JD Journal » McGuireWoods

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:26:26 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Thursday, November 18th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Lisa Murkowski won her bid to be returned to Washington as Alaska’s Senator…

Boies Schiller let three female associates go late last week…

Sidley Austin’s Matthew Sheridan was promoted to practice Co-Head…

Mintz Levin Co-Chairs will be the featured speakers at MIT Conference…

McGuire Woods finalized an agreement to combine operations with the Houston-based firm of Nickens Keeton Lawless Farrell & Flack LLP…

Hogan Lovells added two partners to its firm, one in Philadelphia, and one in Washington, D.C….

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.

Former White House Counsel Joins McGuireWoods

joshua — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:43:02 +0000

John Adams, a former associate counsel to President George W. Bush and assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in the firm’s expanding government, regulatory and criminal investigations department. He will practice from the firms’ Washington D.C. and Richmond offices.

According to a McGuireWoods’ press release, Adams counsels clients facing government investigations and handles complex litigation at the trial and appellate level. Practice head Chuck McIntyre called Adams “uniquely qualified” because of his previous government experience.

“John’s breadth of experience, including the Supreme Court, the White House, and as a federal prosecutor, makes him uniquely qualified to advise our clients in the ever-increasing regulated environment,” McIntyre said.

Adams also previously served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court. While at the White House, he focused primarily on matters arising out of the Department of Defense and State Department that implicated the Office of the President.

McGuireWoods chairman Richard Cullen called the addition of Adams “a great day for our firm.”

“He has experience at the highest levels of government and we look forward to putting that experience to use for our clients,” Cullen said. “He is not only a talented lawyer with a brilliant legal mind, but he has the character to fit right in with our firm.”

McGuireWoods is a full-service law firm with approximately 900 lawyers in 17 offices in the U.S., Europe and Central Asia.

Former McGuireWoods Partner Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud

joshua — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:29:32 +0000

Louis W. Zehil, a former securities lawyer and partner at McGuireWoods, pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud in the Southern District of New York Monday.

The New York Law Journal reports Zehil admitted to making $10 million in illegal profits by using his role as counsel to illegally trade shares in seven companies that he helped to structure private investment in public equity, or PIPE, transactions between January 2006 and February 2007.

“I knew what I was doing was wrong,” Zehil told Judge Deborah A. Batts. “I take full responsibility for my actions.”

According to Bloomberg, PIPE shares must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before they can be publicly traded. However, Zehil purchased his clients shares and sold them before being registered. Then, he and an unnamed associate sent opinion letters to transfer agents that they knew contained misrepresentations.

“My misrepresentation permitted me to have an improper head start” on other investors, Zehill said, according to Bloomberg. “I know that what I was doing was wrong and I take full responsibility for my actions.”

Zehill was a partner at McGuireWoods from April 2004 to February 2007. He is facing a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for securities fraud and a maximum of five years for conspiracy.

Morning Roundup

sara — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:50:07 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, February 26, and here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s news…

A judge ordered the shutdown of debt settlement firm Allegro Law LLC…

Motley Rice LLC and Burke PLLC have joined forces to pursue claims for clients in the Kellogg, Brown, and Root, Inc., Burn Pit multidistrict litigation…

Jeff Roberts joins Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office as a partner…

Loretta Lau has joined Goodwin Procter’s Hong Kong office as a corporate finance partner…

Steve Betensky resigns as chair of White & Case’s global information technology practice…

Revenue and profits improve at Wiley Rein…

McGuireWoods sees increases in profits per partner and gross revenues but declines in net profits and revenue per lawyer…

McGuireWoods Posts Mixed Results in ’09

joshua — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:29:17 +0000

There was mixed news on the financial front for McGuireWoods in 2009. Gross revenue and profits per equity partner (PPP) managed to increase last year, but net profits and revenue per lawyer suffered slight drops.

The firm reported gross revenue of $509 million last year, an increase of 6.7 percent from the $477 million registered in 2008. PPP came in at $801,028, a 6.2 percent increase from $754,226 the previous year. PPP managed to rise because of a decline in the number of equity partners from 192 to 175.

The number of lawyers at the firm rose to 856, thanks in large part to its acquisition of London-based Grundberg Mocatta Rakison.

