Paul Hastings still makes this place look like a shit circus.

are associates at paul hastings really starting in october?

ATL is boring today

This can be only good news for senior associates. Time to upgrade that 3500 sq ft wife to a 7500 sq ft model, kids. Three cheers for Texis.

I'm nervous about how this will effect moral.

texus

Dare say that the ship is sinking when your head of litigation packs up and leaves.

Dare say that the ship is sinking when your head of litigation packs up and leaves.

I wonder if Akin can sue under promissory estoppel?

I smell another Heller Ehrman coming on at the other end of the country.

will someone explain ppp -- is that mean of what all equity partners bring in?

Texass Lobster says yeeeee huh?

QUINN REMAINS

In ur law firm, stealin' ur partnerz

WHO CARES!!
Get a life, you inside baseball law firm dorks. Do you understand that the names of these crappy firms mean nothing to about 99.99% of America.

WHO CARES!!
Get a life, you inside baseball law firm dorks. Do you understand that the names of these crappy firms mean nothing to about 99.99% of America?

My gump is killing me today.

I smell another Road Warrior coming on at the other end of the country.

Some will come, some will go

http://productliability.law360.com/articles/96549

Someone kicked me in the gump and now its akin.

This defection is irrelevant. I'm pleased to report that Akin's Philadelphia office is holding steady at nine lawyers: http://www.akingump.com/attorneys/List.aspx?Offices=7c40e4aa-9ef8-40f0-a50b-51b2d23d2f02
Quinn doesn't even have a Philadelphia office. Akin rocks here.
--Phat in Philly

15/16 -- you realize we here are the .01 that care, right?

I tell ya, Akin was once successful when it focused on its Texas roots. Like anything that turns to the East Coast, it comes out with its tail 'tween its legs. Everyone knows the toughest firms are in Texas. When we secede, y'all will wish you had jobs down here.

22--Speak for yourself.

By the way, what the f. is an Akin Gump? Is it related to Forest? Is it a synomym for an inured nerd?

If you lateral from one crappy ass firm to another crappy ass firm, are you really entitled to ATL coverage?

I always thought of Akin as a lobbying shop with some lawyers there to keep up the notion of a traditional law firm. I know the firm's roots are in TX, but I thought this place would be hopping now with Democratic lobbyists bringing in the $$.

Does anyone know if Quinn still advertises in airports?

Texas governor talking about secession...

It's my understanding that John Quinn is psychotic. I think he and Lat like to get nakey with some cocoa butter thought, so watch this post get deleted in the next 5-10 min. (Note, many newsworthy episodes at Quinn never quite make it onto ATL - infer what you will).

-GW 1L

For those of you still wondering what the secret is to "hanging a shingle" and being successful, just follow this business model:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123984994639523745.html

And where is the ATL expose on this? You can bet that if Republicans were involved this would have already gotten three posts and an extended Elie political diatribe.

um who cares? at all?

This is what happens when you have Forrest Gump and Chauncey Gardner as the founding partners.

http://abovethelaw.com/2008/09/law_firm_treadmill_desk.php#more

QUINN REMAINS REMAINS

This is what happens when you have Forrest Gump and Chauncey Gardner as the founding partners.

29, whats "cocoa butter thought." Sounds like something from Barbershop II.

if he was having sex with his clients, kinky spalding would have been the firm to work for - i hear they actively recruit partners who have had sex with clients at their current firm - especially lesbians

i also hear they have a transvestite in one of their satellite offices who is beleived by some to be having sex with a lesbian partner in the same firm

he would have had a lot more fun at kinky spalding

There will be more partner losses at AG because the partner compensation review just ended. My understanding is that partners were informed of their 2009 points yesterday. There are probably quite a few unhappy partners today.

The firm does have a very strong lobbying practice (as well as bankruptcy and private equity/funds), but lobbyists work on retainer. It's not the cash cow the same way bankruptcy work is. You're on a $10k/month (for example) retainer, no matter how much work you actually do for the client. But the lobbying group still brings in about $100 million per year for the firm.

serious question: when guys like this leave, do they have a farewell cake party?

What about the mass exodus of partners from McDermott Will & Emery?

