Musical Chairs: 12.07.06

At the White House:
* On the heels of Christopher Oprison and Cheryl Stanton, former Wilmer Hale partner Paul Eckert joins the White House Counsel’s Office.
Lateral Moves:
* Nicholas H. Politan, to Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (NY), from Bingham McCutchen, where he served as co-head of the project and structured finance group.
(Wild guess: He’s the son of former federal judge Nicholas H. Politan (D.N.J.).)
* IP litigator Duane David-Hough, to Fish & Richardson, from Ropes & Gray (NY).
A few more moves, plus links, after the jump.


Law Firms to In-House:
* Kathleen Karelis — whose Wall Street Journal hedcut is decidedly unflattering — is leaving Jenner & Block’s elite D.C. office, where she was a partner, to become general counsel of L-3 Communications, a defense systems provider.
* Alex Dimitrief, of Kirkland & Ellis, is leaving the partnership to head up General Electric’s litigation department.
New Partners:
* Pillsbury Winthrop: Eleven new partners — fewer than last year. Names here.
* Dechert: Thirteen new partners. Names here (subscription; no press release on Dechert website).
Law Firm Mergers:
* Not just an American thing anymore. Stringer Saul LLP and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP are merging to create the first full-service Canadian-UK law partnership. Watch out, Biglaw!
Stringer Saul LLP To Merge With Leading Canadian Law Firm [Stringer Saul LLP]
A Couple of Big Law Partners Jump In-House [WSJ Law Blog]
NY Practice Leader Switches Firms [NYLawyer.com]
Merged Firm Announces Smaller Class of New Partners [NYLawyer.com]
Firm Names 13 New Partners [NYLawyer.com]
Firm “Ropes” New NY Partner [NYLawyer.com]
(Firm “Ropes” New NY Partner? Worst pun we’ve heard in a while — and we make awful ones every day. Why not go whole-hog, and add this subtitle: But Will He Be a “Fish” Out of Water?)

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