* Crazy pro se lawsuit against Google, seeking $5 billion in damages, touches upon the war on terror and a Burton snowboard. And no, it wasn't filed by Jonathan Lee Riches. [TechDirt]

* A misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals? Guess he wasn't that good. [Denver Channel]

* Law professors get their academic gowns in a wad over the gender divide in faculty hiring. [TaxProf Blog]

* Dewey LeBoeuf? Already done it. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Debevoise & Plimpton lords it over the competition. [Times of London]

Please accept our apologies. After breaking the story on Friday afternoon, we kinda dropped the ball on the merger of Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf Lamb.

We'll write more about this transaction later. Sadly, we have to head offline for a bit. But in the meantime, here's an open thread for people to discuss the merger.

We'll get the ball rolling with a press-release-type statement that was sent to DB interviewees:

After receiving a callback from Dewey, the recruiting department sent me and all similarly-situated recruits the heads up: The new firm, to be dubbed “Dewey & LeBoeuf,” is set to roll out, “subject to approval by the partners in both firms.”

Below is the email that I was sent. I apologize if you've already been notified.

The email, from Dewey Ballantine partner Henry Ricardo, appears after the jump.

People in the offices of both Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf Lamb have been gossiping about a possible merger between their firms.

Here's some circumstantial evidence in support of the rumors. If you go to Whois.Net and enter the domain name DeweyLeBoeuf.com, you get this info:

We have a call and an email in to Michael Groll. We'll let you know if and when we hear back from him.

Update: Might this be a practical joke, as one commenter suggests? Quite possibly. That's why we've reached out to Mr. Groll for comment.

Further Update (4:45 PM): No, this is the real deal. About an hour after our post went up, the WSJ Law Blog chimed in with this write-up: "LeBoeuf Lamb and Dewey Ballantine are in merger talks, with an announcement of a deal expected as early as Monday, according to people familiar with the situation."

Further Further Update (8/25/07): The New York Times has an article on the merger talks here.

More discussion, plus links, after the jump.

We've now covered over a third of the Vault 100 law firms in open threads. But that means we still have two-thirds to go (assuming we follow through to the end).

The next five firms are colorful. They include one firm that was featured in the Transformers movie, and another that used to employ a high-priced escort.

For your consideration (in Vault 100 order, prestige scores in parentheses):

31. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (6.545)
32. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (6.352)
33. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (6.343)
34. Winston & Strawn LLP (6.316)
35. Dewey Ballantine LLP (6.313)

Please gossip away in the comments. Thanks.

The Vault Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]

Earlier: Vault 1-5; Vault 6-10; Vault 11-15; Vault 16-20; Vault 21-25; Vault 26-30

Please welcome a new member to the $50K Club:

“Dewey Ballantine just raised its clerkship bonus. $50K for a federal clerkship or the highest court of any state.”

If you're aware of any judicial clerkship bonus news that hasn't previously appeared here, please email us (subject line: "Clerkship Bonus").

In addition, if you're planning to apply for a clerkship next month, we reiterate our earlier plug for the Clerkship Notification Blog.

In the next few weeks, summer associates will be arriving at large law firms around the country. And they'll get treated to lavish, three-hour lunches, paid for by Biglaw shops that want to win them back on a permanent basis.

But the summer lunches may be a trifle rushed over at Dewey Ballantine. Here's a rumor (unconfirmed) that's making the rounds:

The word on the street is that Dewey Ballantine announced today that summer activities/lunches/etc. won't count towards the billable hours minimum of 2000 for a bonus (cliff effect: 1999 you get nothing, 2000 you get market).

This sounds like a recipe for recruiting suicide. Do most firms with minimums exclude summer associate activities from the total? I like lunch at Nobu57and karaoke as much as the next guy, but I'm not giving up $40,000 for it.

We see our tipster's point. But we think that many (if not most) firms don't count such activities towards billable minimums. Did Dewey count them in previous years, as this rumor implies?

Update: We are getting some vague rumblings from sources that the Dewey rumor above is incorrect (although they won't spell out how). We warned you to take this gossip as unconfirmed. Anyway, the real point of this post is what appears below...