I hear cocoa butter helps with stretch marks

That defecting partner is full of shit -- he's following the money, pure and simple. I've yet to meet a Quinn partner and walk away favorably impressed. I honestly don't know how they manage to be so profitable. Perhaps they hire smart associates?

As 42 said, this was a money grab by Andy, nothing more, nothing less.

42: replace smart with douchebag and you might be on to something

Paul Hastings makes this place look like as wire hangered shit circus.......

BREAKING NEWS : Partner Emeritus is doing one hour overtime work at the other side of the glory hole!

--Mohammad

BREAKING NEWS : Partner Emeritus is doing one hour overtime work at the other side of the glory hole!

--Mohammad

Elie - Akin Gump had PPP of 1.4 million for 2008. You are citing numbers from a couple of years ago.

Nonetheless, 42 is (more likely than not) correct. I'm sure Rossman is getting more $$$ from Quinn.

Hey 3,

Sure are. Summers are going full length also. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

Opposing counsel once referred to co-counsel as Akim Gimp. Love it.

Also, I love the promissory estoppel troll!

Can ATL please do an article on the state of DC law firms?
There is plenty on NYC, LA, and other markets but nothing that has dealt with DC. A&P looked to be in trouble a while back. Akin is, well. Some of my friends in DC have suggested it is worse than NYC.

Can ATL please do an article on the state of DC law firms?
There is plenty on NYC, LA, and other markets but nothing that has dealt with DC. A&P looked to be in trouble a while back. Akin is, well. Some of my friends in DC have suggested it is worse than NYC.

Can ATL please do an article on the state of DC law firms?
There is plenty on NYC, LA, and other markets but nothing that has dealt with DC. A&P looked to be in trouble a while back. Akin is, well. Some of my friends in DC have suggested it is worse than NYC.

Good for him. We all know it's just about the money, and that's a perfectly good reason to make the move.

39 - usually they get hsown the door without even getting to pack up their stuff, because the second a partner resigns, she/he becomes a competitor. It's an ugly business.

When Quinn the eskimo gets here everybody's gonna jump for joy!

if he was having sex with his clients, kinky spalding would have been the firm to work for - i hear they actively recruit partners who have had sex with clients at their current firm - especially lesbians

i also hear they have a transvestite in one of their satellite offices who is beleived by some to be having sex with a lesbian partner in the same firm

he would have had a lot more fun at kinky spalding

Mcdermott cant keep a partner like they cant keep a case

Mcdermott cant keep a partner like they cant keep a case

Latham keeps on taking on new and exciting partners in areas like derivatives and fund formation.

McDermott blows.

60 -- who in fund formation? office?

I am convinced that McStinker has the most mediocre lawyers of all the big low shops. At least in New York. Hence, they don't have any business. Go to hell, McStinker.

MysTTTal REMAINS

fat and incompetent

if he was having sex with his clients, kinky spalding would have been the firm to work for - i hear they actively recruit partners who have had sex with clients at their current firm - especially lesbians

i also hear they have a transvestite in one of their satellite offices who is beleived by some to be having sex with a lesbian partner in the same firm

he would have had a lot more fun at kinky spalding

Achey Gump will be shut down by 2012, as will about half og the law firms out there. Big firm lawyers are in huge trouble.

Achey Gump will be shut down by 2012, as will about half of the law firms out there. Big firm lawyers are in huge trouble.

53:
State of DC Firms=They suck. You're f_ _ _ _ _. About half of large DC firms are expected to be shut by 2013, and many firms based elsewhere are closing/will close their DC offices. I suggest you get a new skill.

AG isn't going to shut down. It might, however, get bought out. The lobbying, bankruptcy, and funds practices are some of the best in the industry - plus there are some big names in litigation (John Dowd, the king of DC white collar work, and Tom Goldstein, the queen of appellate lit). Weil was going after AG for a while, so those merger talks may again heat up in the next year or two.

53: Your friends mention any specific firms?

I think the merger talk is pretty accurate. Akin's management is simply woeful--Mclean has hung on for far too long--but there are a number of incredibly strong practices and with all of the departures (forced or otherwise) the remaining firm is actually incredibly strong and profitable (albeit not full service). Something like a Weil, Willkie, etc. would probably make some sense--a more "established" firm with better management that could integrate Akin's existing practices. Of course, if that did happen, they would probably jettison the Texas offices to an even larger degree than they have already.

