Moves:
In house
In-House Moves of the Month: Numerous Big-Name Companies Face Legal Leadership Transitions
General Counsel Mark Allen will retire in September following 42 years of employment with FedEx. Since 2017, Allen, 68, has served as the shipping company’s head of legal affairs. In addition, he serves as a member of the company’s five-person executive committee and oversees security, government affairs, and regulatory compliance.
Myriad Genetics Hires NIH Scientist-Turned-Biopharma Lawyer as Legal Chief
Paul Diaz, CEO of Myriad Genetics, stated in a statement that Jennifer Fox’s experience and knowledge “combined with her integrity, practical insight, and operational excellence, will be essential in guiding our legal strategy.”
Fast-Growing Madrigal Pharma Names Veteran Health Care Lawyer Legal Chief
Shortly after the successful launch of a medication to treat liver disease, Shannon Kelley was elevated to her first general counsel position by the Pennsylvania-based corporation.
Kohler Taps Ex-Conagra Brands Lawyer as Legal Chief
Natalie Maciolek, who left Kohler in August 2023 after more than ten years with the Wisconsin-based producer of plumbing supplies, is succeeded by Megan Belcher.
Bain-backed market research company Kantar raids Vodafone for new GC
Rachel Clarke, who is now General Counsel of Kantar’s media measurement division, is replaced by Rebecca Symondson.
Spanish oil giant Cepsa fills vacant CLO seat with Atento hire
Jörg Häring, who departed the firm earlier this year, was replaced as chief legal officer by Virginia Beltramini, who was appointed by Spanish oil and gas heavyweight Cepsa.
UK & Ireland
Paul Weiss Hires Funds Partner from Kirkland
As part of its continued push for European expansion, Paul Weiss has brought on board Jeremy Leggate, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in London, as a second funds partner.
Freshfields London Partner Set to Join US Rival
Roger Schofield, a partner in private equity real estate, is anticipated to leave Freshfields after serving as a partner for almost five years after being promoted to the partnership in 2019.
Goodwin Swipes Dechert Funds Partner in London
Thiha Tun from Dechert, who has been a member of the secondaries and liquidity solutions group since 2019, has joined the private investment practice at Goodwin.
Latham Hires Asset Management General Counsel in London
Having worked for Patria for the previous three years, Rufino Carvalho held the positions of managing director and worldwide general counsel. He co-led the company’s Latin America group while he was a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills.
Vinson & Elkins Taps Fried Frank for European Arbitration Head
James Barratt, who is leaving Fried Frank after five years, will work with current partner Louise Woods as V&E’s new Europe co-head of international disputes.
EMEA
Morgan Lewis Builds Out Germany Offices with Reed Smith, Milbank Hires
Dr. Alexander Klett, an IP attorney, will start working at Morgan Lewis on Monday. Dr. Christoph Mikyska, a colleague at Reed Smith, will start working there on an undisclosed date. Sebastian Dexheimer, a former Milbank PE lawyer, will be joining Morgan Lewis.
Ogletree Deakins Two Partners from SKW Schwarz to New Munich Office
In July, Martin Gresslin became a partner. He has 17 years of experience advising employers on labor law. On August 1st, Martin Landauer became a partner.
Energy regulatory partner joins Norton Rose Fulbright in The Netherlands
After serving as a partner at AKD Benelux Law Firm, Marjolein has joined Norton Rose Fulbright. She has extensive expertise advising both domestic and foreign clients on local and EU regulatory law as well as environmental law, and her practice is concentrated on energy projects.
Herbert Smith Freehills hires duo TMT specialists as partners in Paris
TMT attorneys Emmanuel Ronco and Vincent Denoyelle have joined prestigious international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills as partners in the firm’s Paris-based corporate practice.
APAC
China’s Fangda Launches Singapore Office with Watson Farley Hire
Ivy Liu spent ten years of her career as a partner at Watson Farley & Williams, where she was based.
Japan’s AMT expands in Thailand with SRPP partner
SRPP, a local business, has sent corporate specialist Natira Siripun to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, a Japanese legal firm, to strengthen its Thailand branch.
Han Kun makes corporate hire in SG from Withers KhattarWong
In its Singapore office, Han Kun Law Office has welcomed corporate partner Chuo Ming Leong, together with his team members Low Shan You, Chow Su Rin, and Lanabel Teo.
NRF Indo firm hires disputes partner from Soemadipradja
Indonesia’s TNB & Partners, which operates in association with Norton Rose Fulbright, has hired disputes and arbitration specialist Erie Tobing as a partner from local outfit Soemadipradja & Taher.