In any event, our correspondent isn't actually at Dewey, whose Los Angeles office will be hosting this comely young law student (as profiled in Stuff Magazine):

Correction: Shane Chase contacted us and advises as follows:

"The information you posted was in the Stuff Magazine article (from over six years ago), which was itself factually inaccurate."

"Specifically, the information about me you have underlined in red on your blog never had any basis in reality. Anyone who has ever been at UCLA would confirm that it would not be possible -- I don't even know where the Deans' offices are at UCLA."

A quasi-racy picture, after the jump.

We have to step away from the computer for a while for a dental appointment. We'd rather be covering associate pay raise developments than undergoing a root canal, but we sadly don't have much choice in the matter.

Please mention the latest associate base salary news in the comments to this post. We'll check them out when we get back. Thanks.

P.S. Here's the Dewey memo from yesterday:

Earlier: Previous announcements of law firm associate salary increases (scroll down through "Skaddenfreude" archives)

Consider the rumors about Dewey Ballantine and Fried Frank joining in the associate pay raise fun to be confirmed. We've been in touch with multiple sources at both shops.

We're working on getting a copy of the DB memo. Here is the text of the Fried Frank announcement (which reportedly went out by email at 2:11 PM today):

FRIED FRANK

To: All DC and New York Associates and Special Counsel
cc: All Partners
From: Valerie Jacob, Justin Spendlove

We are pleased to announce an increase to the associate base salary scale as follows:

Class Year Adjusted Base Salary
2006 $160,000
2005 $170,000
2004 $185,000
2003 $210,000
2002 $230,000
2001 $250,000
2000 $265,000
1999 $280,000
1998 $290,000

This increase is retroactive to January 1, 2007, and will be reflected in the February 9, 2007 payroll. Bonuses for 2007 will be determined at year-end, as usual.

Base salaries and bonuses for Special Counsel will be determined on an individual basis in the Spring, as usual.

The Firm's continued success depends upon the support and contribution of all our associates. We are very appreciative of the efforts and hard work of all our attorneys during this fiscal year and we look forward to continued success next year.

******************************
As several of you noted in the comments, news of a pay raise sounds even sweeter when it comes from a man named "Justin Spendlove."

Earlier: Previous announcements of law firm associate salary increases (scroll down through "Skaddenfreude" archives)

* Last Tuesday, a civil action captioned Aaron Brett Charney v. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP was filed in New York Supreme Court -- and the world of Biglaw has never been the same ever since. Click here to access the complete archives of our Aaron Charney coverage.

* Of course, Sullivan & Cromwell partners aren't the only bosses who are jerks challenging (allegedly).

* Don't forget the Divine Miss C, Shanetta Cutlar, whose delicious reign continues over at the Justice Department's Special Litigation Section.

Compared to Aaron Charney and Shanetta Cutlar, other topics pale by comparison. But here are other highlights from the past week in legal news:

* Charles "Cully" Stimson apologizes for ranking on Gitmo lawyers.

* In New Orleans, trials get rescheduled for football.

* Barry Ostrager of Simpson Thacher, the renowned business litigator, has poor bathroom manners (or aim).

* The justices of the Michigan Supreme Court just can't stop squabbling.

* Now we know the real reason -- or rather, the 25 million reasons -- that the Dewey Ballantine / Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe merger was scuttled.

* Third Circuit Judge Marjorie Rendell, who also serves as the First Lady of Pennsylvania, sings a duet with Jon Bon Jovi. We don't know whether to be delighted or frightened.

* Too soon, Daily Princetonian, too soon. And what’s more, you budding SNL-writers are so completely unfunny that you might consider law school instead. Dewey Ballantine would probably hire you. [IvyGate Blog]

* Retiree sick of junk mail claims that (literal) poo-slinging is constitutionally protected. [AP via Forbes]

* If only Jason were just a tad younger, they’d be just another couple of happy, teenage parents. [Sheboygan Press]

* But we’ll always have YouTube. [ValleyWag]

* Want to do more than just blog? Ernie is looking for a freelance legal researcher. Sounds like a great gig if you like that kind of thing. (I obviously don’t, or I wouldn’t be putting this out for all of you to see.) [Ernie the Attorney]

On the Way Out:

* The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California (San Francisco), Kevin Ryan, is stepping down. He cited "personal and professional reasons” for his departure.

