JD Journal » partners leaving the firm

Gilbert Oshinsky – Oshinsky = Gilbert LLP

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

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

The firm will now be known as Gilbert LLP.

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

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

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

Moore Walters Loses 4 Name Partners

Erik Even — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:13:39 +0000

The law firm of Moore, Walters, Thompson, Thomas, Papillion & Cullens has lost four name partners, and is now Moore, Thompson, Lee & Broyles. It is comprised of Charles R. Moore, Steven C. Thompson, S. Layne Lee and Patrick N. Broyles.

The former partners have launched a new firm, Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens. They are Edward J. Walters Jr., Darrel J. Papillion, David Abboud Thomas and JE Cullens. The four lawyers took their cases with them to the new firm.

The split was described as amicable.The firms are located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Freshfields Loses Top Partners

Erik Even — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:41:47 +0000

Freshfields has lost two top partners, both of whom joined the firm from White & Case less than two years ago.

Maurice Allen is one of the UK’s top banking lawyers, having worked at Clifford Chance and Weil Gotshal. He and Mike Goetz joined Freshfields in March 2008.

The firm describes the split as amicable — but Allen has a reputation for problems with management, including publicized friction at White & Case.

London’s Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is an international law firm with offices in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the US. In 2006 it was the world’s fourth largest law firm by revenues.

Clifford Chance Loses 50 Partners

Erik Even — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:05:41 +0000

According to sources, Clifford Chance has lost almost 50 partners since March of this year, most from New York City and the London headquarters office.

Eighteen partners have left the firm in London, and another 18 in New York. Twelve have jumped ship in Europe.

Clifford Chance is restructuring, and expects to lose 90 further partners, or 15%, between now and April 2010.

Last week, the firm reported that average profits per equity partner dropped 37% to £733,000 ($1.2 million) in the last fiscal year.

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

Real Estate Lawyers Leave Ballard Spahr

Erik Even — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:07:31 +0000

At least seven lawyers have walked out of the Voorhees, New Jersey office of Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr. Five came from the real estate practice.

The lawyers, led by office managing partner Benjamin Levin, are apparently striking out on their own. Other names include partners Richard Hluchan, William Hyland Jr. and Mark Shapiro and senior counsel Harvey Shapiro, S. David Brandt and Edward A. Penberthy.

The defections appear to be sudden and unannounced. It is unclear if associates will follow the partners.

Steven W. Suflas, a labor and employment partner, will take over as office managing partner.

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll employs more than 550 lawyers in twelve offices located throughout the mid-Atlantic corridor and the western US.

More Litigation Partners Leaving Clifford Chance

Erik Even — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:53 +0000

Clifford Chance, which has been bleeding litigation partners, just lost two more.

Securities litigators Joel Cohen and George Schieren will depart the firm’s New York office.

At the end of last month, Mark Kirsch, the head of Clifford Chance’s US litigation practice, announced his departure, leaving the 29 associates in the firm’s New York litigation group under threat of layoffs.

Securities litigation head Mark Holland is quitting to join Goodwin Procter.

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.

Senior Partners at Tods Murray Defect to Anderson Strathern

Erik Even — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:22:13 +0000

Two senior partners at Edinburgh law firm Tods Murray have quit to join crosstown rival Anderson Strathern.

John Biggar, a former chairman of Tods Murray, and partner John Fulton left the firm last month.

Tods Murray LLP was founded in 1856 as Tods Murray & Jamieson. It is based from an award winning modern office at Edinburgh Quay; it also has offices in Glasgow.

Anderson Strathern was formed in 1992 when J&F Anderson merged with Strathern & Blair. It has offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. Anderson Strathern has 48 partners.

DLA Piper Trims Partner Headcount

Erik Even — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:02:57 +0000

DLA Piper is both bringing on new partners, and letting others go. Five partners have left the firm in the last month, from the real estate, tax, corporate and projects practices.