The Americas
Davis Polk Lands Investment Management Partner from Simpson Thacher
Neil Barr, a managing partner at Davis Polk, stated that the company is “planning a material growth initiative” in its asset management system.
BCLP Grows Energy Transition Team with Clark Hill Hire
This week, partner James English moved from Clark Hill to the firm’s Denver headquarters.
Former Houston Bar President Joins O’Melveny From Winston & Strawn
Denise Scofield cited the firm’s rapid expansion in Texas, where, in only three years, it has grown to almost 70 attorneys.
Vedder Price, Eying Continued Growth in Miami, Hires Ex-Leader of Trial Boutique
From 2020 until 2022, Javier Lopez managed the boutique Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton and acted as lead attorney for a number of the victims of the Surfside Champlain Towers condo disaster.
People in the News—July 31, 2024—Willig Williams, Babst Calland
Attorney Erica Askin has joined the labour legal practice group at Willig, Williams & Davidson, a family, labour, and workers’ compensation company.
Bradley Deepens Energy Practice in Atlanta; Womble Adds Partner in Huntsville
Alston adds a partner in structured finance in New York, and Womble Bond strengthens its government contracts business in Alabama.
Motley Rice Adds Former DOJ Official in NY
Frank Amanat, a former attorney with the DOJ, has joined Motley Rice as a counsel in its New York office. According to Amanat, plaintiff-side firms stand to benefit greatly by appointing former government lawyers.
Her Justice Adds New Executive Director from Paul Weiss
Paul Weiss partner Alexia Korberg said, “In these exceptionally challenging times, I feel called to commit myself full time to public service and am so privileged I get to do that here in my own community”.
Paul Hastings Lures Arnold & Porter’s Environmental Practice Chair
Brian Israel has joined Paul Hastings as a co-chair of the environmental litigation practice.
Locke Lord Picks Up Sidley Insurance Lawyer, Thompson Coburn Cybersecurity Practice Leader
Even though Locke Lord, an Am Law 100 firm, is expected to merge with Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders by year’s end, the firm is still growing in Chicago.
Skadden Adds New Practice Head from Olshan
Ms. Gonzalez-Sussman is set to join the New York office in September and will advise clients around the globe on how best to anticipate, prepare for, respond to and defend against activist campaigns.
White & Case, Hogan Lovells and Polsinelli Among Latest Firms to Add DC Laterals
The firms added attorneys within their intellectual property, state attorneys general, real estate and immigration practices in recent weeks.
Morgan Lewis Adds Steptoe Finance Chair in Chicago
In response to client requests, we moved a little more quickly than anticipated, according to new partner Stacie Hartman.
Kauff McGuire Hires Entertainment Labor Partner, Balch & Bingham Adds M&A Partner
David Korduner, an entertainment labor attorney and executive, has joined Kauff McGuire & Margolis as a partner in Los Angeles. Lauren Weisman Stein has joined Balch & Bingham as a partner in the firm’s Jacksonville, Florida office.
Karen Werner is joining Garrigues as head of the firm’s dispute resolution practice in Chile, bringing extensive expertise advising Chilean and international companies across a variety of sectors.
Team Moves
Morrison & Foerster Hires Trio of Life Sciences IP Litigators from Desmarais
Partners Todd Krause, Alyssa Monsen, and Bindu Donovan all joined Morrison & Foerster from the intellectual property firm Desmarais in New York. In October 2018, Donovan and Krause moved from Sidley Austin to Desmarais.
People in the News—Aug. 1, 2024—Lamb McErlane, Saul Ewing
Along with two associates, Patrick McGinnis and Sara Hentschke, family law attorney Julie M. Potts has joined Lamb McErlane as a partner, bringing the total number of attorneys in the firm to 51. This addition will support the firm’s family law practice and services.
Daily Mail Publisher Taps Slaughter and May for Legal Head
Currently, Reinhardt Biermann works as a senior associate in the technology area of the law firm. He was a member of the Slaughter and May group that provided DMG Media with advice in 2023 over its proposed joint venture with News UK.
India’s Cyril Amarchand Takes Capital Markets Team of 51 from Rival IndusLaw
Manan Lahoty, who joined IndusLaw in 2019 from another Indian company Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, formerly known as L&L Partners, is one of the nine partners.
Financials:
As It Stands: Who’s Leading the UK Top 50 Law Firm Revenue Race?
A current table that displays each law firm’s performance for the outcomes that have been made public thus far.
Eversheds Reveals Slight Fall in Profit While Revenue Inches Up
Profits per equity partner increased 5.6% despite the company’s non-U.S. operation posting mediocre results.
