JD Journal » litigation practice

Patton Boggs’ Profits and Revenue Show Slight Increase

marvins — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:29:55 +0000

Patton Boggs, a premiere international law firm with more than 600 lawyers, announced that the firm registered a slight uptick in its revenue for 2010. Patton Boggs confirmed that both revenue per lawyer (RPL) and profits per partner (PPP) have increased by 5%, from $840,000 to $884,000. The firm’s gross revenue also showed a slight upward movement, rising by 1.6% to $337.3 million.

Patton Boggs attributed the movement to the decrease in number of lawyers at the firm. In 2010, about 15 lawyers and 10 partners departed from the firm. As of today, Patton Boggs now has 527 associates and 116 partners.

Edward Newberry, Managing partner at Patton, added that the profits and revenue increase were also caused by the firm’s strong and steady performance in its largest practice area- litigation. Newberry explained that the firm’s litigation practice accounted for over 42% of Patton’s total revenue for 2010.

Patton Boggs, founded in 1962, now operates in the following nine locations in the US: Washington, DC, New York City, Newark, Anchorage, Dallas, Denver, Northern Virginia. The firm has additional offices in the United Arab Emirates, specifically in Doha, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The firm focuses on litigation, public policy, business, intellectual property, international and trade law.

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP Announces its New Partner

marvins — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:06:37 +0000

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, a Minnesota-based law firm with over 250 lawyers, announced that Ronald M. Daignault, a former partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York, has joined their firm as a partner in its New York office. Daignault is the firm’s latest addition to the growing Intellectual Property Litigation practice in New York. For the past ten years, his area of practice has been focused on intellectual litigation practice particularly in the pharmaceutical and life sciences areas including trademark, trade secret and copyright litigation. Daignault also has broad exposure in domestic and international trademark prosecution, counseling and licensing.

Martin R. Lueck, Chairman of the firm’s Executive Board, said that Daignault’s expertise will be a big addition to the continuous expansion of the firm’s IP practice in New York. “The addition of Ron to our New York office is a logical step in our evolution. When we opened the office in February 2010 with David Leichtman, Hillel Parness and Bryan Vogel, we did so to capitalize on and enhance our national trial practice. We will continue to expand our client service in New York during 2011 and beyond. More importantly, we have integrated our new lawyers in New York into our nationwide practice, including the relocation of partner Marla Butler to New York.”

David Leichtman, partner in the New York office, added that he, together with the rest of the partners in New York office, is excited to work with Daignault. “We are very pleased to welcome Ron to our firm. His broad trial experience and the breadth of his intellectual property knowledge significantly enhance our national capabilities and in New York, particularly in the life sciences patent litigation field.”

Energy Law Firm Burleson Cooke Adds Three Attorneys to Growing Pittsburgh Office

joshua — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:59:30 +0000

Today, Burleson Cooke announced the addition of three new attorneys, further strengthening the capabilities of the energy law firm’s growing Pittsburgh office.

The three lawyers, Andrew Jenkins, Kevin Barley, and Samuel Stoller, have expertise in a number of key practice areas that will enable Burleson Cooke to deliver a more comprehensive range of services to companies working in the Marcellus Shale, according to Kevin Colosimo, managing partner of Burleson Cooke’s Pittsburgh office.

In the press release at the firm’s website, Colosimo was quoted as saying: “All three have really strong litigation backgrounds. Beyond that, there’s significant experience in environmental and land use law, both of which are important aspects of our full-service litigation practice.”

Kevin Barley joins the firm from Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir in Pittsburgh, where he practiced in the Litigation Services and Construction Services Groups. He has represented clients in environmental, construction, energy, and other litigation matters.

Andrew Jenkins joins from Thorp, Reed & Armstrong in Pittsburgh. He will concentrate his practice in the areas of business litigation, energy law, construction law, and business and contract law. He has represented manufacturers, architectural and engineering firms, public entities, and other businesses on issues that include product disputes, personal injury claims, and defective design claims.

Samuel Stoller was most recently with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott in Pittsburgh. His experience includes construction law, breach of contract claims, representing corporate officers in shareholder derivative suits, and real estate disputes.

Burleson Cooke’s litigation practice group serves clients in all major North American shale gas plays.