McGuireWoods is an international firm with 18 offices around the world.

Former McGuireWoods Partner Charged With 51 Counts of Corruption

sara — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:58:40 +0000

C. Ruffin Poole has been charged by a federal grand jury in Raleigh, North Carolina with 51 counts of corruption. Poole is a former partner at McGuireWoods (he left the firm last month) and former chief legal aide to North Carolina Governor Michael Easley. In a 64 page indictment Poole is charged with bribery, racketeering, money laundering, and deprivation of honest services.

Federal prosecutors have spent years investigating Easley and aides including Poole. Easley served as North Carolina’s governor from 2001 to 2008. He joined McGuireWoods last April along with Poole and another adviser named Franklin Freeman Jr. All three men became partners. Easley is a corporate partner in Raleigh and specializes in economic development, life sciences and energy. He is also a senior adviser for McGuireWoods Consulting, a public affairs branch of the firm.

Easley is represented by Joseph Cheshire of Raleigh, North Carolina firm Cheshire Parker Schneider Bryan & Vitale. Easley released the following statement:

“We have reviewed the indictment of Ruffin Poole. While Governor Easley has no knowledge of the conduct that makes up the criminal allegations therein, he has faith in Ruffin Poole and finds it hard to believe that he would ever intentionally violate the law. Ruffin Poole, like anyone else charged with a crime, deserves the presumption of innocence, not a rush to judgment.”

Poole is represented by Joseph Zeszotarski Jr., a partner at North Carolina firm Poyner Spruill in Raleigh. Last month Poole invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself when he testified before the State Board of Elections.

McGuireWoods Issues Offers for Summer Class

joshua — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:53:40 +0000

The weather has turned cold, the leaves are falling from the trees in bright shades of orange and red, pumpkins are in season so that must mean it’s time to get around to making offers to your summer class, or at least, some of your offers, right?

Well that’s what McGuireWoodsis doing this week. Long after most firms have broken the bad news for the year, McGuireWoods is making some offers to its summer class. Those that don’t receive offers in this wave, take heart – you’re on a waiting list and could receive offers later. It could be worse, you could be on your second deferral!

In other McGuireWoods news… Timothy Heaphy, a partner from the Washington DC office, was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate last night as the new U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.

McGuire Woods is a 900-lawyer firm that has offices in 15 US cities including New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago. It has existing international offices in Brussels and Almaty.

50 Best Law Firms for Women Announced

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Obama Nominates 4 for US Attorney

Erik Even — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:55:05 +0000

On Friday, President Obama nominated four lawyers as United States Attorneys.

Daniel Bogden was nominated for the District of Nevada. He is a partner at McDonald Carano Wilson. He was previously US Attorney for the District of Nevada; Reno Division Chief in the US Attorney’s Office; and an Assistant US Attorney and member of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. His JD is from the University of Toledo College of Law.

University of Toledo College of Law was nominated for the District of Nebraska. She is president of Gilg Kruger & Troia in Omaha. She is also the Saunders County, Nebraska Attorney. Her JD is from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Timothy J. Heaphy was nominated for the Western District of Virginia. He is a partner at McGuireWoods, and was an Assistant US Attorney for the District of Columbia, and a Deputy Managing Assistant US Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. His JD is from the University of Virginia Law School.

Peter F. Neronha was nominated for the District of Rhode Island. He is an Assistant US Attorney, and served in the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General as Special Assistant Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General. Neronha graduated from the Boston College Law School.

Barnes & Thornburg Brings on 5 Lawyers

Erik Even — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:14:18 +0000

Barnes & Thornburg, which recently acquired the 22-attorney Parsinen Law Firm, has brought on five new attorneys.

Heather L. Fesko joins from McGuireWoods as a partner in Barnes & Thornburg’s Healthcare Department. She concentrates her practice on representation of hospitals in transactional, regulatory and compliance matters related to the health care industry.

Mary Innis joins from Loeb & Loeb as a partner. She will chair the firm’s new Advertising & Marketing Practices Group. She has experience in the areas of trademark law, advertising, labeling, and marketing and promotion, especially as it relates to the Internet, new and emerging media, branded entertainment, and user-generated content issues.