Twenty-five partners have left so far this year, while 32 new partners have been appointed.

In May, DLA Piper laid off 24 lawyers and 100 support staff across its UK offices.

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

Davis Polk to Shut Frankfurt Office

Erik Even — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:39:30 +0000

Davis Polk, home of stealth layoffs, will permanently close its office in Frankfurt, Germany in August.

The office’s long-time resident partner, Patrick Kenadjian, is retiring at the end of the year. His successor, Harald Halbhuber, has decided to leave the firm as well.

Much of the office’s work will be taken over by Davis Polk’s 31-lawyer London office.

Two associates and one counsel at the Frankfurt office have been offered other positions with the firm.

Davis Polk & Wardwell is an international law firm headquartered in New York. The firm employs more than 700 attorneys and is primarily known for its corporate, litigation and tax practices.

Kummer Kaempfer Partners Leave After Failed Greenberg Traurig Merger [Update]

Erik Even — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:30:17 +0000

Founding partner Thomas Kummer and managing partner Michael Bonner are leaving Las Vegas, Nevada’s Kummer Kaempfer, after the collapse of merger talks with Greenberg Traurig.

Bonner, along with other partners and staffers, will jump ship to Greenberg Traurig’s 30-lawyer Vegas office in June.

Bob Gronauer will take over as Kummer Kaempfer’s managing partner. This year, Kummer Kaempfer laid off about 10 lawyers and associated staff.

Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario is one of Nevada’s largest and most prominent law firms, with offices in Vegas, Reno and Carson City.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the US, Europe and Asia. The firm was selected as the 2007 USA Law Firm of the Year by Chambers & Partners.

UPDATE

We now know that at least 10 attorneys from Kummer Kaempfer are joining Greenberg Traurig. The move is also expected to lead to the layoffs of around 15 support staff at Kummer Kaempfer.

In addition to Kummer and Bonner, the group includes Mark Ferrario, John Brewer, John Jeppsen, Greg Vermeys, Brandon Roos, Eric Blum, Jordan Pinjuv and Michael Shalmy.

Cohen Milstein Hires Litigators Away from Schoengold

Erik Even — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:05:11 +0000

Cohen Milstein has hired two new litigators for its New York office, Joel Laitman and Christopher Lometti, both from Schoengold Sporn Laitman Lometti.

Laitman and Lometti will handle complex securities fraud and investor protection litigation. Both were name partners at Schoengold.

New York City’s Schoengold Sporn Laitman & Lometti is a leading securities fraud law firm that specializes in the representation of individuals, Taft-Hartley pension and benefit funds and other Institutional Investors in securities fraud class action and derivative litigation.

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll is a plaintiffs’ class action law firm, with offices Washington DC, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Top Skadden Partners Head to Kirkland & Ellis

Erik Even — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:21:40 +0000

Two key partners at New York’s Skadden have jumped ship to Kirkland & Ellis.

David Fox is leaving after more than 20 years with Skadden. He is joined by Daniel E. Wolf.

According to Fox:

Daniel and I are energized by this unique opportunity to grow our practices. While we will always fondly remember our time at Skadden, we are very excited by the prospect of collaborating with the many talented lawyers at Kirkland to take its M&A practice to the next level.

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.

Chester Willcox Partners to Form New Firm

Erik Even — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:23:52 +0000

Columbus, Ohio-based lawyers J. Richard Emens and Beatrice Wolper, until recently partners at Chester Willcox & Saxbe, are founding their own family business law firm.

Emens & Wolper was launched in April. Emens, 74, and Wolper, 63, are married and worked together at Chester Willcox for 12 years.

In 1998, Emens and Wolper co-founded the Conway Family Business Center, a family entrepreneur and education center. They teach courses on entrepreneurship and business succession.

Herbert Smith Poaches From Linklaters for Madrid Office

Erik Even — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:10:07 +0000

Herbert Smith will launch a new office in Madrid, Spain with a group from Linklaters.

