Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a talented Biglaw litigator has decided to depart their firm, one that capitulated to Donald Trump and struck a deal with the administration that will provide millions in pro bono payola to be used to advance conservative clients and causes, and is heading to a firm that would *never* cave to Trump. This time, it’s Ellen Holloman exiting Cadwalader and heading to boutique Kaplan Martin, helmed by Roberta Kaplan (a regular thorn in Donald Trump’s side).
In a statement, Kaplan celebrated the new hire, “The fact that a lawyer of Ellen’s caliber and reputation has joined our firm is a testament to the tremendous success we have enjoyed since launching last year.”
And, for their part, Cadwalader is taking the departure on the chin, “We thank Ellen for her many contributions,” Cadwalder said in a statement. “Ellen has co-counseled with Robbie Kaplan for quite some time now, and the alignment of their practices is undeniable. We wish them continued success.”
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Cadwalader has seen a number of partner defections recently. And as the American Lawyer notes more departures — not just for Cadwalader, but for all nine of the firms that capitulated to Trump, may be in the pipeline. Many partner contract have notice periods, which is likely slowing down the exits.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].