Burleson Cooke L.L.P. has earned a reputation as the energy law firm the energy industry goes to, and has grown significantly in recent years by focusing on and leveraging its core strengths. Serving clients in the upstream and midstream segments, it provides counsel to oil and gas producers, transportation companies, storage and processing businesses, and energy service providers.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:04:22 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, November 2nd. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

DLA Piper added three attorneys as partners in the litigation practice of its New Jersey office…

Goodwin Procter elected 12 attorneys to the firm’s partnership…

Crowell & Moring added two attorneys to its environmental practice…

DLA Piper Bolsters New Jersey Litigation Practice

joshua — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:59:52 +0000

DLA Piper has added John Pendleton, Andrew Bunn and Katie Gummer as partners in the litigation practice of its New Jersey office. The team comes to the firm from McCarter & English.

Pendleton focuses his practice on banking and financial services litigation, regularly representing both public and private companies. Bunn has represented clients in civil litigations, including: sales practices, ERISA, financial instruments, managed care and regulatory disputes. Gummer has represented leaders in the financial services industry, including life and health insurance companies.

“John, Andy and Katie bring with them a range of experience in representing leaders in finance, healthcare and insurance,” said Michael Helmer Co-Managing Partner of DLA Piper’s New Jersey office. “This addition will serve to support our recent expansion into Florham Park and bolster the firm’s capabilities as we continue to service the increasing needs of our clients and expand our client base in New Jersey.”

“With the growing number of commercial litigation opportunities in New Jersey, these lawyers will strengthen our presence and bolster our strong bench of litigators in the region,” said Joe Finnerty, East Coast Chairman of the U.S. Litigation practice.

With over 1,400 dispute resolution lawyers globally, DLA Piper’s Litigation practice collaborates with clients and counterparts to identify and execute the most advantageous business-oriented solutions. Lawyers in the Litigation practice represent clients in complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes in numerous areas and across multiple platforms.

Cadwalader Announces Launch of International Legal Center

joshua — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:00:59 +0000

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP proudly announces the launch of the Cadwalader International Law and Litigation Center, an on-line hub of information and perspective on topics and trends in international law and litigation practice.

The Center offers a variety of in-depth information through a regularly updated eBook, a practitioner’s Blog, current news in law and practice and unique insight from the vantage of highly accomplished specialists actively participating in the development of law and policy in the field.

In the press release at PR Newswire, Louis Solomon, Co-Chair of Cadwalader’s Litigation Department and Director of the new Center, was quoted as saying: “As our markets have gone global, so too are the demands and complexities of cross border legal practice and international litigation. The pace of change is breathtaking, requiring constant attention to capture the many developments in this diverse field. For businesses of all stripes, globalization has exposed gaps in legal protection as it has encouraged new means of redress. Understanding risk and opportunity requires constant vigilance in the field. The creation of this International Law and Litigation Center is a mechanism to stay vigilant and to disseminate the latest developments in the law and the opportunities they create for our clients and colleagues.”

The International Legal Center is online at http://www.internationalpractice.org.

Established in 1792, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, is one of the world’s leading international law firms, with offices in New York, London, Charlotte, Washington and Beijing. The firm serves a diverse client base, including many of the world’s top financial institutions, undertaking business in more than 50 countries in six continents.

DLA Piper Adds Two Partners to San Francisco Office

joshua — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:49:50 +0000

Today, DLA Piper announced Paul J. Hall and Todd C. Toral have joined the firm’s Litigation practice as partners in the San Francisco office.

They join from Nixon Peabody LLP. There, Hall was leader of the national Financial Institutions Litigation Team. Toral was deputy practice group leader for the Commercial Litigation practice and a member of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department.

At DLA Piper, Hall will focus on the representation of financial institutions in class action, wage and hour, and ERISA matters. Toral will focus on finance, workout and insolvency matters.

In today’s press release at PR Newswire, Robert J. Mathias, joint global leader and US chair of DLA Piper’s Litigation practice was quoted as saying: “Paul and Todd have each developed successful and growing practices, both of which supplement and expand our class action and financial institution representation capabilities in Northern California and nationally. Their deep pool of contacts and client relationships are extraordinary and will be invaluable as we continue to grow and diversify the practice.”

Hall focuses his practice primarily on class actions involving financial institutions. He has significant trial experience in a wide variety of areas, including lender liability, corporate acquisitions, and unfair competition.

Todd Toral is a commercial litigator with a particular focus on investment partnerships, finance, tax disputes, and unlawful business practices claims. His litigation experience includes serving as restructuring counsel to national and international banks and syndicators concerning investments in tax credit projects.