Alvaro Sáinz, Miguel Riaño and Ignacio Paz were partners at Linklaters. Ignacio Díez-Picazo was a senior consultant, and joins Herbert Smith as a partner.

Current Herbert Smith finance partner David Wyles will join the group in Madrid.

This month Herbert Smith announced a redundancy consultation at its London HQ, targeting 84 positions.

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.

Cohen Jayson & Foster Lawyers Start New Firm

Erik Even — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:49:21 +0000

Name partner Chris P. Jayson, and three other lawyers from Tampa Bay, Florida’s Cohen Jayson & Foster, have left the firm to form Jayson Farthing Skafidas & Wright PA.

Arthur Skafidas, Mark Wright, and Dr. Phillip Farthing are the other lawyers. The new firm will hire four staff employees.

Jayson’s last day at the firm led by Barry Cohen was December 31st.

Barry Cohen is a criminal and personal injury attorney, and one of the best known attorneys in Florida. He is characterized as a fighter for his aggressive legal tactics.

Judge: Defunct Firm Can Sue Lowenstein Sandler Over Defections

Erik Even — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:43:38 +0000

Essex County, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Donald Goldman has ruled that defunct law firm Ravin Sarasohn may sue Lowenstein Sandler over partner defections that killed the firm.

The judge rejected Lowenstein Sandler’s argument that a ruling in a related arbitration mandated dismissal of the claim.

Ravin Sarasohn, a Roseland, New Jersey firm that had more than 40 lawyers at its height in the 1990s, went out of business in 2000 after lawyer Kenneth Rosen led a group of partners and associates to Lowenstein Sandler.

Ravin Sarasohn says Lowenstein Sandler used confidential information to lure the group away and put the smaller firm out of business. Lowenstein Sandler says it didn’t ask for some of the financial information it received, and had nothing to do with theft of secrets.

Lowenstein Sandler, formerly Lowenstein, Sandler, Kohl, Fisher & Boylan, is a corporate law firm ranked 161st largest in the US in terms of attorney headcount by the National Law Journal, and 84th in profit per attorney by the AmLaw 200 survey.

Skadden Partners Jump Ship, Found New Firm

Erik Even — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:04:44 +0000

Two partners from Skadden’s Washington, DC office, Andrew Sandler and Benjamin Klubes, are leaving the firm to form their own firm, BuckleySandler.

The firm will include all 36 attorneys from Buckley Kolar, a DC financial regulation boutique.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine called Skadden “Wall Street’s most powerful law firm.”

Court: Firm Can Sue Departing Partners

Erik Even — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:25:41 +0000

A California appeals court ruling from 1984 that a firm can sue a departing partner for profits lost from open cases.

Six partners who moved to Heller Ehrman from another dissolved firm, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, are facing a lawsuit from the Brobeck estate. The complaint filed this week seeks profits from unfinished Brobeck business.

The ruling, Jewel v. Boxer, holds that a law firm can recover profits from open cases lost when a partner leaves. Heller’s creditors committee cited Jewel in a motion seeking permission to proceed against the firm’s ex-partners.

Haynes and Boone Lays Off Three at NYC Office

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:18:46 +0000

Dallas’ Haynes and Boone yesterday laid off one associate, one of counsel and one staff in their New York City office.

The terminations resulted from the upcoming departure of two New York-based corporate partners who are leaving by mutual agreement. Affected attorneys and staff were recruited specifically to support the departing partners.

The firm does not expect any further attorney or staff layoffs in their New York office, nor in any of the firm’s other eleven national and international offices.

Haynes and Boone, LLP has grown from a handful of lawyers in 1970 to more than 450 lawyers in 2007. The firm has expanded to ten offices, including Washington, DC, Mexico City and Moscow.
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SEC Still Hunting to Fill Legal Positions

Erik Even — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:58:52 +0000

US Securities and Exchange Chairman Mary Schapiro has named David Becker, a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, as chief legal officer and senior policy adviser, one of her first appointments since taking office.