J. Manuel Herrera also joins from Loeb & Loeb. He concentrates his practice in the areas of trademark, copyright, unfair competition, e-commerce law and litigation and domain name dispute resolutions. He is a native Spanish speaker,

Mark T. Kindelin joins from Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg as a partner in the banking and corporate finance practices. He has counseled financial institutions for more than 27 years on a wide variety of regulatory, transactional and corporate matters.

And J. Eric Guth joins from Winston & Strawn, and will also be a part of the banking and corporate finance practices. He has represented financial institutions, equity sponsors, and public and private borrowers in a variety of lending transactions including secured, unsecured and mezzanine debt facilities, securitizations and other structured products.

With nearly 540 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from its offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio and Washington DC.

Ex-Governor & Aides Join McGuire Woods

Erik Even — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:43:47 +0000

Former North Carolina Democratic Governor Mike Easley is joining the Raleigh offices of Richmond, Virginia’s McGuire Woods.

Two former aides from Easley’s scandal-ridden administration, Franklin Freeman and Ruffin Poole, will also join the firm.

Another ex-Governor, North Carolina Republican Jim Martin, joined McGuire Woods as a senior adviser last summer.

McGuire Woods is a 900-lawyer firm that has offices in 15 US cities including New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago. It has existing international offices in Brussels and Almaty.

More Firms Adopting Merit-Based Pay for Associates

Erik Even — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:33:24 +0000

Many law firms are using the economic meltdown as an excuse to end seniority-based pay for associates, adopting “merit-based” systems similar to those used outside the legal profession.

Examples in the US include Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Shearman & Sterling and WolfBlock.

Firms are also cutting salaries for starting associates, just two years after top firms raised pay to compete for talent.

“In the current economic crisis, we see the final demise of the Medieval guild in the American legal profession,” consultant Joel Henning tells Bloomberg.

Orrick will introduce new tiers of associates, replacing the traditional single-track system where some become partners who share in the firm’s profits after about eight years. Under the new structure, associates will be able to stay at the firm permanently, drawing salaries; and will not have to leave the firm if they are unwilling to work long hours.

Clients typically pay much less for work done by a law firm associate than that performed by a partner.

Howrey introduced a similar plan in January, and McGuireWoods started one two years ago.

McGuireWoods Cuts First-Years’ Salaries by 10%

Erik Even — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:45:26 +0000

McGuireWoods chairman Richard Cullen left a voicemail to his attorneys yesterday evening, announcing that first year salaries will be cut 10%, from $160,000 to $144,000.

Salaries for all other associates at the firm have been frozen at 2008 levels.

Cullen also announced that the firm is cutting its 2009 summer program to eight weeks. He does not anticipate any layoffs.

It is not known if he made any other important announcements by instant message, Twitter or passing notes in class.

McGuireWoods is based in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1834 in Charlottesville, the firm now has more than 900 attorneys and advisers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Law Firm Mergers to Spike in 2009

Erik Even — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:01:44 +0000

According to a survey by consulting firm Hildebrandt International, US law firm mergers rose slightly in 2008 over 2007; and experts are predicting the trend will increase in 2009 due to the economic meltdown.

In 2008, 55 law firm mergers and acquisitions were completed, up from 54 in 2007. But only 13 days into this year, 20 mergers have been completed.

Law firm mergers have generally been on the rise since 2004, when there were 49; in 2006, 59 mergers occurred.

The largest merger of 2008 was in January, when Kansas City, Missouri’s Blackwell Sanders absorbed St. Louis’ Husch & Eppenberger. The resulting firm, Husch Blackwell Sanders, has a headcount of 630 attorneys.

The second-largest merger was between Chicago’s Mayer Brown and Hong Kong’s Johnson Stokes & Master. Other significant mergers included: K&L Gates and Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman as well as Hughes & Luce; McGuireWoods and Helms Mulliss & Wicker; and Reed Smith and Richards Butler.

The largest of the firm mergers that have already taken place in 2009 are between Bryan Cave and Atlanta’s Powell Goldstein, followed by Bradley Arant Rose & White and Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry.

The Hildebrandt survey also found that 244 new law firm branch offices opened last year. One hundred and twnmety were in the United States, while 124 were outside the country.

Via NLJ.