Partners

Former AG Mukasey Joins Debevoise

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is joining Debevoise & Plimpton, surprising observers who suspected he would rejoin his former law firm, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Mukasey will become a partner in the firm’s litigation department, chaired by Mary Jo White, the former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, the Am Law…

Mar 17, 2009 6:21 PM CDT

5 L.A. Lawyers Leave Sonnenschein for Seyfarth Shaw

A second group has left the Los Angeles office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal to practice at Seyfarth Shaw. Headed by Alan Yoshitake, who joins Seyfarth as a partner, the trusts and estates team also includes Mark Hansen and Edward McCaffery, who will be counsel there, and two associates, the…

Mar 16, 2009 9:48 PM CDT

In Surprise Pick, Patton Boggs Partner Elected Head of NFL Union

A partner at Patton Boggs with an expertise in white-collar criminal defense has been elected to head the players union for the National Football League. The election of DeMaurice Smith on Sunday came as a surprise, the New York Times reports. Former player Troy Vincent had been considered the front…

Mar 16, 2009 12:16 PM CDT

Former Client Seeks Punitives, Claims Hogan & Hartson Aided Competitor

A former client of Hogan & Hartson has sued the law firm for malpractice, claiming that it aided a competitor. At issue in the dispute is two competing brands of over-the-counter mouthguards used by buyers to prevent their teeth from grinding while they sleep. Prestige Brands Inc. hired Hogan partner…

Mar 14, 2009 1:23 AM CDT

Dewey Cuts 66 Partners’ Pay—By As Much as 80 Percent

In a move that may not elicit much pity from lower-paid lawyers, Dewey & LeBoeuf has chopped the pay of 66 partners over the past 15 months, axing it by as much as 80 percent. But that still means the highest-paid among the lower-performing partner group are earning some $25,000…

Mar 14, 2009 12:24 AM CDT

Federal Auto Task Force Hires Willkie Farr’s Feldman

A federal auto task force has hired a well-known bankruptcy lawyer. Partner Matthew Feldman will soon be leaving Willkie Farr & Gallagher to advise U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers, who serves as director of the National Economic Council, on reorganization efforts underway by auto manufacturers and suppliers,…

Mar 13, 2009 9:54 PM CDT

Ex-Zuckerman Partner Known as ‘Mr. No’ in Ethics Czar Role

A former partner at Zuckerman Spaeder has a new job in Washington, D.C., where he is known as “Mr. No” and “the fun sponge” for his advice. Norm Eisen is the White House ethics adviser, parsing more than 1,000 pages of government ethics rules and regulations, the Washington Post reports.…

Mar 13, 2009 3:09 PM CDT

Ruling Puts Heller Partners at Risk; Brobeck Laterals Already Sued

A California appeals court ruling on the responsibilities of departing partners is causing headaches for partners at the dissolved law firm Heller Ehrman. The 1984 ruling, Jewel v. Boxer, holds that a law firm can recover profits from open cases lost when a partner leaves, the Recorder reports. Heller’s creditors…

Mar 13, 2009 1:10 PM CDT

Sullivan & Cromwell Chair No Longer on Treasury Job Short List

Reportedly under consideration for a top post at the U.S. Treasury Department, the chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell has apparently stepped away from the possible appointment. H. Rodgin Cohen is no longer on the deputy treasury secretary short list, reports the DealBook blog of the New York Times, citing unnamed…

Mar 13, 2009 12:46 AM CDT

2 More Firms Join Today’s Layoff List: Blank Rome Axes 79, Husch Cuts 62

With news this afternoon of layoffs at two more well-known law firms, the total number of known attorney and staff terminations since Feb. 27 now tops 2,800. Blank Rome laid off 27 associates and 52 staff members today, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal. This follows an earlier round of layoffs…

Mar 12, 2009 10:51 PM CDT

Firm’s Radical Layoff Alternative: Reduced Schedule for All, Including Partners

As other major law partnerships reluctantly make layoffs, a BigLaw firm headquartered in the United Kingdom has come up with an unusual recession alternative. Instead of asking anyone to leave, Norton Rose plans to put everyone at the international firm, including partners, on a reduced schedule for one year, reports…

Mar 12, 2009 6:52 PM CDT

Partner Ousters Double or Triple the Pace of Two Years Ago, Consultant Says

Few U.S. law firms are acknowledging partner cuts, but they are happening and could gather steam if firm leaders foresee a long recession. Consultants tell the Daily Journal (sub. req.) that partner terminations are on the upswing and, if the downturn continues, they will likely be made in a proportion…

Mar 12, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

S&C Chairman Considered for Treasury Job

H. Rodgin Cohen has been a lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell for nearly 40 years and the firm’s chairman for nine years. Now the “banking lawyer extraordinaire” is being considered for the job of deputy Treasury secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. The Washington Post and Reuters…

Mar 11, 2009 5:06 PM CDT

Will New ‘Court Street Lawyer’ Brand Lure More Law Firms to Brooklyn?

Being called a “Court Street lawyer” is a pejorative to some Brooklyn attorneys—but a badge of honor to others. Now the president of the New York City borough is seeking to give a 5,000-attorney legal contingent known for its bare-knuckled style of representation a new brand as the Downtown Brooklyn…

Mar 11, 2009 3:24 AM CDT

Morgan Lewis Chair is ‘Very Confident & Positive About the Future’

Despite dire predictions for the traditional BigLaw model by some observers, stunning layoffs now under way at many major firms responding to dismal economic conditions are a good sign as far as their ongoing health is concerned, according to the chairman of one of them. “We’re very confident and positive…

Mar 11, 2009 1:06 AM CDT