69 - Goldstein doesn't bring in a penny worth of business.

69 - what are you talking about. You actually sounded like you had a clue until you suggested Weil was going after Akin. Not only would that be a bad fit, but it would destroy the value that Akin has. Akin's strongest group is bankruptcy. Right, just like Weil. Which is why someone without a clue might make up a plausible-enough sounding rumor like that. But Weil and Akin are almost always on opposite sides. Weil represents debtors and Akin represents creditors. Have you also heard any rumors about S&C going after Milberg Weiss?

Goldstein is a joke among the stronger appellate practices in D.C. He gets points for hustling to get in the game, but he cannot command the big fees

69, are you high -- Dowd the "King of DC white collar work". That is crazy talk. Thanks for the laugh, though.

69 here.

Bruce McLean confirmed to DC Associates near the end of last year that he had previously been in merger talks with Weil's management - and he made it sound as though Weil was the pursuer. So that one was straight from the ass's mouth. The fact that AG does mostly creditor work doesn't really matter - as long as you can work out the conflicts issues the substantive matters are the same.

True, Goldstein doesn't bring in any real paying work, and is considered a joke by plenty of people in the firm (hence my snark). Patricia Millett and Michelle Roberts, on the other hand, are fucking amazing appellate litigators. It's a shame they are forced to operate behind Tommy's skirt.

If you know the DC while collar world, there are few who are bigger than Dowd. He represents tons of major Republican politicians, and has brought in a massive amount of work related to the banking/financial scandals.

wouldn't the akin bankruptcy group be in conflict with weil's focus? i.e., weil is a debtor shop...akin primarily represents committees and individual creditors (significant ones at that)

Quinn had PPP of $3.3 million in 2008 and lays off 10 staff. Talk about pieces of shit.

69/76 - you are just proving you are even more ignorant than suspected. How do you clear conflicts when you have two firms on opposite sides of a case? That is not a waivable conflict. And the substantive matters are not the same. Yes, they are generically "bankruptcy" but debtors work and creditors work are very diffferent. I call bs that you heard anyone say any such thing.

69/76 - You are a retard. I work at Akin, and Bruce McLean never said any such thing. You're also wrong about the appellate group - Michell Roberts works at the trial level. If she's doing appellate work, it's irregular.

According to that egghead on the cover of Newsweek, the economy will not return to full employment until 2013 to 2014. If that's close right, associates are in for some shit in the next few years.

68:

I don't work in DC. Horrific assumption of your part. Just lousy. FYI -- next time you want to be clever and write tough, just don't bother.

53

68:

I don't work in DC. Horrific assumption of your part. Just lousy. FYI -- next time you want to be clever and write tough, just don't bother.

53

68:

I don't work in DC. Horrific assumption of your part. Just lousy. FYI -- next time you want to be clever and write tough, just don't bother.

53

79/80 - Ask anyone that went to the town halls at the end of last year. I think it was at the first one, because I recall that Tony Pierce led the second one, not Bruce. Someone asked Bruce about mergers, and he mentioned that "the phones have actually been quiet recently" but that up until a few months before he had been getting calls on a weekly basis. He mentioned Weil specifically, and added "but who would want to work with those assholes?"

And obviously, you can't waive conflicts when you're on opposite sides of the same case. But Akin does represent debtors on occasion. Most of the partners in the group have experience on both sides, they just focus on the creditors' committees b/c they can't compete with firms like Weil for the major debtor work.

85 - you may work at Akin, but you are clearly just stupid. All of the value of the Akin bankruptcy partners lies in their relationships with creditors. Why would they move to Weil, where they don't have those relationships and therefore don't have the business generation value? And why would Weil acquire the firm if the most valuable department were to leave? And by the way, what does committee representation have to do with ability/inability to compete for debtors work? They are each about as lucrative, just different work. It's not like Akin is shooting for debtors-side and settling for creditors? Since when is Tony Pierce leading town-halls? Also, McLean would never say that.

