Business of Law

Up to 20-Lawyer Group Is Departing Nixon Peabody for Pillsbury Winthrop

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A group of up to 20 corporate lawyers from Nixon Peabody has joined the New York office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

Led by Mats Carlston, the former global finance practice chief at Nixon Peabody, they are at least the second group of lawyers to leave the 800-attorney firm since March, according to Bloomberg.

Carlston will now head the leveraged finance team at Pillsbury, his new firm reports in a press release today. It says the number of attorneys to depart Nixon Peabody for 700-attorney Pillsbury is still being finalized, but currently includes five partners and an unspecified number of senior lawyers and associates.

“This is significant for us because it’s very strategic,” James Rishwain Jr., who chairs Pillsbury, tells Bloomberg. “The financial-institutions practice is one of Pillsbury’s core strengths. This group enhances our capabilities in that area.”

A spokeswoman for Nixon Peabody says the departures, which she tallied at 14, “will have a net positive impact” their former firm’s 2010 financial results, and notes that the firm recently made a number of lateral hires, including some finance partners.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com (Nov. 2009): “Winston Hires 8 Nixon Peabody Lawyers, Including Chair of Equity Practice”

ABAJournal.com (May 2010): “Three More Nixon Peabody Partners Decamp to DLA Piper”

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