Becker, 61, as general counsel will coordinate legal cases and advise on enforcement actions, and will have an additional role in developing and implementing SEC policies. He was SEC general counsel from 2000 to 2002.

Becker served as SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt’s chief lawyer and participated in policy and regulatory initiatives

Schapiro has asked Commissioner Elisse Walter, a Democrat, to seek candidates who may replace other senior managers at the agency, including Enforcement Director Linda Thomsen.

Schapiro earned a JD degree from George Washington University in 1980.

Did Lawyer Defections Kill Firm?

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:40:22 +0000

Nine years after a 14-lawyer exodus led to the demise of a prominent bankruptcy firm, the partners left behind are finally getting their day in court.

An Essex County judge has scheduled an April trial in a suit charging that Roseland, New Jersey’s Lowenstein Sandler violated fair business practice rules and stole financial secrets in poaching the lawyers from Ravin, Sarasohn, Cook, Baumgarten, Fisch & Rosen, also in Roseland.

Within a month of the February 2000 defections, the remaining 50 or so attorneys and support staff scattered, leaving behind a shell firm that is seeking damages.

The 260-lawyer Lowenstein Sandler, the state’s second-largest firm, denies it violated any legal or business ethics guidelines on the hiring of laterals. The firm says Ravin Sarasohn was in dire financial straits well before Lowenstein Sandler made the offers.

The suit alleges Lowenstein Sandler induced three equity partners to break a provision of the Ravin Sarasohn partnership agreement that required a 60-day notice of withdrawal. It also claims Lowenstein Sandler schemed to “steal confidential Ravin, Sarasohn financial information” to target and solicit key attorneys.

Lowenstein Sandler, formerly Lowenstein, Sandler, Kohl, Fisher & Boylan, is a corporate law firm ranked 161st largest in the US in terms of attorney headcount, and 84th in profit per attorney by the AmLaw 200.

The firm maintains offices in Roseland, New Jersey; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, and Palo Alto, California.

Partners Deserting Akin Gump

Erik Even — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:55:56 +0000

The American Lawyer has been piecing together the evidence, and finds that Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has lost more partners than any other firm the site tracks.

From Above the Law:

Akin lost 17 percent of its partners to competitors, small firms, in-house positions, and government jobs. Some of those defections were anticipated–fallout from strategic shifts in the firm’s practice groups and management structure. But others were a surprise…

While losing 59 partners hasn’t been easy, [Bruce] McLean, who has been Akin’s chairman for the past 16 years, expects that the slimmed-down practice areas will pay off. In 2007 the firm saw profits per partner fall nearly 7 percent to slightly more than $1.2 million, putting it sixtieth on The Am Law 200 partner profit charts.

But in early January he predicted that profits per partner grew as much as 10 percent in 2008 as a result of the shake-up, “What we are seeing is a slimmed-down firm generating more profits,” says McLean. At least, that’s the plan.

Via ATL via AmLaw and The BLT.

Update: 30 Morgan & Finnegan Lawyers Move to Locke Lord

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:05:43 +0000

Last week we reported that Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, of Dallas and Chicago, had extended offers to the bulk of the partnership at New York intellectual property boutique Morgan & Finnegan.

Now it’s official:

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell… announces that more than 30 lawyers previously with New York-based Morgan & Finnegan are joining Locke Lord. Morgan & Finnegan was one of the oldest and most well regarded Intellectual Property law firms in the country. The attorneys include 13 Partners and the previous members of Morgan & Finnegan’s Executive Committee.

