Howrey Going to Save the Winston Deal?

We’re hearing reports — not yet confirmed, so please take them with the proverbial grain (or shaker) of salt — that Winston & Strawn has rescinded some or all of its offers to partners of Howrey.

The supposed catalyst for the collapse: antitrust star Sean Boland, who had been leading the talks on the Howrey side, pulling out of the deal. It has been rumored that he might take his team not to Winston but to Baker Botts (which has already absorbed other Howrey talent).

What we do know for certain is that the partner exodus from Howrey continues. Here is the latest confirmed news.

UPDATE: Various updates have been (and are still being) appended — after the jump….

The ABA Journal reports:

Add another four partners to the ever-lengthening line exiting Howrey in advance of a possible dissolution vote there this week. Four patent litigators are joining the Palo Alto office of Perkins Coie, their new firm announced today in a press release.

They are: James Valentine, a member of Howrey’s management team in Northern California, Christopher Kelley, James Pistorino and Daniel Shvodian.

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For speculation about additional Howrey partners who are rejecting the Winston offers and cutting their own deals, see It’s Howrey Doody Time, which has this lengthy compilation.

Representatives for Winston and Howrey did not respond to immediate requests for comment, but we’ll update you if and when we hear from them.

UPDATE (5:10 PM): A spokesperson for Howrey declined to comment.

UPDATE (8:00 PM): IP litigation partner Krista Carter has joined Dickstein Shapiro, as announced today in this Dickstein press release.

UPDATE (8:10 PM): Remember the rumor that some Howrey construction partners were in talks to join Seyfarth Shaw? It turned out to be true. Now on the Seyfarth website are former Howrey construction partners David Mancini and James R. Newland Jr.

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UPDATE (11:00 PM): From Am Law Daily:

In Houston, partners Henry Petri and Janelle Waack have joined intellectual property firm Novak Druce + Quigg, a firm founded in 2004 by former Howrey partners. In a phone interview with The Am Law Daily, Petri describes himself and Waack as the “outliers” of Howrey’s 19-partner Houston office, which has not seen the raft of defections plaguing other parts of the firm. Petri had an offer from Novak in January but, he says, he stuck around “to wrap up things there.”

Waack’s decision to move was more recent, and came about as a result of the talks between Howrey and Winston. “When the situation came up with Howrey and the potential integration with Winston & Strawn, it just became apparent there were some conflict issues I’d have to deal with,” she says.

We’ll keep you posted. Please note that this post is in flux and might be updated as we acquire additional information. If you have info to share, please email us, tips@abovethelaw.com, or text us, 646-820-8477.

4 Howrey Patent Litigation Partners Join Perkins Coie [ABA Journal]
And then, there was Houston [It’s Howrey Doody Time]
Perkins Coie Adds Four IP Litigation Partners from Howrey [Perkins Coie (press release)]