Musical Chairs: An Elite Boutique's Latest High-Profile Hire

A former federal prosecutor and Biglaw partner joins a top-flight litigation boutique.

We’ve discussed in these pages the trend of going “from Biglaw to boutique” (and it was the title of Tom Wallerstein’s column for us as well). Lawyers who could easily work at mega-firms are opting instead for the flexibility and collegiality of small-firm practice — and clients are following them.

Today’s notable move involves Andy DeVooght, coming out of the U.S. Attorney’s in Chicago. DeVooght has an enviable résumé. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he worked as a partner at Winston & Strawn and clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court, for the late Chief Justice Rehnquist.

Instead of returning to Biglaw, a common path for someone in DeVooght’s shoes, he’s joining a buzz-generating boutique. Which one?

DeVooght is the newest partner of MoloLamken, a firm that’s no stranger to our pages. After his arrival, three of the firm’s nine partners will be former SCOTUS clerks.

This isn’t DeVooght’s first time in the boutique world. He started his legal career at Bartlit Beck, which many regard as the template or archetype for a first-class, high-stakes litigation boutique.

MoloLamken has grown quite a bit since its founding in October 2009. As founding partner Steven Molo noted, “The market has responded favorably to our business model as we’ve grown from five to 21 lawyers in just four years, a period during which many firms have been retrenching.”

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Indeed. Biglaw has been shrinking, but boutiques are picking up some of the slack. Congratulations to DeVooght on his new professional home, and congratulations to MoloLamken on its latest impressive hire.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joins White Collar Firm in Chicago [Main Justice]
Andy DeVooght to MoloLamken [Corporate Crime Reporter]

Earlier: A Hot New Trend: Leaving Biglaw to Start Your Own Firm

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