Partner Issues
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Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Musical Chairs, Partner Issues, Willkie Farr
More O'Melveny Partner DeparturesDewey get more talent? Yes.
We recently reported that at least 22 partners have left O’Melveny & Myers in 2011 thus far. That number continues to grow. Earlier this week, two more partners announced their imminent departures from OMM: Ilan Nissan, former firmwide co-chair of the firm’s M&A and private equity practice, and Christian Nugent, also an M&A partner. Like […] -
Biglaw, Musical Chairs, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
What's Going On At O'Melveny & Myers?
Last month, we broke the news of seven key corporate partners leaving O’Melveny & Myers to join Paul Weiss. Shortly thereafter, we learned that two other prominent partners were leaving O’Melveny to join Weil Gotshal. Of course, partners come and partners go at large law firms — but some of these nine were major rainmakers […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Fenwick & West, Job Searches, Minority Issues, Munger Tolles & Olson, Partner Issues, Racism, Rankings, Townsend and Townsend and Crew, White & Case
Which Law Firms Are Most Diverse? Let's Look at the Rankings
Law firm diversity matters. It matters to corporate clients, many of them public companies that want to demonstrate their commitment to diversity through their selection of vendors and service providers — which is what law firms are, at the end of the day. It matters to the law students and lawyers that firms are trying […]
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Antitrust, Biglaw, Department of Justice, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Judicial Nominations, Lawyerly Lairs, Litigatrix, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Real Estate, S.D.N.Y., Senate Judiciary Committee
Ex-Cravath Partner Nominated to S.D.N.Y. Is Pretty Stinking Rich
I recently wrote about Katherine B. Forrest, the celebrated litigatrix nominated to a federal judgeship on the breathtakingly prestigious Southern District of New York. Forrest currently serves as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s antitrust division, but before joining the DOJ she was a longtime partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore […] -
Antitrust, Biglaw, Department of Justice, Eric Holder, Federal Judges, Judicial Nominations, Litigatrix, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, S.D.N.Y., Senate Judiciary Committee
Ex-Cravath Partner Turned Judicial Nominee Has Underwhelming Net Worth
As I’ve previously mentioned, one of my favorite parts of the judicial nomination process is the attendant financial voyeurism. Judicial nominees are required to make detailed disclosures about their finances, allowing us to learn about their income and net worth. For example, thanks to her nomination to the Supreme Court last year, we got to […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Minority Issues, Partner Issues, Pro Bono, Racism, Women's Issues
New Data on Law Firm Diversity
The good folks over at Building A Better Legal Profession — a national grassroots movement that we’ve written about before, which seeks market-based workplace reforms in large private law firms — have updated their online directory and rankings of law firms with new information for 2011. The updated rankings shed light on which top law […] -
Legal Ethics, Partner Issues
Because Walmart Really Should Be Allowed To Own A Law Firm
Every so often, we need to ask the question: Why do lawyers have to run law firms? Just because that’s the way it always has been doesn’t mean that it’s the right way to do things. Law is a business — obviously — so why can’t business people run them? Things are the way they […] -
Biglaw, Labor / Employment, Martha Minow, Minority Issues, Partner Issues, Racism
(Potential) Lawsuit of the Day: More From John Ray About Ropes & Gray
On Friday, we discussed the discrimination claims made against Ropes & Gray by John H. Ray III. Ray, a 2000 graduate of Harvard Law School and an African-American man, claimed that he was discriminated against and passed over for partner on account of his race. At the time of our prior post, Ray did not […] - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Biglaw, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: Lateraling Up
It’s tough to “lateral up” at a big law firm. Since I just invented the phrase “lateraling up,” I suppose I should define it: It’s when a fairly senior lawyer asks an older lawyer to help on a project. If you’re 40 years old and just landed a small- or medium-sized matter, it’s hard to […] -
Biglaw, Labor / Employment, Martha Minow, Minority Issues, Partner Issues, Racism
(Potential) Lawsuit of the Day: Another Discrimination Claim Against Ropes & Gray
