Moves:
UK & Ireland
5 Shearman Partners Quit As Firm Eyes ‘Weighted’ Vote On Hogan Lovells Merger
Five partners have quit Shearman & Sterling as the firm prepares for a possible merger with Hogan Lovells.
Clydes hires 19-strong team from DWF
Insurance expansion is continuing at Clyde & Co as the firm has recruited a product liability team from rival DWF.
Kirkland partner to take on new in-house role
A partner from Kirkland & Ellis’s London office is set to leave the firm for an in-house legal position at GLP Capital Partners.
Revolving doors: Winston & Strawn builds City restructuring team as Linklaters makes disputes play
The festive season has not deterred firms from making significant lateral moves, with disputes, restructuring, competition and tax among the areas targeted for strategic growth among global players.
Deloitte Legal secures Shoosmiths team to build new UK real estate business
Deloitte Legal has hired a four-partner team from UK law firm Shoosmiths to establish a new real estate legal business in the UK.
Fieldfisher has secured an arbitration specialist from Omnia Strategy in London as it looks to build on an ongoing project to establish a leading international practice.
DLA Piper secures DWF’s head of Scottish commercial disputes in Edinburgh
DLA Piper has secured the head of DWF’s Scottish commercial litigation team.
The Americas
Taylor English Consulting Group Exits for Freeman Mathis
After a seven-person departure, Taylor English’s plans for its consulting group are not publicly clear. The group represents companies in government strategies and lobbying.
Goodwin announces cuts across US offices
Goodwin Procter has kicked off a redundancy round that is to affect fee-earners, paralegals and other business services staff in its US offices.
EMEA
Gibson Dunn adds seven-strong team from Shearman & Sterling for Abu Dhabi launch
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has added a seven-strong team from Shearman & Sterling including a trio of partners to launch in Abu Dhabi.
K&L Gates secures senior funds trio from rival firms for Dublin debut
Top 40 US law firm K&L Gates has hired a trio of senior asset management and investment funds (AMIF) lawyers from rival firms to launch its ninth European office, in Dublin.
Linklaters bolsters global dispute resolution offering with partner hires in Spain and China
Linklaters has boosted its dispute resolution offering internationally with a partner hire apiece for its Spanish office and Chinese partner firm.
Promotions & Appointments:
People in the News—Jan. 5, 2023—Holland & Knight, Cipriani & Werner
Holland & Knight announced that 52 attorneys, 33 associates and 19 senior counsel from across the firm’s offices have been elected to partnership effective Jan. 1, two of which are from the firm’s Philadelphia office: associate Eric Yoon and senior counsel Cory Thomas.
Downey Brand Appoints Litigation Leader as First Female Managing Partner
Downey Brand, unlike many law firms, is no stranger to a leadership transition. The 96-year-old Sacramento firm estimates that it has had some 15 managing partners, though its litigation leader Janlynn ‘Jan’ Robinson Fleener will be its first female managing partner.
Alston & Bird Grows New Partner Promotions
Atlanta-based Am Law 100 law firm Alston & Bird has increased the size of its partner promotions. The firm this week said it has elected 23 attorneys to partnership, including seven in Atlanta, effective Jan. 1.
Six London lawyers make the grade in Hogan Lovells’ promotions
Hogan Lovells has promoted 38 of its lawyers to partner globally, with six of those lawyers based in London.
‘Why shouldn’t she?’ A new take on partnership as Pallas takes first non-lawyer into the fold
Pallas Partners has taken advantage of its alternative business structure (ABS) to appoint its first non-lawyer, chief administrative officer Linda Penfold, to the partnership.
KPMG names Linklaters deals guru Bedford as new UK law chief
While traditional law firm leaders have to date largely scoffed at the progress made by the Big Four, today’s (20 December) news of KPMG appointing a Magic Circle corporate veteran as its new UK legal head will have turned heads.
Leadership round-up: Shebson wins second term at HFW as Norton Rose Fulbright names new global chair
HFW has re-elected managing partner Jeremy Shebson for a second four-year term, effective 1 April 2023.