DLA Piper has 3,500 attorneys in 30 countries and 69 offices throughout the US, UK, Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia. The firm offers a wide range of global services as well as hundreds of additional services in individual markets to address its clients’ business needs.

Paul Hastings Adds Biotech Litigation Team

joshua — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:13:13 +0000

Paul Hastings bolstered its litigation practice with partner Gerald Flatterman, formerly of Kirkland & Ellis, and of counsel’s Melanie Rupert and Chrstine Willgoos.

Flatterman will serve in the firm’s New York office. His practice focuses on patent litigation in the life sciences sector, including biotech, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

“Gerald’s market-leading reputation and significant experience…will enhance the firm’s growing IP practice,” said Jamie Wareham, global chair of Paul Hastings Litigation practice. “His addition advances our development of a high-end IP practice that leverages our broad footprint in the U.S. and our strong positions in Europe and Asia.”

Rupert and Willgoos both have biotech backgrounds with a focus on patent litigation in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry. They will also serve in the firm’s New York office.

Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker is a global firm with offices in Asia, Europe and the United States.

McCarter & English Names New Managing Partner

joshua — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:53:19 +0000

Stephen M. Vajtay Jr., a partner at McCarter & English for 19 years, has been elected managing partner of the firm by its executive committee. Vajtay will replace Eric W. Wiechmann as McCarter & English’s managing partner on Dec. 1.

Vatjay, a member of the firm’s executive and compensation committees, has practiced at McCarter & English for 27 years. His practice concentrated in transactional federal tax and business planning matters.

Michael P. Kelly, chairman of McCarter & English, commented on the appointment in a press release.

“Steve is one of the most honorable and selfless human beings I know, and his dedication to the firm is contagious,” Kelly said. “I am confident that he will continue the superb jobs Eric Wiechmann has done in managing the firm’s growth and excellence in every practice area.”

Weichmann will resume his civil litigation practice after handing over the reins.

McCarter & English has 400 attorneys in offices in Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Stamford and Wilmington.

Latham Goes To Asia To Litigate

eric — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:34:25 +0000

Continuing with the ongoing trend among international firms to bolster their capability to successfully litigate in Asia, Latham & Watkinsannounced on Monday that it had launched an Asia litigation practice centered in Hong Kong. To spearhead the effort it has brought on Simon Powell, formerly from Jones Day’s Hong Kong Office, says AmLaw Daily.

London partner and vice-chair of global litigation said its approach to litigation was crucial and to be two-fold, “seeking out both high-end local representations as well as “export” work.”

In addition, Powell, himself, also foresees a change in the Asian regulatory climate which will stimulate a need for increased litigation.

Powell, qualified to practice in Hong Kong, most recently represented Lehman Brothers in Asia as special counsel. He provides advisory services to financial services in the region as well being one of the far East’s top insolvency and litigation experts. The Hong Kong office, one of Latham’s newest, forms part of the firm’s presence in Asia. It numbers among its Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo offices.

Latham & Watkins was founded in 1934 and has over 2000 attorneys and 30 offices around the world.

Mayer Brown Loses Litigation Co-Chair To BuckleySander

eric — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:06:49 +0000

Bloomberg: Former co-chair of Mayer Brown’s litigation practice, David S. Krakoff has been hired by BuckleySandler. Another former Mayer partner, Christopher Regan, joins Krakoff at the firm where the two will specialize in financial-services enforcement.

The firm has been aggressively growing its boutique practice since its inception in March 2009. Created through a merger with Buckley Kolar and a number of lawyers led by Andrew Sandler, a former Skadden partner, it now has some 90 attorneys in its ranks.

BuckleySandler is headquartered in Washington DC, with offices in New York and Los Angeles. It represents clients in the financial services industry, such as banks, mortgage lenders, and credit card companies.

Foley & Lardner Adds Seven Attorneys

joshua — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:35:22 +0000

Foley & Lardner announced yesterday seven lawyers from Lovells LLP have joined the firm in its insurance and reinsurance litigation practice group.

Gail Goering, Eric Haab and Neal Moglin will join the firm’s Chicago office as partners. Also joining the firm from Lovells are Kay Wilde as counsel, Peter Steffen as senior counsel, and Edward Diffin and Katherine Markowski as associates.