When I worked in private practice, I once had a case opposite Ropes & Gray. The Ropes lawyers made a highly positive impression on me. They were very talented advocates (and they continue to be talented advocates; note the firm’s recent, high-profile victory in the defense of an in-house lawyer for a drug company). Of […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Bonuses, Constitutional Law, Gay, King & Spalding, Legal Ethics, Money, Partner Issues, Politics
King & Spalding: More DOMA Drama, Plus Salary and Bonus News
Some people, including crisis communications experts, think that King & Spalding should just shut up already about the DOMA debacle. The firm agreed to represent the House of Representatives in defending the controversial Defense of Marriage Act, and then almost immediately turned around and withdrew from the representation. This prompted the departure from the firm […] -
Biglaw, Canada, Musical Chairs, Partner Issues
Musical Chairs: Paul Weiss Snags Corporate Partners from O'Melveny -- Along With a Top Client
The high-powered law firm of Paul Weiss has a legendary litigation practice. But their corporate department is strong too — they’re working on, for example, the big Warner Music deal — and it’s only getting stronger. Yesterday corporate lawyers at Paul Weiss received an unusual email: “We would like to ask all counsel and associates […] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: Big-Firm Pitches
Over time (and it doesn’t take long), law firm pitches all begin to sound the same. “We save you money because we staff cases leanly. We send in the Navy SEALs, not the Fifth Fleet.” Do you really think the guy in here last week was saying, “We waste your money hand over foot. We […]
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Biglaw, Gender, Labor / Employment, Partner Issues, Women's Issues
Ex-Reed Smith Partner Drops Sex Discrimination Suit Against the Firm
Back in December, we covered a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by JoEllen Lyons Dillon, a comely corporate partner at Reed Smith, against the firm (where she still worked at the time). Dillon’s allegations were salacious. She claimed, for example, that “work was diverted … to female attorneys who were willing to engage in sexual relations […] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
Inside Straight: How De-Equitizing Partners Can Undermine A Business Model
Last week’s Am Law 100 list revealed publicly a trend that partners at big law firms have been feeling acutely: The largest law firms have de-equitized partners in the last two years in an unprecedented way. In the words of one of the articles, “Equity partner head count alone slipped 0.9 percent last year, after […] -
Canada, Defamation, Drinking, Labor / Employment, Lawyer of the Day, Parties, Partner Issues, Sex, Sex Scandals, Sexual Harassment
Booty-Dancing Toronto Partner: 'I Was Falsely Accused'
Back in January 2009, a moot court after-party hosted by Mathews, Dinsdale & Clarke got wild enough to spark allegations of sexual harassment. Canadians do know how to party, eh? The “night of debauchery” has haunted David Cowling ever since; he was one of the partners accused of getting overly friendly with female associates and […] -
Biglaw, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: Hiring Law Firms Or Lawyers?
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. Can we just put this one to rest? At every conference, and in many articles, people pose the question: “As a client, do you hire law firms, or do you hire lawyers?” The clients […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Musical Chairs, Partner Issues, Texas
Associate Bonus Watch: Vinson & Elkins Gives Me A Headache Takes Spring Bonuses to Texas
The law firm of Vinson & Elkins, one of Texas’s top shops, once represented Enron. I was reminded of this fact in trying to write up V&E’s bonus news (year-end bonuses and spring bonuses, which the firm just announced). Lawyers at Vinson & Elkins seem to thrive on complexity — in the service of hiding […] -
Biglaw, Deaths, Money, Partner Issues, Pro Bono, Public Interest, Trusts and Estates
How Much Was Joe Flom Worth? Some Clues From His Will
Back in February, Joseph Flom — name partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and one of the nation’s most successful and prominent lawyers — passed away, at the age of 87. During his life, Flom earned well-deserved renown as an attorney, philanthropist, and mentor. He was also a wonderful father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, […] -
Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
Biglaw Firm Warns Associates They'll Be 'Disappointed' With Comp
You know associates are pissed when they end their emails to Above the Law with lines like this one, from a message we received last night: NO ONE SHOULD COME HERE. EVERYONE HERE SHOULD LEAVE. That’s what happens when you tell your associates that they’re going to get paid significantly below market and like it. […]