More Partner Departures At Bingham

Who are the latest partners to leave, and where are they going?

Now that Patton Boggs is safely in the hands of Squire Sanders — minus a few notable defectors, such as Ben Ginsberg’s high-profile election-law team, which is leaving for Jones Day — observers of Biglaw are looking around for other possible trouble spots. And some of them are focusing on Bingham McCutchen.

Back in February, we covered some less-than-positive developments at Bingham: “tumbling profits, partner departures, and unfortunately timed staff layoffs.” What has happened since then?

As we mentioned earlier today, partner departures continue at the firm. Who are the latest partners to leave Bingham, and where are they going?

A total of 14 lawyers, including nine partners, are headed for the exits at Bingham. The departures received coverage from Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal. Here’s the bottom line:

  • Eight white-collar defense lawyers are going to Paul Hastings. Three are partners — Michael Levy, Michael Spafford, and Amy Carpenter-Holmes — and five are counsel or associates.
  • Four real-estate partners, including Richard Fries, are heading to Sidley Austin.
  • Two unidentified partners are lateraling over to Skadden Arps.

What factors are driving the moves? A combination of client conflicts and compensation concerns, it seems. Through spokeswoman Claire Papanastasiou, Bingham issued this statement:

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We have always been a firm that embraces change. Heading into 2014, we expected an uptick in partner attrition — both because of forward-looking business decisions we made and because of a challenging 2013. We are a leaner, stronger firm now, and our 2014 thus far has been robust.

We’ll continue to track developments at the firm. If you have information you’d like to share with us — e.g., the identities of the Skadden-bound partners, or the reasons for the various partner defections — please email us or text us (646-820-8477). Thanks.

Fourteen lawyers at Boston firm Bingham McCutchen jump ship [Reuters]
Nine Partners Are Leaving Bingham McCutchen [WSJ Law Blog]
Bingham McCutchen Loses 12 Lawyers to Paul Hastings, Sidley [Bloomberg]
Patton Boggs Trio Heads to Jones Day: Business of Law [Bloomberg]

Earlier: What’s Going On At Bingham McCutchen?
Morning Docket: 06.02.14

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