In the press release at Foley & Lardner’s website, Gordon Davenport III, chair of Foley’s Insurance & Reinsurance Litigation Practice Group was quoted as saying: “The arrival of Gail, Eric, Neal and their colleagues marks a major accomplishment for Foley’s Insurance and Reinsurance practice. The vast experience they bring in advising clients on a broad array of complex insurance and reinsurance issues will further enhance the service our firm has been providing to clients in the insurance industry for more than 100 years.”

Established in 1842, Foley & Lardner is a highly regarded national law firm providing client-focused, industry-specific services that result in high-value legal counsel for its clients. Practice areas encompass the full range of corporate legal services, and include mergers and acquisitions, IP litigation and intellectual property.

Freshfields Bolsters U.S. Litigation Practice

joshua — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:42:21 +0000

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has bolstered its U.S. litigation practice with the addition of three new partners. Marshall H. Fishman and Walter B. Stuart will join the firm’s New York office and Timothy J. Coleman will be stationed in Washington D.C.

Coleman joins Freshfields from Dewey & LeBoeuf, where he was a partner in the firm’s litigation department and co-chair of the white collar criminal defense and investigations practice group. He is a former assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and he also served eight years with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he played key roles in several notable corporate fraud cases, including the investigation of Enron Corp.

Fishman is a former partner and commercial litigator at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel. He represents financial institutions in federal and state courts throughout the U.S., in arbitrations and in regulatory proceedings.

Stuart is formerly a partner at Vinson & Elkins. He focuses his practice on securities and complex financial litigation at both the state and federal level.

Freshfields has more than 2,700 lawyers practicing in 27 locations around the world.

Elderkin and Team Join Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

sara — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:24:06 +0000

Three partners from Woodcock Washburn, including former policy committee member and current litigation practice chairwoman Dianne Elderkin, have decided to join Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s Philadelphia office. Barbara L. Mullin and Steven D. Maslowski will join Elderkin, who she worked with last year to win a verdict of $1.67 billion for client Johnson & Johnson’s Centocor unit in a patent infringement case, the largest amount awarded by a jury for a patent case in U.S. history.

Elderkin will begin her new position on February 16. She was a member of Woodcock Washburn’s three member policy committee from 2000 to 2006, when she took over the firm’s litigation practice. Johnson & Johnson is Elderkin’s big client and it is expected that they will follow her to the new firm.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has 950 attorneys in 13 offices worldwide.

Chadbourne Add Gerald Silver As Partner in Litigation Practice

joshua — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:39:20 +0000

Gerald D. Silver has joined Chadbourne & Parke as a partner in the firm’s litigation practice in its New York City headquarters.

Silver, 44, most recently served in the New York office of Winston & Strawn. Prior to that he held senior litigation positions at Capgemini North America Inc. According to a press release, Silver brings “an expertise in technology litigation and a focus on securities and financial services litigation.

“Gerry adds depth and expertise to the firm’s litigation department, especially in financial services and technology,” said litigation practice chair Thomas E. Riley. “His in-house experience at Capgemini enhances his ability to appreciate and address concerns from the client’s standpoint.”

Chadourne & Parke is an international firm with a presence in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Paul Weiss Profits Up

joshua — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:24:42 +0000

According to Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp, 2009 was “the most profitable year in our firm’s history”. Not bad for a year marked by recession and uncertainty in the legal market and a nice repeat of 2008′s growth. What’s most remarkable is that Paul Weiss dramatically increased profits without resorting to layoffs – in fact, the attorney head count inched up by six to 653.

Gross revenues were down slightly, but per partner profits rose from $2.65 million to $2.69 million. The increase was driven by a strong year for the restructuring and litigation practices. The firm represents several large financial institutions that have taken some heat over the last year, like Citigroup, Bank of America, and JP Morgan/Bear Stearns. With more legal action on that front expected in 2010, the firm expects to have another good year.

Bernick To Leave Kirkland Ellis for Philip Morris

joshua — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:03:19 +0000

David Bernick, a senior partner at Kirkland & Ellis and leader of its litigation practice, will be leaving the firm to become senior vice president and general counsel at Philip Morris. Bernick has been with Kirkland & Ellis for 31 years. He starts his new position March 1 and will be based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“I have spent my entire career at Kirkland & Ellis and I am proud to have contributed to the growth and success of one of the top law firms,” Bernick said in a press release. “I will remain close to my many friends and colleagues at the Firm, but I look forward to pursuing new challenges during the next phase of my career with Philip Morris International.”

