Seven Bankruptcy Lawyers Jump from Kirkland to Jones Day
Seven bankruptcy lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis, six of them in its Los Angeles office, are jumping to Jones Day.
The Daily Journal (sub. req.) says the move leaves Kirkland without any California-based bankruptcy lawyers, while the American Lawyer says three restructuring lawyers remain in the firm’s Los Angeles office.
Among those making the leap is Richard “Rick” Wynne, the former head of Kirkland’s West Coast restructuring group.
“We’ve been doing a lot of bondholder and creditors’ committee-type work for the past several years and Jones Day is very interested in developing that practice on a national front,” Wynne told the American Lawyer. “We thought that would help us gel a little bit better.”
Wynne said he developed a close relationship with Jones Day restructuring co-chair Corinne Ball when he represented the creditors’ committee in the Chapter 11 case of Williams Communications; Ball was opposing counsel. “Corinne certainly is a big motivating factor for us being here today,” he said.
Legal recruiter Larry Watanabe told the Daily Journal he has heard from some national law firms that are concentrating their bankruptcy practices in the East Coast during the downturn, and Kirkland may be doing the same. John Weissenbach, a Kirkland & Ellis management committee member, wouldn’t tell the Daily Journal whether the firm will rebuild its Los Angeles restructuring practice, but offered that it is a possibility.
Besides Wynne, lawyers making the move are partner Bennett Spiegel; of counsels Lori Sinanyan and Erin Brady; and associates Christopher Healey, Stacie Torres and Lance Miller.