(Does this mean that ATL favorite Eumi Choi might be placed in charge of the office for a while, even if only in an acting capacity? We hope so.)

Judicial Promotion:

* In New York, Brooklyn Civil Term Administrative Justice Theodore T. Jones Jr. has been nominated by Attorney General Governor Eliot Spitzer to the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

Lateral Moves:

* Over in London, Camille Abousleiman and Louise Roman Bernstein, described by the WSJ Law Blog as "capital-markets stars," are leaving the troubled Dewey Ballantine for LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae.

* Litigator Kristan Peters, to Dorsey & Whitney, from Fulbright & Jaworski.

New Partners:

* Akin Gump: Eighteen new partners. Names here.

* Dow Lohnes: M&A and corporate lawyer Matthew Block (described to us as "a hard worker" and "a great guy").

Spitzer Names Jones to Court of Appeals [New York Law Journal via Law.com]
NY Lawyers Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]
Dow Lohnes Announces New Partner Matthew Block [Dow Lohnes]
Ryan Will Leave His Job In San Francisco [WSJ Law Blog]
Dewey Defections Across the Pond [WSJ Law Blog]

After the much ballyhooed merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe fell apart, many theories were bandied about as to why the deal disintegrated. See, e.g., here.

Now, from a British legal publication, The Lawyer, we get this fascinating report:

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe chairman Ralph Baxter demanded a guaranteed $25m (£12.92m) payout over five years, had the proposed merger with Dewey Ballantine gone through, The Lawyer can reveal.

Orrick's management drafted an employment agreement for Baxter and Dewey chairman Mort Pierce to sign, which would have committed both partners to the newly merged firm for five years.

Pierce is understood to have refused to sign, prompted by the dissatisfaction of a number of Dewey partners with the terms of the agreement.

The significant remuneration for a non-fee-earning chairman is thought to have contributed to Dewey's decision to walk away from the merger with Orrick.

Pierce is known to be the highest earner at Dewey, earning an extra $3m (£1.54m) in one year in bonuses alone. But he is also the highest biller, averaging more than 3,000 chargeable hours a year.

Balking at Ralph Baxter's rich demand is understandable. But in hindsight, one can't help wonder whether Dewey shouldn't have just bent over and grabbed its proverbial socks. The DB partners who have walked out the door in the past few weeks probably took with them books of business totalling well over Baxter's concededly greedy demand.

But the $25 million wasn't the end of it. Check this out:

For Dewey, the combination of Baxter's personal demands, which also included unlimited first-class air travel for himself and at least one family member, and the perceived imbalance in terms of post-merger management were the final straw in scuppering a deal that could have produced a $1bn (£514.5m)-turnover firm, which could have been in the global top 10.

Quips an amused tipster: "I laughed when I saw Baxter's personal demand of unlimited first class travel for him + 1.
Seriously, does he think he's Gnarls Barkley or what?"

Revealed: Baxter killed Dewey-Orrick merger [TheLawyer.com]

Last week was short, thanks to the New Year's holiday; but it sure was busy. Here are some highlights from a very momentous week:

* No more jokes about Harriet Miers: the ill-fated ex-SCOTUS nominee has resigned as White House counsel. Speculation about her successor abounds.

* No more jokes about the Dewy Orifice: the ill-fated merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has been called off.

* Turns out that Chief Justice Rehnquist was a painkiller junkie. Once, while suffering withdrawal symptoms, he tried to bust out of a hospital in his PJs.

* Chief Judge David Levi, of the Eastern District of California, will be the new Dean of Duke Law School.

* All About Jan? Just as the aging Margo Channing's reign over Broadway was threatened by the comely Eve Harrington, the aging Linda Greenhouse's reign over One First Street is being threatened by the comely Jan Crawford Greenburg.

* Who knew? Law professors and legal bloggers sure know how to party! Photos of drunken legal academics available here and here.

