Howrey Going to Hold On to Partners? Eleven Lawyers Leave for Morgan Lewis

The troubled law firm of Howrey has previously been compared to a ship. If the comparison is accurate, then one has to wonder whether the ship be sinking.

Look at how many sailors — officers, even — are abandoning ship. The latest news: eleven Howrey lawyers have left for Morgan Lewis & Bockius, in Chicago and California.

A look at the departing attorneys — plus reports about recent and upcoming Howrey conference calls, and questions about the fate of those holding offers from the firm — after the jump….

Here’s the report from last night, by The BLT:

Morgan Lewis & Bockius [on Tuesday] announced that three partners and two associates in Howrey’s Chicago office have jumped ship, including the office’s managing partner and the chairman of the firm’s consumer class action defense group.

Chicago managing partner David Clough, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and specializes in intellectual property law, made the move, as did class action practice leader Kenneth Kliebard and commercial litigator Scott Schutte.

[On Monday], Morgan Lewis announced it had picked up Howrey litigators Robert Gooding Jr. and Scott Garner plus four associates in Irvine, Calif. Gooding was co-chairman of the securities litigation, white collar and government enforcement practice.

This is by no means the end of partner departures at Howrey. As previously reported, Winston & Strawn has made offers to over three-quarters of Howrey’s partners, which the partners were given 21 days to accept.

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The situation at Howrey remains very much in flux. We understand that yesterday a noon conference call for the Howrey partnership (or what remains of it) was held. There’s supposed to be a conference call with associates, led by firm chairman and CEO Robert Ruyak, on Friday.

We have seen inquiries, by email and in comments, about the fate of those holding summer associate or permanent employment offers from Howrey. As far as we know, these individuals have not been informed of their fates. But if you are in such a position, you’d be well-advised to start looking around and seeing what else might be out there.

We’ll keep you posted. If you have information, please feel free to email us or text us (646-820-TIPS). Thanks.

Howrey Loses 11 Lawyers to Morgan Lewis [The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times]
11 Howrey Lawyers Jump to Morgan Lewis in Latest Round of Defections [ABA Journal]
The Howrey Exodus Continues: 11 Lawyers Bolt to Morgan Lewis [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Howrey

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