Musical Chairs: 09.13.06
The latest news on the most notable moves within the profession:
Government to Private Sector:
* Seth Silber, to Wilson Sonsini (as counsel), from the FTC. (Quips our tipster: “What a lovely week to join that particular firm!”)
New Office Openings:
* Crowell & Moring — aka “Cruel & Boring”*** — is opening a New York office. They’ve grabbed litigator William McSherry, from Arent Fox, and patent lawyer Janet McLeod, from Dorsey & Whitney, to kick things off.
* The exceedingly profitable, Houston-based Susman Godfrey is opening a New York office, headed by name partner Stephen Susman.
Lateral Private Sector Moves:
* Bankruptcy guru Paul Basta, to Kirkland & Ellis, from Weil Gotshal & Manges.***
* Patent litigators Joseph O’Malley and Bruce Wexler, to Paul Hastings (NY), from Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto.
*** “Cruel and Boring” is just a silly nickname for Crowell & Moring that we’ve heard around town. We have no idea as to whether it has any factual basis. We just think using nicknames for law firms is fun.
Other law firm nicknames we’ve heard: Weil Gotshal & Manges = “We’ll Getcha & Mangle Ya” (self-explanatory); Cravath Swaine & Moore = “The Death Star” (self-explanatory); Davis Polk & Wardwell = “The Teahouse on Lexington Avenue” (for their penchant for hiring geishas attractive Asian-American females — don’t get mad at us, we didn’t make it up).
(Feel free to add more law firm nicknames in the comments to this post.)
On The Move [Antitrust Review]
Basta Says Hasta to Weil Gotshal [WSJ Law Blog]
DC Firm Opens NY Office [NYLawyer.com]
Houston Firm Opens Manhattan Office [NYLawyer.com]
Firm Adds NY Patent Litigators [NYLawyer.com]
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Comments
I always thought "The Death Star" applied to Skadden's NY office. (See here, about 3/4 of the way down the page, for the reference--and an extended "explanation" about why it's outdated.)
To continue the Star Wars themed nicknames...
K&E is commonly called "The Evil Empire"
Haha. Very funny...
Hogan & Hartson = Ho-hum & Heartless
Hughes Hubbard & Reed = Huge Cubbards of Greed
White & Case = White & White
Hale & Dorr = Hail & Farewell
Ropes & Gray = Snakes on a Plane
Jones Day = "Jones Days, Nights, and Weekends"
"Snakes on a Plane" as a nickname for Ropes? Genius.
"Cravath & More Swine."
King & Spalding= king & ding
Hunton & Williams=Huntin' and Fishin'
Reed Smith Shaw & McClay (an older Pittsburgh firm name now somewhat changed due to mergers) was affectionately known as
Read, Shit, Stall & Delay
Crowell & Moring = Cruel & Boring
Fish and Neave used to be Bitch & Leave
i am an associate at Cleary Gottlieb and typically refer to the firm as the death star. one liberty plaza, where our new york office if located, looks exactly like the death star.
K&E = Kill 'em & Eat 'em
"It should be noted that Skadden’s nickname “The Death Star” came during its stint in the building located at 919 Third Avenue, New York, New York, 10022, which was admittedly an unpleasant building. In 1997, as part of an influx of investment to the recently gentrified Times Square Area, Skadden entered a partnership with Condé Nast publications (who publishes many of your favorite magazines) to occupy a new building located at 4 Times Square, on the corner of 42nd and Broadway, in the heart of New York’s famed Theater District. Built as a first-rate facility with top-notch technology and spectacular views in all directions, the building provides a beautiful work environment. Additionally, models for the Condé Nast magazines lounge in the lobby every day. In light of these facts, the nickname “The Death Star” is no longer applicable. Anyone who uses it is erroneous, and anyone who continues using it, moronic."
People still call Skadden's building the "Death Star." Skadden should keep the title, not CSM or anyone else.
"It should be noted that Skadden’s nickname “The Death Star” came during its stint in the building located at 919 Third Avenue, New York, New York, 10022, which was admittedly an unpleasant building. In 1997, as part of an influx of investment to the recently gentrified Times Square Area, Skadden entered a partnership with Condé Nast publications (who publishes many of your favorite magazines) to occupy a new building located at 4 Times Square, on the corner of 42nd and Broadway, in the heart of New York’s famed Theater District. Built as a first-rate facility with top-notch technology and spectacular views in all directions, the building provides a beautiful work environment. Additionally, models for the Condé Nast magazines lounge in the lobby every day. In light of these facts, the nickname “The Death Star” is no longer applicable. Anyone who uses it is erroneous, and anyone who continues using it, moronic."
People still call Skadden's building the "Death Star." Skadden should keep the title, not CSM or anyone else.
The Death Star is White & Case's offices in NY. Huge Black Bldg. Even the foreign offices call it that.