* Cravath partner John Beerbower has enjoyed some amazing apartments over the years. Cravath partnership + Wealthy wife = $20 million, Park Avenue pad.

* Who's your favorite First Circuit judge? Cast your vote here.

* If you're a right-winger hoping that Justice Stevens will step down soon, don't hold your breath.

* Today's D.C. Circuit: Despite the occasional catfight, it's not as bitchy as it used to be. Sigh.

* Oppressed law clerks, your Devil Wears Prada is on its way. Coming soon to a bookstore near you: Chambermaid, by former Third Circuit clerk Saira Rao.

Why did the merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe die on the vine?

Traditional theory: Dewey's loss of key partners, such as M&A stars Michael Aiello and Jack Bodner, made it a much less attractive merger partner. Why buy a cow after the milk has dried up? See here.

Revisionist theory: It was that godawful nickname, "Dewy Orifice" -- a clear sign that the gods did not look favorably upon this union. See here.

We got our hands on the email that went around at Dewey Ballantine this afternoon, announcing the death of this combination. You can check it out after the jump.

Via the WSJ Law Blog, here's the text of the two firms' joint statement:

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Dewey Ballantine LLP have jointly decided to end merger discussions. Both firms are successful, global firms that saw great potential in a combination. However, a combination of this size and scope posed significant challenges. While both firms tried their best to work through these challenges, we were unable to bring the merger to completion. No one issue led us to this point, and each firm leaves this process with great respect for the leaders and partners of the other.

This is very bad news for Dewey. Uncertainty in the wake of the merger caused several of their top partners, including leading M&A lawyers, to leave for other firms. So Dewey is now worse off than it was before the announcement of the merger -- and now without a merger partner.

At first we thought: Orrick is like a Lothario who seduced Dewey, gave her a loathsome disease, and then dumped her.

But then a Dewey tipster told us:

The word is that Orrick is unhappy with the M&A partners who have left. Mort [Pierce] asked [Ralph] Baxter to come up with a counter proposal, but Baxter [didn't produce an adequate alternative].

So now we think: Orrick is like a Lothario who seduced Dewey, gave her a loathsome disease, and then dumped her. When Dewey asked Orrick, "Why are you dumping me?", Orrick responded: "Why would I want you? You're damaged goods. And you have a loathsome disease!"

Earlier: Prior coverage of the Dewey-Orrick merger (scroll down)

The planned merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has been called off. Last month, the troubled transaction was indefinitely postponed -- not a good sign.

Given the unfortunate nickname that was bestowed upon the new entity, the disintegration of this deal may be just as well.

We hear that an internal email just went around at Dewey. If so, can someone please forward it to us -- or post its text in the comments?

If you have tips or further details about the scuttling of this deal, please email us.

Update (12:45 PM): Orrick chairman Ralph Baxter Jr. has confirmed the news to the WSJ Law Blog.

P.S. No, we couldn't bring ourselves to make a joke about "withdrawal from the Dewy Orifice."

Dewey, Orrick Merger Is Off [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Prior coverage of the Dewey-Orrick merger (scroll down)

A few of the more prominent moves within this noble profession:

From government to private sector:

* Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is joining Royal Dutch Shell, as general counsel for its "unconventional resources division" (e.g., extracting oil from "oil shale" and "extra heavy oil" -- don't ask us, we don't know).

(A WSJ Law Blog commenter sniffs: "One would think that she could have secured a more lucrative and high profile job, given her resume." We agree somewhat on the "high profile" part, but don't know enough about the filthy lucre associated with this gig.)

* Former assistant U.S. attorney Mauro Wolfe, with whom we used to work, to Dickstein Shapiro. He will be a partner in the firm's securities practice, in the New York office.

* Mark Paoletta and Andrew Snowdon, to the D.C. office of Dickstein Shapiro (as partner and of counsel, respectively). Paoletta previously served as served as Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; Snowdon previously served as a lawyer on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. They join the government law & strategy practice.

Within government:

* The United States Attorney for Connecticut, Kevin O'Connor, has been named associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. His DOJ work will focus on violent crime, gangs, and guns. O'Connor plans to retain his post as U.S. Attorney for at least six months.

