Covington, Cooley Hire 65 from Heller, Open New Offices
The demise of Heller Ehrman is a hiring bonanza for several law firms that are using the dissolving San Francisco-based law firm’s attorneys to expand their operations and create entirely new offices.
Among them, Covington & Burling is bringing 50 Heller lawyers on board, and plans to significantly expand its existing San Francisco office and establish new offices in Silicon Valley and San Diego, according the Blog of Legal Times and a Covington press release.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Covington firm has about 650 attorneys, reports the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
Meanwhile, another 15 Heller attorneys, at least, are heading to Cooley Godward Kronish, which plans to establish a new office in Seattle with four Heller partners whose practices focus on start-up companies, according to the the Puget Sound Business Journal. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm has about 725 attorneys.
Although Cooley debated whether to expand in the midst of all the Wall Street economic turmoil, partner Eric Jensen says they figured they wouldn’t see another such opportunity anytime soon. “If they weren’t great lawyers, it would have been a harder decision,” he tells the Seattle publication.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Heller’s London Lawyers Seek New Law Firms”
ABAJournal.com: “Firms Eye Talent as Heller Preps to Dissolve”
