +0000

Greenberg Traurig announced today that Joseph Geisman has joined its Intellectual Property and Technology Practice as of counsel in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Prior to joining the firm, Geisman served as intellectual property counsel at the Motion Picture Associations of America, Inc. (MPAA) for the past three and a half years.

Geisman’s focuses his practice on copyright, trademark, right of publicity, entertainment, media, technology, Internet and First Amendment matters, including related litigation. He also counsels clients on the development, protection and prosecution of intellectual property rights, prosecutes trademark applications and manages intellectual property portfolios.

In the press release, Jeff Scott, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Los Angeles office was quoted as saying: “Joe’s copyright and trademark experience, coupled with his recent position as a former in-house counsel, make him a great addition to our firm. His practice complements our firm’s media and entertainment transactional and litigation groups, as well as our trademark and brand management team.”

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Nixon Peabody Sets Up Shop in Hong Kong

joshua — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:32:50 +0000

Nixon Peabody has expanded its presence in China through a new affiliation with Hong Kong firm Cheng Wong Lam & Partners.

The alliance provides Nixon Peabody with its second office in Asia, joining its Shanghai operation that opened in 2008.

“By 2020, China will be the largest single market for legal services worldwide. Our clients are there and we need to be there,” said Richard F. Langan, Jr., CEO and managing partner of Nixon Peabody LLP. “Lawyers from across our firm are already working closely with Cheng Wong Lam & Partners on current client matters. With our new Hong Kong office, we are expanding our capabilities to handle the most sophisticated inbound and outbound transactions across Asia.”

Cheng Wong Lam & Partners provides a full range of legal solutions in Hong Kong and advises clients on matters including inbound and outbound investments, transactions, and legal disputes involving Mainland China. It was named by Asia Legal Business as a finalist for boutique law firm of the year in 2010.

“China has replaced Japan as the world’s second-largest economy and, accordingly, clients’ needs continue to evolve,” said Cheng Hoo, founding partner of Cheng Wong Lam & Partners. “For more than 170 years, Hong Kong has acted as a major bridge between Mainland China and foreign businesses, corporations, and investors. We are pleased to align ourselves with Nixon Peabody, a firm which shares our commitment to providing extraordinary client service.”

David Cheng, chair of Nixon Peabody’s China practice and a Hong Kong native, will split hit time between Nixon Peabody’s Hong Kong and Shanghai offices.

Nixon Peabody has 700 attorneys collaborating across major practice areas in 17 cities across the U.S. and in European and Asian commercial centers.

McGuireWoods Expands Into Texas

joshua — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:13:49 +0000

McGuireWoods LLP announced that it has finalized an agreement to combine operations with the Houston-based firm of Nickens Keeton Lawless Farrell & Flack LLP (Nickens Keeton). The agreement, pending final approval of the partnerships of both firms, will become effective Jan. 1, 2011. Nickens Keeton will operate under the McGuireWoods name.

Founded in 2002, Nickens Keeton focuses on civil litigation, with Texas litigator J.C. Nickens as its lead name partner. Nickens and partners Richard Keeton, Tom Farrell and Paul Flack are among the most respected trial lawyers in Houston, the firm said in a press release.

Ron Franklin, currently with the Houston firm of Franklin Cardwell & Jones, will join Nickens Keeton on Dec. 1, thus becoming part of McGuireWoods once the transaction is complete. Franklin has handled high profile civil cases for more than 30 years..

Collectively, the five partners who will practice out of the Houston office will bring more than 160 years of combined experience handling complex civil cases of all types in Texas and across the country.

“Establishing an office in Texas is a key part of the firm’s strategic plan, as our clients and McGuireWoods Consulting’s clients frequently have needs there,” said Richard Cullen, chairman of McGuireWoods. ”But expansion is never a decision we make lightly. We first wanted to find the right firm to partner with. In Nickens Keeton and Ron Franklin, we not only found a group with incredibly talented lawyers, but one with similar values and culture.”

Said Nickens: “We have had a good run practicing in a small firm environment, and are energized by the opportunity to continue representing clients from the enhanced platform that McGuireWoods provides.”

“The partnership with McGuireWoods gives us the ability and capacity to represent clients in any litigation, regardless of size, complexity, or urgency. “

McGuireWoods, said this is its firm’s fifth expansion in as many years. In 2009, the firm expanded its international presence by partnering with Grundberg, Mocatta & Rakison in London; in Charlotte in 2008 by merging with Helms, Mullis & Wicker; and in 2006 by expanding its offices in Chicago and Los Angeles, after mergers with two separate law firms.

McGuireWoods LLP is a full-service law firm with approximately 900 lawyers in 17 offices worldwide.

Bryan Cave Sued By FDIC

joshua — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:40:36 +0000

Between September 26 and November 5 of this year, Bryan Cave represented the directors and officers of Hillcrest Bank, a small Kansas bank that went under on October 22. According to a complaint filed by the FDIC, the directors and officers improperly transmitted copies of certain records to their attorneys. Bryan Cave maintains that upon resigning as counsel, the firm destroyed all copies of the documents and has filed a consent order seeking to resolve the matter by providing sworn depositions regarding the disposition of the documents along with an accounting of what the firm did with the documents while it was in possession of them, and agreeing to let a third party information technology firm inspect their systems for any remaining documents.

The FDIC suit also claims that the law firm received in excess of $150,000 in attorney fees that were not authorized under the receivership and has asked the court to order Bryan Cave to return that money.

The bank’s failure will cost the FDIC between three and five hundred million dollars, although some of those losses will be absorbed by NBH Holdings, a private equity group taking over Hillcrest.