Kirkland employs approximately 1,500 lawyers with offices in 10 cities around the world.

Nelson Mullins Opening in West Virginia

joshua — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:45:34 +0000

Nelson Mullins, already the largest firm in South Carolina, is opening its 12th office this week in Huntington, West Virginia. Three prominent West Virgina litigators, Marc Williams, Robert Massie and Melissa Foster Bird, will be joining the firms as partners and kicking off the West Virginia office. Litigation represents a little over half of Nelson Mullins work.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is a large US law firm and lobbying group based in Columbia, South Carolina. The firm ranked 127th in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.

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.

Hangley Aronchick Hires Six from DLA Piper

Erik Even — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:31:41 +0000

Hangley Aronchick has hired six lawyers away from DLA Piper’s Philadelphia office.

The group is headed by Ronald P. Schiller, who was head of DLA Piper’s Philadelphia litigation practice.

He is joined by partners Daniel J. Layden and Nicole Rosenblum; and associates Jennifer L. Corry, Jacqueline R. Dungee and Michael R. Carlson.

Founded in 1994, Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin is a full-service law firm employing 50 lawyers. It has offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Norristown, Pennsylvania; and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Winston & Strawn Brings on Hunton & Williams Partners

Erik Even — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:26:32 +0000

Winston & Strawn has lured three partners and an of counsel away from Hunton & Williams, to join the firm in Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington DC.

T. Thomas Cottingham III will serve as head of the litigation in Charlotte. He was previously the managing partner of Hunton & Williams’ Charlotte office and head of its securities/financial institutions litigation practice. Cottingham earned his JD cum laude from Cornell Law School.

Nash E. Long III joins in Charlotte. He focuses on complex litigation including arbitration, jury trials, bench trials and class actions related to environmental, business torts, commercial contract, intellectual property, construction, consumer law and product liability disputes. While at Harvard Law School, where Long graduated magna cum laude, he served as research assistant to renowned professor and constitutional law expert Laurence Tribe.

Jack M. Knight Jr. also joins in Charlotte. He concentrates on internal investigations, corporate compliance, commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense of corporations and individuals, Grand Jury investigations and civil litigation, and regularly advises corporations on compliance issues. Knight earned his JD cum laude from the Washington College of Law at American University.

Winston’s Charlotte office, founded in 2008, has grown from six to 22 attorneys. The firm expects to hire more lawyers in the near future.

John M. Holloway III joins in Washington, DC. He focuses on environmental issues, energy matters, administrative law and commercial transactions particularly in the areas of energy, procurement and construction contracting. Holloway holds a JD cum laude from University of Richmond School of Law.

Winston & Strawn LLP was founded in Chicago in 1853. It employs about 1,000 attorneys among 13 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Ruden McClosky Lays Off 8 Associates

Erik Even — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:29:03 +0000

Florida’s Ruden McClosky, which laid off two lawyers and 18 staff in May, and cut associate and non-equity partner compensation in June, has laid off an additional eight lawyers.

The layoffs affected associates at the firm’s litigation, corporate and land-use practices.

Ruden’s gross revenue fell by 9%, to $85.3 million in fiscal 2008.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Ruden McClosky is a law firm specializing in intellectual property law, litigation, banking & finance law, and general corporate law.

Ventantonio & Wildenhain Brings on Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:25:06 +0000

Warren, New-Jersey-based law firm Ventantonio & Wildenhain has brought on two new attorneys.

Vincent D. Commisa joins as of counsel. He practices in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Commisa is a United States Military Academy Liaison Officer and a member of West Point’s Admissions/Field Force, where he is the 9th Congressional District Coordinator. His JD is from the Seton Hall University School of Law.

Duncan J. Campbell joins as an associate in the firm’s Litigation Department, with a concentration in corporate defense litigation. Before practicing law, he was a management/IT consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. His JD is also from Seton.

Ventantonio & Wildenhain concentrates its practice in litigation, corporate law, and governmental entities. Located in Warren, New Jersey, the firm also maintains a New York office.

Fates to Be Decided for Clifford Chance Litigation Associates

Erik Even — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:30:11 +0000

We have been reporting on the saga of Clifford Chance’s US litigation practice. Group head Mark Kirsch jumped ship to Gibson Dunn, leaving the fates of 29 New York litigation associates in doubt.

Now the futures of those associates are coming into focus.