Lateral moves:

* M&A lawyer Michael Aiello, to Weil Gotshal, from Dewey Ballantine (as previously noted).

* Finance lawyer Philip Haber, to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham, from Nixon Peabody.

New partners:

* Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft: Seven new partners. Names here (PDF).

* LeBoeuf Lamb: Five new partners. Names here.

* Patterson Belknap: White-collar defense lawyer Daniel Ruzumna, promoted from counsel to partner. Ruzumna served for six years as an AUSA in the legendary Southern District of New York. His final post in the S.D.N.Y. was Acting Chief of the Major Crimes Unit.

The voluminous links are collected after the jump.

The indefinitely delayed, potentially troubled merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe isn't being well-received by Dewey support staff.

From a Dewey Ballantine tipster:

As far we non-attorney types go, it seems like more of a hostile takeover than a merger. So far, Orrick management is calling the shots on all the administrative areas of the merger. In the meetings I have been in or have heard about, Orrick is having their way with us.

Many in Payroll, Finance and IT [information technology] have already been given hard end dates. Many others are actively looking for other positions. Orrick has their IT department in Wheeling, West Virginia, whereas Dewey's IT department is in New York. Having met some of the Orrick IT types and, I believe that the merged firm is going to lose out in that area.

In this merger, Dewey is looking like the receptive partner -- the one getting f***ed.

Update: In the meantime, Dewey continues to hemorrhage key lawyers. The WSJ Law Blog just reported that Michael Aiello, who had been one of Dewey's top M&A partners, has left the firm for Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Top Dewey M&A Partner Decamps to Weil [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Dewy Orifice (scroll down)

The latest collection of moves within the profession:

From government to private sector:

* George Bundy Smith, former judge on the New York Court of Appeals -- the state's highest court (duh) -- to Chadbourne & Parke, as a litigation partner.

Lateral moves:

* "A little ditty, about Jack and Diane": M&A lawyer Jack Bodner, bankruptcy lawyer Dianne Coffino, and bankruptcy lawyer Ben Hoch, to Covington & Burling (NY), from Dewey Ballantine. We hear that this trio is "extraordinarily nice."

Dewey Ballantine is in the process of merging with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe -- a combination that has been delayed (and might possibly fall apart).

Covington will soon unveil plans for new office space in the fancy, Renzo Piano-designed New York Times building. It may be the coolest move since the Skaddenites got to shack up with the Conde Nasties (but there are probably fewer hotties among the ink-stained wretches of the Times than the staffers of Vogue).

* Duane Morris launches its Baltimore office by snagging three partners and an of counsel from DLA Piper: Jay Gordon Cohen, Keli Isaacson, George Nemphos, and Wilbert Sirota (of counsel).

On the Comeback Trail?

* You can't keep a good woman down: Star Jones, the prosecutor turned television personality, is doing a radio show (after getting booted from "The View"). Good luck, Star!

Star Jones: a star reborn? [Miami Herald]
At Last, Star Jones Reynolds' Dramatic Comeback! [Gawker]
NY Lawyers Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]
Firm Opens Baltimore Office With Raid [NYLawyer.com]
Three More Walk Away From Dewey [WSJ Law Blog]

This doesn't really matter much (except, of course, to the people receiving the dough). But for those of you keeping score at home, Dewey Ballantine has just announced bonuses. Surprise surprise, they're matching market.

Well, almost matching market. The stub bonus for Class of 2006 folks was a flat $5,000.

Other notable items from the memo: (1) a requirement of 1900 hours to receive the bonus, and (2) a vague statement concerning Dewey's possible, but now delayed, merger with Orrick:

[M}any of you have questions regarding the 2007 bonus structure and how it will be impacted should we complete a merger with Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP. We have not yet reached a final determination regarding the 2007 structure, but please be assured that our objective will always be to remain competitive in the legal market place and reward our attorneys for their hard work and contributions.

Assuming that a merger with the Orrick firm does occur, we will communicate the combined firm’s associate compensation structure as soon as possible. If the merger does not occur, attorneys will be notified of the Dewey Ballantine FY 2007 hours threshold promptly.

The full Dewey Ballantine memo, after the jump.