Latest Firms Join Junior Lawyer UK Salary Race
White & Case announced that they will pay their newly trained attorneys in London £175,000, which puts them on level with firms like Sidley Austin and Goodwin Procter. This puts them above the top paying U.K.-based companies and represents a 16.6% rise from the existing rate of £150,000.
Taylor Wessing ups NQ lawyer pay to £115k
The boost sees NQ rates move from £100,000 to £115,000, which is an increase 15%.
Travers Smith Profits Rebound 22%
Travers Smith reported in its 2023/24 financial reports that its profits had climbed by 22% over the previous year. The firm generated a profit of £77 million in the year ending June 30, 2024.
Mishcon Reports 17% Revenue Rise as Profits Dip Post-Merger
The company claims that although revenues had increased to £300 million, earnings had only reached £90 million, down from £93 million in 2023.
Dentons UKIME revenue grows 6% to top £280m
In the UK, Ireland, and the Middle East (UKIME), Dentons’ income increased by 6% to a record £280.5 million, making it the most recent legal firm to report significant improvements for the fiscal year 2023–2024.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Despite Progress, Pay Equity Remains Elusive in In-House Legal Departments
Heather Fine, a partner on Major Lindsey’s internal recruiting team and co-author of the research, stated that “wage transparency laws being enacted in more states and the increased discussion around pay equity are putting female GCs and CLOs in a better position to negotiate for equal pay.” “However, the 28% global disparity is still significant, and it remains a critical area that we need to address.”
Women of Legal Tech: ‘Don’t Second-Guess Yourself,’ says Mollie Nichols
CEO of Redgrave Data Mollie Nichols talks about her “a-ha” moment for pursuing a career in legal technology, the significance of speaking out against workplace sexism, and why the legal sector lost out on machine learning and analytics before the latest wave of generative artificial intelligence.
South Africa’s First Female Chief Justice: US-Educated Trailblazer Maya Mandisa
Maya Mandisa has a renowned background as a human rights and women’s advocate.
Conservative Groups Challenge Corporate DEI Initiatives with Recent Success
Ed Blum of the American Alliance for Equal Rights stated, “It is to be hoped that corporations that enacted illegal and polarizing DEI policies during the last few years will end those policies before they are sued.”
Diversity Pros Hope Work Allocation Offers a Key to Building Inclusive Law Firms
Diversity Lab arranged a recent hackathon where three of the four winning concepts had to do with equitable work distribution.
Promotions & Appointments:
Newsmakers: Lyons & Simmons Names New Dallas Partner
Wes Black, an appellate and trial lawyer, has been elevated to partner status at the renowned Dallas trial firm Lyons & Simmons, which has a national clientele.
Dentons Taps Real Estate Group Head for Vancouver Office Leadership
John Sandrelli’s successor, Scott Wilson, wants to expand the office on the west coast of Canada.
Former Slaughter and May Senior Partner Cooke to Chair UK Pub Group Young’s
Steve Cooke, a former senior partner of Slaughter and May, has been appointed as the new chairman of Young’s, a U.K. pub chain, with whom he has maintained a close relationship over the years.
Mergers & Alliances:
Merger Prospects Alive but Dwindling for Burns & Levinson
The midsize business might serve as a gateway to Boston for another firm, but there are obstacles to overcome, including an aging partnership, low leverage, rate-constrained practices, and a significant lease obligation.
Applying Merger Doctrine to Contracts for Sale of Real Estate
Peter Fisch and Sal Gogliormella address the merger by deed doctrine in their Transactional Real Estate column, comparing the application of the theory in New York courts to that in other jurisdictions.
With Another Merger, Spencer Fane Lands in Santa Fe
According to announcements made by both parties on Thursday, Spencer Fane will now be joining Montgomery & Andrews in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as part of those plans. With the addition of 11 attorneys through the merger, the platform now has over 530 attorneys spread over 27 offices.
Expanding Footprint in NY and Boston, Manning Gross Acquires Boutique
After acquiring Donovan Hatem, Manning Gross + Massenburg, or MG+M, recruited 21 attorneys, including eight partners.
Kaufman Dolowich Absorbs Professional Liability Law Firm
The firm’s Westchester branch is welcoming partners Stephen Cunningham, Robert Grande, Howard Kronberg, and associate Belino Voshtina. The four come from Cunningham & Keidel.
Midwest Trial Defense Firm Hopscotches to Seattle for Merger
Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice managing partner Scott Kreamer said, “You can look at us and say we’re a Midwest firm, and why wouldn’t our next locations be Chicago or Cleveland, but in today’s marketplace, from a technological standpoint, the practice has gotten smaller in that respect”.