85 - you are ridiculous.

if he was having sex with his clients, kinky spalding would have been the firm to work for - i hear they actively recruit partners who have had sex with clients at their current firm - especially lesbians

i also hear they have a transvestite in one of their satellite offices who is beleived by some to be having sex with a lesbian partner in the same firm

he would have had a lot more fun at kinky spalding

plus, i hear that teabagging is very popular at kinky spalding

It's really funny to be called stupid by people who have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

Billing rates for debtor work are at least 20% higher than for creditor work. Weil bills well north of $1000 for its restructuring partners, while no one at AG gets more than about $800. You also need a much larger team to handle the biggest debtor cases, which is why Akin can't compete with the big NY firms. So why would AG partners consider merging? For the money, obviously.

There were at least 50 people in the room when Bruce made the "assholes" comment, and Tony led the last town hall of 2008 and both this year (pre- and post-layoffs).

Finally, you know nothing about how bankruptcy partners generate business. Hint - the partners show up to the creditor committee meetings and pitch themselves. It's the firm's reputation that gets the business, much more than the partner's contacts.

89 - seriously, you are spewing retarded garbage. Weil is billing $650 -$950 for partners on Lehman:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425168514

The only firm that has really tried to bill more than $1000 per hour for debtor-side bankruptcy work is Sidley (in the Chi Tribune case), and they got denied.

Akin partners bill the same as other big BK firms (all the way up to the amounts listed in that article).

Please don't ever post here again. You are either clueless or trying to stir up a mess.

89 - you are seriously retard. Weil partners are billing between $650 and $950 for Lehman, the biggest bankruptcy case in history:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425168514

Sidley is the only firm that has tried billing over $1000 for debtor-side bankruptcy work, and they got shut down. That was in the Chicago Tribune case.

It's clear that you nothing. Please stop posting. You are either ridiculously uninformed or trying to stir up a mess.

if he was having sex with his clients, kinky spalding would have been the firm to work for - i hear they actively recruit partners who have had sex with clients at their current firm - especially lesbians

i also hear they have a transvestite in one of their satellite offices who is beleived by some to be having sex with a lesbian partner in the same firm

he would have had a lot more fun at kinky spalding

plus, i hear that teabagging is very popular at kinky spalding

89 - you are seriously retard. Weil partners are billing between $650 and $950 for Lehman, the biggest bankruptcy case in history:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425168514

Sidley is the only firm that has tried billing over $1000 for debtor-side bankruptcy work, and they got shut down. That was in the Chicago Tribune case.

It's clear that you nothing. Please stop posting. You are either ridiculously uninformed or trying to stir up a mess.

No wonder Akin is a such a shiTTTy firm -just look at the idiots who post here defending it. It's hard to believe that people in DC used to consider them just below firms like A&P or Hogan. Now they'd be lucky to be named in the same breath as DLA Piper or Steptoe. I think even Heller and Coudert are held in higher esteem.

94 = 89 after losing on the facts.

Dowd is a has-been. He hit his peak 20 years ago with the "Dowd Report."

Other than ensure that Pete Rose will never be in the Hall of Fame (despite being the best hitter in baseball history, what else has Dowd done?

Dowd is a has-been. He hit his peak 20 years ago with the "Dowd Report."

Other than ensure that Pete Rose will never be in the Hall of Fame (despite being the best hitter in baseball history), what else has Dowd done?

96/97 = 94 taking a new line of attack.

I'm 89 (but not 94, sorry).

Dowd represents, among others, the McCain family, Monica Goodling, and a failed lender under congressional investigation. The latter case has had enough doc review to keep 8+ associates busy since August, with no end in sight. And it's worth noting that none of Dowd's people got laid off, though there were at least four litigators axed in DC.

Dowd may not be the biggest name anymore, but he's about the first guy Republicans turn to when they're in the shit - though more for Congressional issues than straight up litigation.

Anybody who screwed over Pete Rose and then tried to help a moron wacko like Monica Goodling is a loser, as far as I'm concerned. Shame on him.

I forgot about Dowd's connection to Pete Rose. Pete Rose is an American hero. He's as American as apple pie. Anybody who takes him down is anti-American. Dowd is a socialist.

I forgot about Dowd's connection to Pete Rose. Pete Rose is an American hero. He's as American as apple pie. Anybody who takes him down is unAmerican. Dowd is a socialist.