This move more than doubles the size of Locke Lord’s New York office to about 50 attorneys and leads to Locke Lord opening a San Francisco office – the Firm’s 13th office and its third in California (Los Angeles, Sacramento and now San Francisco). Morgan & Finnegan was in existence more than 115 years…

ATL points out the oddness of those “was-es.” There has been no official announcement that Morgan & Finnegan is dissolving.

Mayer Brown Focuses on Los Angeles Office; Plans to Hire 100

Erik Even — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:17:44 +0000

Global law firm Mayer Brown is taking action to shore up its Los Angeles office, which saw the departure of four partners this month, by appointing an executive committee to lead the office, and sending the current managing partner packing back to the Chicago office.

The law firm is appointing a five-member committee, led by partner Mickey Kantor, a former US Commerce Secretary, to “provide management oversight” for the office. The firm will assign a new LA managing partner soon.

Mayer Brown, which has seen the defection of 15 partners since August, opened the Los Angeles office in 1985. Currently the office has 62 attorneys, and is slated to hire as many as 100 more over the next two years.

James Tancula, the partner-in-charge of the Los Angeles office since 2005, will move in late March back to Chicago to resume his litigation practice. Kantor said it would be “not fair” to view the changes as a negative commentary on Tancula’s performance. Anyone who has lived in both LA and Chicago might disagree.

Kantor, 69, will continue to shuttle between the firm’s Washington and Los Angeles offices, as he has since joining the firm 12 years ago. The other four members of the office’s executive committee, partners Robert M. Hertzberg, Neil Soltman, Philip R. Recht and Marc Harris, have been based in Los Angeles

Cadwalader Loses Partner; Fires Associates in New York, Charlotte

Erik Even — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:53:56 +0000

New York City’s Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, America’s oldest law firm, has lost another partner from its Manhattan office as the firm cuts associates.

Mayer Brown has poached reinsurance partner and disputes specialist Clifford Schoenberg.

Earlier this month, bankruptcy partners Bruce Zirinsky and John Bae moved to Greenberg Traurig.

We reported that seven partners walked out after earnings fell 40%.

Today nine associates were fired in the firm’s New York and Charlotte, North Carolina offices. There were also salary cuts in Charlotte.

Addleshaw Goddard to Lay Off 19 Partners

Erik Even — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:35:57 +0000

Addleshaw Goddard, Britain’s fifteenth largest firm, is poised to lose 19 partners because of falling demand for legal services.

More than a tenth of the firm’s 182 partners will be forced to leave in the next few months.

Ashurst, its City rival, one of the top private equity advisers, is also understood to be in the process of down-sizing its partnership, with as many as ten of its 223 partners at risk

UK law firms are targeting underperforming partners in an effort to cut costs, forcing them to accept a reduced equity share or simply asking them to leave. As many as 15% of the 12,000 partners at the top firms – about 2,000 senior lawyers – could lose their jobs this year.

The cuts will affect both equity and so-called fixed-share, or junior, partners across all main practice areas in the offices of Addleshaw Goddard at London, Leeds and Manchester.

Seven Partners Walk Out of Cadwalader London

Erik Even — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:00:49 +0000

The London office of New York’s Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has been rocked by the unnanounced mass walkout of seven partners to Paul Hastings.

The partners leaving the firm are Karl Clowry, Conor Downey, Michelle Duncan, Justin Jowitt, Tom O’Riordan, Christian Parker and Charles Roberts.

Although no reasons have been given for the defections, two possible motives are (1) plummeting profits for America’s oldest law firm and (2) the BBC picked a 26-year-old nobody to play the new Doctor.

The defections leave Cadwalader with just four partners in London. An insider told The Lawyer.com the move could prompt Cadwalader to shut down in London altogether:

It is understood that firm chairman Christopher White and former chairman Bob Link have flown to London from New York for crisis talks with the London partners.

Yesterday we reported Cadwalader’s 30% profit plunge, with profit per equity partner for 2008 dropping to an unliveable $1.88m.

If you have any inside info, please let us know. We’ll update this post as the situation develops.