Seven associates are going to Gibson Dunn with Kirsch and partners Joel Cohen and Christopher Joralemon. Up to 10 associates will be laid off this week; the rest will remain on the New York litigation team, which will be headed by Juan Morillo of the DC office.

Clifford Chance LLP is the largest law firm in the world, both by number of lawyers and revenue, and part of the UK’s “Magic Circle” of leading law firms. It is a prestigious international practice with its principal office in London.

Clifford Chance Litigation Team Lands at Gibson Dunn

Erik Even — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:31:50 +0000

The speculation is over. Mark Kirsch, former head of Clifford Chance’s US litigation practice, has landed at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, bringing along Joel Cohen and Christopher Joralemon.

Kirsch joins Gibson Dunn as co-chair of its more than 500-lawyer Litigation Practice Group. Kirsch joined Clifford Chance in 1995, most recently serving as Global Chair of the Litigation Practice and a member of the firmwide Global Management Committee. He graduated from Yale University Law School.

Cohen was head of Clifford Chance’s US Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice. Before that he practiced at Greenberg Traurig. He graduated in 1988 from Duke University School of Law.

Joralemon graduated magna cum laude from Boston University School of Law, where he served as Editor of the Boston University Law Review.

Gibson Dunn has approximately 1,000 lawyers and 15 offices, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, London, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Dubai, Singapore, Orange County, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Century City, Dallas and Denver.

Saul Ewing Hires Buchanan Ingersoll Team

Erik Even — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:55:20 +0000

A group of seven attorneys, including three partners, from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney will join the Wilmington, Delaware office of Saul Ewing.

William E. Manning, Teresa K.D. Currier and Richard A. Forsten are joining Saul Ewing as partners, while James D. Taylor joins as Special Counsel. Joining the firm as associates are Jennifer Morgan Becnel-Guzzo, Michael J. Farnan and Andrew H. Lippstone.

Manning joins the Litigation Department and will serve, with Stabler, as Co-Office Managing Partner. He will also Co-Chair Saul Ewing’s Higher Education Practice Group with James A. Keller.

Currier joins the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department, and Forsten will be a partner in the Real Estate Department.

Taylor, Becnel-Guzzo and Farnan will join the Litigation Department, and Lippstone will be a member of the Real Estate Department.

Three secretaries and two paralegals from Buchanan Ingersoll will join the attorneys.

Saul Ewing LLP is a full service law firm with 260 lawyers in nine offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and the District of Columbia.

Clifford Chance to Lay Off New York Litigation Associates

Erik Even — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:31:44 +0000

Mark Kirsch, head of Clifford Chance’s US litigation practice, has left the firm, leaving the 29 associates in the firm’s New York litigation group under threat of layoffs.

The group and its associated staffers have been informed that layoffs are coming, but no numbers have been revealed.

Kirsch will be replaced in his position by Juan Morillo.

In March, Clifford Chance today laid off 24 of its New York associates.

Akin Gump Brings On Litigation Partners

Erik Even — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:46:53 +0000

Akin Gump has announced the hiring of partners Nicholas Porritt and William White for its litigation practice in Washington DC.

Porritt comes to Akin Gump from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He handles SEC and commercial litigation matters.

White spent the last 10 years at WilmerHale. Before that, he was with the Enforcement Division of the SEC.

In March, Akin Gump laid off 47 associates and 57 paralegals & staff.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP was founded in Dallas in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump. The firm now numbers more than 900 attorneys and advisors in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Kirkland & Ellis Hires Top Bush Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:44:47 +0000

Kirkland & Ellis has hired two top former Bush administration lawyers for its litigation practice group. Both are returning to Kirkland.

Former Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip was a first-year associate at Kirkland in the early 1990s. He was acting attorney general before Eric Holder took the post.

Former White House Office of Management & Budget general counsel Jeffrey A. Rosen was a partner at Kirkland for over 20 years.

Kirkland laid off 80 support staff two weeks ago.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a Chicago-based law firm that practices in the US and internationally. As of 2008, it was the seventh largest law firm in the US and the 11th largest in the world by revenue. It has offices in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Munich, Hong Kong, and Palo Alto.

Rumor: Shearman & Sterling Laying Off Associates

Erik Even — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:40:01 +0000

According to online sources, New York’s Shearman & Sterling is laying off 5% of its litigation associates, plus associates in other practice groups.

According to the rumor, the firm is characterizing the firings as merit-based.