Office Openings & Closing:
Sidley Austin Opens San Diego Office
Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee Yvette Ostolaza stated, “We see potential to recruit talent of the highest caliber and provide a differentiated level of service to clients in this growing market.”
Historic Kentucky Firm Stoll Keenon Ogden Adds Southern Indiana Boutique
According to company executives, the move strengthens the company’s business services, commercial finance, and real estate businesses while reaching a burgeoning market.
China’s Yingke Hires in Tokyo for Fourth Office Launch in 3 Months
The firm, which now has more than 16,000 lawyers, aims to have at least 100 foreign offices by 2026.
Technology & Innovation:
AI to Redefine Paralegal Role, Imperilling Some Practitioners, Turbocharging Careers of Others
A senior paralegal at Greenberg Traurig named Luigi Caldeira stated, “It’s not completely taking over my oversight and judgment.” “Rather, it’s an added feature to increase my productivity and allow me more time to focus on the big stuff.”
Litera Acquires FileTrail, Seeking to Expand its Information Governance Capabilities
With the acquisition of FileTrail, Litera now has over a dozen acquisitions under its belt since 2019.
We May Be in a Legal Tech Bubble—And That’s Great for Lawyers and Consumers
Bubble-related conventional wisdom usually points the finger gleefully at the bad, saying things such, “I can’t believe they thought that would work!” Often overlooked in that understanding is the fact that bubbles are actually very beneficial for tech users.
Key Legal and Regulatory Updates Every AI User Must Know
For businesses, generative artificial intelligence has the potential to result in considerable cost and productivity savings. However, given the speed at which generative AI technology is developing, businesses must be aware of the changing legal and regulatory implications of using AI.
The Knowns and Unknowns of Crossing the AI Frontier
“There are a lot of unanswered concerns about AI regulation in general and Frontier models specifically in particular. I predict that over the course of the next year or more, there will be more clarity around the capabilities and quantification measures that make up a Frontier model, how those metrics are measured, and what kinds of controls can or should be put in place.”
A New Frontier in Litigation: How AI Is Evolving the Practice of Law
With features like predictive analytics and workflow efficiency, these technologies are empowering attorneys and changing the face of litigation.
Paxton AI Launches A ‘Confidence Indicator’, Seeking to Bring Transparency to AI Accuracy
In order to allow users to analyze legal research findings appropriately, the Confidence Indicator sorts them into three categories: low, medium, and high.
‘Risk in AI’: Law Firm Billing Will Need to Adapt
A new ABA ethics opinion touches on the ethics of billing for AI-supported work. The technology may force law firms to rely less on hourly billing.
Fried Frank Legal Tech Director Speaks on Biggest AI Risks, Opportunities and Future Use
Said Fried Frank’s Conan Hines, “The less experience you have, the harder it will be to make generative AI work for you.”
Legal-Ops Professionals Grapple with Power Struggles Among Legal Teams and AI Adoption
Due to competing power dynamics and decision-making authority, all 200 legal operations professionals who responded to the study reported having tense relationships with their legal teams.
Norton Rose Launches Global Online Guide on the IP of AI
For a year, global lawyers and technologists collaborated to create this handbook, which aims to keep clients up to date on the latest developments in technology for business use.
Market Commentary:
What Would a Harris Administration Offer the Asia Legal Market?
Asia’s lawyers think that while a Harris administration is unlikely to clear the clouds over China, it might be good news for the region as a whole.
Midsize Firms’ Family Leave Policies Caught Between Attorney and Client Needs
“They don’t have as deep of benches,” expert Peter Zeughauser remarked. “It has a much bigger impact, and firms feel it.”
Lateral Partner Hirings at Bay Area Am Law 50 Firms Down 27%
Hiring for intellectual property law at Am Law 50 firms fell by 80% in the first half of 2023.
California Law Firms Staffing Up Intellectual Property Ranks to Meet Growing Demand
The West Coast is experiencing a surge in demand for intellectual property, which has led many Am Law 200 companies to expand their IP practices in California in recent weeks.
Japan Streamlines Registration Process for Foreign Lawyers
A deal to streamline the registration process may result in an influx of foreign attorneys.
How Do Law Firms Incentivize Nonequity Partners to Move Up the Ladder?
Provide a clear path forward for those willing to work for it, while providing justification for eliminating those who don’t.
The firm believes that hiring more lawyers in foreign offices for white-collar and regulatory work can add political, social and economic context to its clients’ matters.
Tughans tops Northern Ireland M&A table for H1 2024
In the first half of 2024, there were 112 transactions with a total declared value of just less than £900 million, according to the most recent Experian M&A report.