Milbank and Akin Gump unveil promotions rounds
London lawyers have been promoted to partner at firms including Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
Transactions department dominates in 18-strong promotions round at Morrison Foerster
The transactions team has dominated Morrison Foerster’s 2023 partner promotions round that saw 18 lawyers made up across the US, Europe and Asia.Top 40 US law firm K&L Gates has hired a trio of senior asset management and investment funds (AMIF) lawyers from rival firms to launch its ninth European office, in Dublin.
Hausfeld targets commercial, competition and human rights work as it makes up three partners
Specialist disputes firm Hausfeld has made up three partners – two in London and another in Washington DC – as it targets competition, commercial and human rights work.
Mergers & Alliances:
Hogan Lovells and Shearman Respond to ‘Merger Talks’ Report
Hogan Lovells and Shearman & Sterling have issued statements outlining their search for “opportunities” amid widespread speculation that they are in merger talks.
Buffalo’s Lippes Mathias Triples IP Bench Via Combo With Cleveland Boutique
Buffalo-based business law firm Lippes Mathias finalized a combination earlier this month with Cleveland-based intellectual property firm Fay Sharpe, tripling the former firm’s head count of intellectual property counsel.
Maynard and Nexsen to Merge, Creating 550-Lawyer Southeast Powerhouse
Alabama-based Maynard Cooper & Gale and Carolinas-based Nexsen Pruet said Thursday that they are merging, creating a 550-lawyer law firm operating out of 23 offices in the U.S.
Clark Hill Combines With Philadelphia Real Estate Boutique
The combination with Larsson & Scheuritzel helps Clark Hill meet a strategic goal of expanding its real estate team working in the Northeast, adding a total of four lawyers in the region.
Holland & Knight Announces Merger With Nashville’s Waller Lansden
Holland & Knight has been demonstrating an appetite for expansion in recent years. This latest move follows a 2021 merger with Texas-based Thompson & Knight.
Financials:
California Regional Firms Expect to Sell Talent on Stability and Flexibility in 2023
Despite layoffs that hit Silicon Valley lawyers in 2022, several firm leaders at California’s Am Law Second Hundred and regional firms have had little to say about layoffs. In the context of lawyer headcount, they’ve mostly talked about opportunities rather than challenges.
California Firm Leaders Eye Growth in Environmental, Health Care and Real Estate Practices in 2023
Law firms in the Golden State are taking a conservative approach to 2023, though several firm leaders at California’s Am Law Second Hundred and regional firms anticipate growth opportunities in environmental, health care and real estate practice areas.
BLM accounts reveal plummeting profits pre-Clydes deal
BLM’s annual profits significantly decreased prior to its merger with insurance rival Clyde & Co last year, new financial records show.
Simpson, Wachtell and Kirkland Lead Principal M&A Adviser Rankings
The latest rankings capture the firms handling the highly prized—and lucrative—work of serving as the M&A lawyer to merging or acquired companies.
Germany is the tail wagging Milbank’s European dog
Milbank’s finance practice has been a major contributor to its recent growth
Technology & Innovation:
New Privacy Suits Hit TikTok: ‘They’re Collecting and Building a Database.’
Attorneys have alleged in at least six new class actions that TikTok has inserted JavaScript code into websites of third parties its users accessed through its app.
3 Reasons to Expect Legal Automation to Grow in 2023
As the regulatory framework of privacy and cybersecurity evolves, along with new challenges of a tough labor market, the industry is likely to rely on legal automation solutions even more in 2023.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Richards Layton Names New Chief Diversity Director
Doneene Keemer Damon—immediate past president and a director of Richards, Layton & Finger—is to serve as the law firm’s chief diversity director, effective immediately.
Fieldfisher, Kirkland and Norton Rose lawyers discuss balancing City law with their faith
Despite a drive to promote diversity in law firms, there is still one conversation being pushed aside: how the legal industry can better include people of faith.
Latham, Paul Hastings and Ashurst Lawyers Shortlisted for WIPL Awards
Lawyers at Paul Hastings, Ashurst and Latham & Watkins are among the shortlist for this year’s Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) U.K. Awards.