In March, Shearman laid off 78 staff in the US and UK. It has also deferred start dates for incoming associates.

Shearman & Sterling LLP is a law firm headquartered in New York City, with 19 offices located in major financial centers around the world. It was founded in 1873.

As of 2006, it was the 17th largest law firm in the world as measured by 2006 annual revenue. Shearman & Sterling is a white shoe firm, the equivalent of the Magic Circle in the UK.

Vedder Price Lays Off 9 Associates

Erik Even — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:33:05 +0000

Nine lawyers from Chicago-based Vedder Price are vedder, vedder upset to have been laid off.

The firm blames a downturn in litigation work. The 258-lawyer firm let go eight in Chicago and one in New York.

Established in 1952, Vedder Price is a general practice law firm with three offices in Chicago, Washington DC and New York City.

Herbert Smith Hiring for Hong Kong Practice

Erik Even — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:04:43 +0000

London’s Herbert Smith is launching a Hong Kong restructuring practice, with a partner recruited from Bermuda’s Appleby Global.

Michael Barker will focus on restructuring and insolvency work.

At Appleby, Barker headed the Hong Kong bank and structured finance team. He was formerly an insolvency partner in the Hong Kong office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Barker specializes in advising creditors, debtors and investors on non-contentious restructuring and insolvency issues.

Herbert Smith was founded in the City of London in 1882 by Norman Herbert Smith, and today has 230 partners and 1,200 fee-earners. It is widely considered to be the UK’s leading litigation practice.

Edwards Angell Expands into California

Erik Even — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:37:25 +0000

Boston’s Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has opened its first California office.

Edwards Angell, which has 10 US offices, one in the UK, and an affiliated office in Hong Kong, is opening an office in Newport Beach.

The firm opened the office to accommodate a specific client. They intend to add more clients in Southern California.

Jon-Paul LaPointe, who joined Edwards Angell as counsel in the litigation management group, will head the new office.

The firm may hire three more attorneys for the California office in the near future. Two weeks ago Edwards Angell laid off 25 lawyers and 35 staff.

Edwards Angell is 97th on the list of the world’s largest law firms by 2006 revenue. The firm was formed by the 2005 merger of Edwards & Angell LLP and Palmer & Dodge LLP.

McKenna Long Adds 17 Attorneys to LA Office

Erik Even — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:24:18 +0000

McKenna Long & Aldridge has added 17 real estate and litigation attorneys to its Los Angeles office.

The laterals came from the Los Angeles firm of Brown Winfield Canzoneri Abram, which closed its doors this week.

McKenna Long Chairman Jeff Haidet said that the two firms are not merging, but most of the Brown Winfield attorneys are moving over.

Eleven of the laterals will become part of McKenna Long’s real estate practice, which now has a national headcount of 65 attorneys. Steven Abram, James Camp, Tony Canzoneri, Gordon Eng, Wendy Glenn, Geoff Mitchell, Bill Pham, Dennis Roy and Mark Steres are all joining the real estate practice as partners. Ken Brown is joining the practice as senior counsel, and Donald Ries comes aboard as of counsel.

McKenna Long’s litigation practice also will get boost from the lateral group. Wayne Grejewski, Michael Wallenstein and Thomas Winfield III are joining McKenna Long as partners, while Adrian Guerra, Diana Vernazza and Aimee Wong are joining as associates.

Atlanta-based McKenna, Long & Aldridge LLP 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.

McKenna Long is known for its political connections and its pioneering work in the area of government contracting.

Lovells to Lay Off Up to 94 Staffers

Erik Even — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:10:04 +0000

Lovells has launched a redundancy consultation that could see up to 94 London staff lose their jobs.

The month-long consultation, which kicked off yesterday, includes 18 fee earners and six professional support lawyers.

The remaining cuts come from the firm’s support staff, with 43 business support and 27 secretaries facing the ax.

The layoffs cover the majority of the firm’s practice areas, although no fee earners will lose their jobs in the dispute resolution, business restructuring and insolvency, intellectual property, media & technology or pensions practices. Trainees will not be affected.

Lovells’ half-year results outperformed many of its London rivals, with the firm recording a 15% increase in turnover, with litigation and IP cited as strong performers.

Income jumped from £225 million ($334.5 million) in the first half of 2007-08, to £260 million ($386.5 million) for the first half of 2008-09.

Lovells is a London-based 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.